Recent studies carried out around the world try to explain how reclaimed wood improves our comfort in life. However, we do not necessarily describe the feeling of well-being that envelops us when wood enters our interiors. Our body reacts. The heart rate calms down, the stress rate decreases, and concentration is better. So what happens when our five senses meet custom reclaimed wood?
Senses of Custom Reclaimed Wood
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Natural, renewable, alive, noble, and shaped by ancestral artisanal know-how, wood contains a rich symbolism conducive to benevolence. The sight of matter itself already awakens in us a feeling of comfort.
A study by the University of Bratislava sought to demonstrate where the pleasant sensation we get when we are in the presence of a reclaimed wooden structure comes from. The researchers found that it stems from the variability of the material.
Colors, patterns, textures, and wood is not homogeneous. Yet his image is both regular and surprising. From a distance, it is familiar, but if we take a closer look, it is full of irregularities. Familiarity and the unexpected come together to offer our eyes a pleasant image. This aesthetic gives rise to visual comfort, a source of appeasement.
THE SMELL
“Entering a wooden building is like merging with nature: an incredible feeling of well-being sets in immediately, with eyes closed and the sense of smell. Discovering a piece of custom reclaimed wood is an olfactory experience. The smell is the sense of reminiscence.
Smelling the palette of fragrances from the wood evokes warm memories and soothing images of walks in the woods. For example, a study in Japan observed that diffusing a scent of alpha-pinene (an odorous component present in the resin) would help soothe people under stress. Smelling the wood would then have relaxing virtues.
Read More: How to Build a Decorative Wood Ceiling Beam
Wood also can regulate the humidity of a room. This material improves the quality of the ambient air. We breathe healthier air.
TOUCH
Whether raw, weathered by the elements, or shaped by man’s hand, custom reclaimed wood reveals an infinity of textures. Material that does not radiate the cold is also warm.
The wood invites us to touch it. It gives us a warm impression and a feeling of comfort. We develop a particular attachment to the works initiated by the material. We touch wood, and the wood touches us.
TASTE
Sometimes elegant and straightforward, occasionally precious and complex, wood is multiple. Each essence evokes a different universe. It lends itself to all shapes, all styles. The natural richness of this material gives it its aesthetic value. In the appreciation of the beautiful, pleasure is born.
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THE SOUND
Sometimes a sounding board, wood is the preferred material for philharmonic halls. It gives the space excellent acoustic properties, enhancing the sounds. Sometimes a barrier against noise, wood is a material appreciated by acousticians. It absorbs sound to create an atmosphere conducive to rest and concentration.
Silence or music and wood create a serene sound environment in the space.
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When we let wood enter our settings, we understand it through our five senses and feel good. Does the custom reclaimed wood give off soothing substances? Are we unconsciously reconnecting with the nature that we have put at a distance? Probably a bit of both. In any case, well-being sets in when we interact with matter.
