Home - Garden
Wood Finishes HGTV's Emily Henderson Warns Not
To Use
By ERICA HAWBAKER
Emily Henderson, founder of Style by Emily Henderson and host of HGTV's "Secrets From A Stylist," encourages her clients to avoid the following three wood finishes.
Espresso Finished
"This 'espresso' is trying to look like real wood, and when things try to look expensive and fail, they look cheap, cheesy, and generic," says Henderson.
Espresso finishes drown out the natural textures of wood and showcase dirt and grime. Consider using black or charcoal paint instead if you want darker wood.
Lacquered Maple
While high gloss finishes like lacquered orange maple can give a classy feel to a room, they are often overwhelming and a beacon for any dirt or blemishes.
"It’s basically an orange-toned wood, and it's always pretty darn shiny. It's hard to mix with other woods, and it just looks really unnatural," Henderson says.
Red Cherry
Cherry wood is often associated with vintage looks, but its dark red undertone easily washes out other design elements in the room and siphons up natural light.
"Cherry itself might be a very pretty wood [...] it's not the wood that is the problem, it's that cherry varnish that is posing to be wood all the time," says Henderson.