We’ve had a few questions from our customers on where in their home the handcarved wood panels would look best. So to help with these questions, I have compiled a list of ideas from all around the world showing where other people are using these unique pieces of art in their homes ranging from wood headboards to wood tables and other decorative accents.
The wood panels, specifically the floral design (a lotus flower) has been associated with quite a few different cultural decors including Indian, Thai, Balinese – even Moroccan – and has been best described as bohemian / boho chic but honestly fits in with practically any design due to the sheer volume of varying styles.
Most panels are made from reclaimed teak wood, but can also include mango wood as well. Be careful, as many places sell these carvings as “hand carved” however are actually cut from MDF wood (you know, that wood made from sawdust and glue) which will fall apart over time not to mention are not water resistant at all. These imitations are pretty convincing, so be sure to ask when buying. We do not stock MDF panels, all of our panels are genuinely hand made from reclaimed teak or plantations in Thailand.
The carved wall panels come in many different colors and finishes from natural untreated to completely gilded! However I will focus on the two main styles of finish for most homes. The first of the two styles being gorgeous deep brown, the natural wood which has been stained to bring out the grain.
These can go very well in the bohemian style boho rooms with deep blues, browns, purples and other such tones. It can give a really beautiful rustic look, or it can contrast against your bed duvet and wall coloring. Using them as wood headboards seems to be the most popular style, and I love it.
The panels do not always have to be in square shapes either, they come in circular designs as well. Some panels come in the shape of the subject (think elephants, peacocks), however in this post we’re focusing on the floral lotus design which is nearly exclusively square / circular to keep the wood headboard symmetry.
White is the second most common style and my personal favorite. Typically they are not painted solid white but come as a worn, weathered white look – however the pure white painted panels work very well too if you are going for the clean, contemporary look.
These white carved wood panels are almost always best suited in brighter color themes, and match very well on white walls as they are not imposing while adding depth to your room.
The most common use for the panels, and frankly the most beautiful in my view, is as headboards. These beautiful carved wood headboards can become the focal point of your bedroom – or not – completely depending on the size and color as I mentioned above.
You can mount them above your bed to add more to your current headboard, or you can use it as a headboard itself from the floor up. Some of our panels are very large and serve quite well as headboards without needing to mount them directly to the wall as they are supported by the bed itself.
The panels always come shipped in pieces, as they are carved from 3 to 6 different wood planks depending on the size of the panel. This makes them a lot easier to ship as well, we ship directly from Thailand – which works well as it takes around 2 – 3 weeks to reach most countries given Thailand is a central shipping hub.
Getting more creative, the panels can be included into some more functional pieces. For instance, we can mount legs and support onto the panels and you can then place glass over it creating a truly unique dining table. For some of the smaller more intricate panels you can mount them on the wall in glass picture frames – we’ve even had some customers use them as window shutters.
Whether you are looking for a centerpiece or simply something to add a little flair to your room, we’re able to help. We can even make completely custom designed pieces down to design, size, shape, color and material. Need a totally custom wood headboard? No problem! Our woodworking workshop in Chiang Mai is able to handle orders of any size too, if you just want one piece for your home or you want to stock these in your shop, we’re able to help.
See our range of decorative wood panels and wood headboards in our online shop, we ship direct to you anywhere in the world. We connect directly with artisans and a portion of all sales goes to supporting children in need in the regions we source our products. We believe in simplifying the journey from workshop to home by cutting out the middlemen, allowing better prices to you as well as the artisans who create them in a much more sustainable and socially friendly way. You can read about our mission here.
