Beauty ingrained - At Home - having wood furniture at home may have a calming effect - Brief Article

Natural Health, Oct, 2003 by Abbie Kozolchyk

For anyone who's hiked through the ancient California redwoods or wandered among the myriad trees of New York's Central Park, returning to the cement, steel and sterile lines of civilization is a harsh awakening. But you can ease the transition by bringing wood into your home.

"Wood has depth, warmth, texture and solidity that you can't replicate," says Chris Kofitsas of New World Design Builders in New York. These expressions of beauty and craftsmanship will enhance your daily life with the calming, restorative benefits of nature.

imperfect, infinite

Wood is returning to its roots--at least in the design world. "There's a trend toward simple and often imperfect wooden objects let the material's natural beauty speak for itself; you don't have to complicate it with an elaborate design," says Kofitsas, "Plus there's an infinite variety of woods to complement any palette."

rich, storied

Wood's richness, says Kofitsas, comes not only from obvious sources such as coloration and patterning, but also the subtler knowledge that "this is something with a past--something that nature took its time to create."