Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

10 Favorites: The Unexpected Appeal of Plywood

Search

Start typing to search...

Search
10 FavoritesIssue 35 — Summer's End

10 Favorites: The Unexpected Appeal of Plywood

September 1, 2017

Does the versatility of plywood have no limit?

From boats to furniture; plywood is flexible, inexpensive, easy to use, and reusable. Made from refashioned pieces of wood that have been bound together, forming a building material that is stronger and stiffer than the sum of its parts; plywood came into its own in the 20th century, and its popularity grows today. Here are our recent favorite sightings and uses.

1. Interior Walls

a shuttering plywood lined interior (grain and knots included) in a tiny beach 17
Above: A shuttering plywood-lined interior (grain and knots included) in a tiny beach house in Seasalter, England. See Two London Creatives Shore Up a Tiny Beach House, Ikea Hack Kitchen Included. Photograph courtesy of the Modern House.
in the architect is in: a modern cabin; natural light and plywood included, bay 18
Above: In The Architect Is In: A Modern Cabin; Natural Light and Plywood Included, Bay Area architect Nick Noyes discussed a project in Healdsburg, California, featuring a plywood-lined interior. Photograph by Cesar Rubio.

2. Kitchen Backsplash

toronto based interiors stylist jennifer hannotte created a scandinavian cottag 19
Above: Toronto-based interiors stylist Jennifer Hannotte created a Scandinavian cottage-style kitchen on a limited budget using plywood. See Steal This Look: Toronto Kitchen for tips on how to re-create the look. Photograph by Angus Fergusson.

3. Furniture

in setagaya apartment in tokyo by naruse inokuma architects, a highly figu 20
Above: In Setagaya Apartment in Tokyo by Naruse Inokuma Architects, a highly figured plywood panel has been used for a dining room table. Photograph by Masano Nishikawa.
no frills plywood tables (and shelving) in melbourne. see jury: a cafe in 21
Above: No-frills plywood tables (and shelving) in Melbourne. See Jury: A Cafe in a Converted Prison.

4. Headboards

at hotel henriette in paris, headboards are made of plywood, some of which are 22
Above: At Hotel Henriette in Paris, headboards are made of plywood, some of which are fancifully-painted. See The Très DIY Hotel Henriette in Paris (Starting at $97 a Night).

5. Staircases

a concealed plywood staircase leads to a loft in the brick barn: a modern 23
Above: A concealed plywood staircase leads to a loft in The Brick Barn: A Modern English Farmhouse in Norfolk.
in simon astridge’s plywood house: raw materials in a victorian remodel, 24
Above: In Simon Astridge’s Plywood House: Raw Materials in a Victorian Remodel, the staircase is made of pale birch plywood.
plywood stairs (and built in shelving) in a london townhouse designed to catch 25
Above: Plywood stairs (and built-in shelving) in A London Townhouse Designed to Catch the Light. Photograph by Rory Gardiner.

6. Sliding Shutters and Doors

a sliding barn door made from oak floor boards becomes a feature in a bedroom c 26
Above: A sliding barn door made from oak floor boards becomes a feature in a bedroom clad in plywood, by architect Davor Popadich on Auckland’s North Shore. Photograph by Simon Devitt.
plywood sheets line the entire interior of architect davor popadich&#8\2\16 27
Above: Plywood sheets line the entire interior of architect Davor Popadich‘s Auckland home, including an ingenious accordion door. Photograph by Simon Devitt.
a plywood door conceals a small room with shelves and a wc in the perfect 28
Above: A plywood door conceals a small room with shelves and a WC in The Perfect Studio Apartment, Budget Edition.

7. Ceilings

in a cost conscious house in sweden that’s a pinterest sensation, nearly 29
Above: In A Cost-Conscious House in Sweden That’s a Pinterest Sensation, nearly everything—including the interior walls, ceilings, and bathroom vanity—is constructed from plywood.
in a light filled chalet in the italian alps, updated for a young skier, p 30
Above: In A Light-Filled Chalet in the Italian Alps, Updated for a Young Skier, plywood adds detail to the steeply pitched ceiling.
plywood is used for the ceilings in a modern kitchen in massachusetts by burr & 31
Above: Plywood is used for the ceilings in a modern kitchen in Massachusetts by Burr & McCallum Architects, members of the Remodelista Architect and Designer Directory. See A Civilized Factory by Burr & McCallum Architects. Photograph by Peter Vanderwarker.

8. Architectural Details and Trim

plywood frames a window in a bare bones summerhouse. see scandinavian simp 32
Above: Plywood frames a window in a bare-bones summerhouse. See Scandinavian Simplicity: A Reimagined Swedish Summerhouse.
a plywood chair rail wraps around the kitchen and dining rooms in a compac 33
Above: A plywood chair rail wraps around the kitchen and dining rooms in A Compact Apartment in London by a Craft-Oriented Architect.

9. Kitchen Cabinets

a kitchen clad entirely in plywood by johannes norlander arkitektur. for m 34
Above: A kitchen clad entirely in plywood by Johannes Norlander Arkitektur. For more of the all-plywood interior, see Architect Visit: Johannes Norlander in Sweden.
an inset plywood backsplash, shelves, and cabinetry in a cost conscious ho 35
Above: An inset plywood backsplash, shelves, and cabinetry in A Cost-Conscious House in Sweden That’s a Pinterest Sensation.
plywood cabinets provide a neutral backdrop for a bright fridge in kitchen 36
Above: Plywood cabinets provide a neutral backdrop for a bright fridge in Kitchen of the Week: Eclectic English Kitchen, Color Included.
plywood cabinets with cutout cabinet pulls in a bright german kitchen. (no 37
Above: Plywood cabinets with cutout cabinet pulls in a bright German kitchen. (Note also the built-in plywood bench in the small breakfast area.) See Happiness at Home with a German Design Duo.
plywood cabinetry in serena mitnik miller&#8\2\17;s kitchen. see kitchen of 38
Above: Plywood cabinetry in Serena Mitnik Miller’s kitchen. See Kitchen of the Week: A Hip, Low-Key Kitchen in Topanga Canyon, Hidden Fridge Included. Photograph by Nicki Sebastian, courtesy of Rip & Tan.
a tiny kitchen built almost entirely of plywood in kitchen of the week: a 39
Above: A tiny kitchen built almost entirely of plywood in Kitchen of the Week: A Compact Family Kitchen in Paris.

10. Bathroom Storage

plywood creates smart storage opportunities in a small hotel bathroom/closet. f 40
Above: Plywood creates smart storage opportunities in a small hotel bathroom/closet. For more, see Bathroom of the Week: An Economical Plywood Bath in Tahoe.
a simple plywood vanity (plus shelves and door) in a cost conscious house 41
Above: A simple plywood vanity (plus shelves and door) in A Cost-Conscious House in Sweden.

More ingenious uses for plywood:

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on November 19, 2012.

(Visited 8,289 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

Remodeling 101: How to Choose Your Refrigerator

August 31, 2017
Next Post

Trending on Gardenista: The Movable Garden

September 1, 2017

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

Related Stories

Read all recent posts

join us on 10 Favorites The Unexpected Appeal of Plywood portrait 7 42

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

v5.0

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack