We're Obsessed with the Dark Wood Paneling in Athena Calderone's Apartment

"Wood paneling first grew in popularity during the Tudor period in England. At this time, the Wars of the Roses had ended, and there was relative peace throughout England. 'Homes became about comfort, not fortification,' he writes. They were inspired by Italian Renaissance residences, where the motif was also popular."

"Stateside-and fast-forwarding several centuries-wood paneling is often synonymous with '70s interiors. It may even carry some unwarranted stylistic baggage; for better or worse, dark veneer and laminate timber is what many picture. The design fell out of favor about the time The Brady Bunch went off the air."

"The use of timber in homes dates back thousands of years-we don't need to remind anyone that it's one of the oldest and most sustainable construction materials on Earth. Think of indigenous longhouses or cedar plank homes, both built primarily from wood."

Wood has served as a fundamental construction material for thousands of years, from indigenous longhouses to modern timber-framed homes. While wood paneling gained prominence during the Tudor period in England as homes shifted from fortification to comfort, it later became synonymous with 1970s interior design and fell out of favor. Contemporary designers are reconsidering wood paneling as a decorative motif, particularly following its striking use in Athena Calderone's Manhattan apartment, where oak-paneled walls create a luxurious aesthetic. This resurgence suggests wood paneling is transitioning from a dated design element to a sought-after architectural feature in modern interiors.

Read at Architectural Digest