Wood at Home from Beta-Plus is a book centred around the visual, showing open houses from in and around Belgium that showcase the many ways in which timber can add atmosphere to a house. From the uber-rustic to sleek and modern, and even some houses built with mass timber, the inclusions all have strikingly strong themes and look amazing.
Wood at Home is very sparse on body text; each inclusion has only a few sentences to introduce it, with the rest of the writing appearing as captions to the gorgeous photography. The captions often are not even needed, with the high-quality pictures doing the lion’s share of the talking.
The pictures in this book are where the magic happens. Using high-gloss stock, the images strike a good balance between size and quantity. There are enough to show off many sides to each room in the house, and there are ample large, full-page spread images for the reader to soak in. The photographs are all well balanced and speak volumes as to the characters of the houses. These are some serious photos, and the focus on them to the expense of the words is well warranted.
The most interesting houses that are seen in Wood at Home are those that use wood to evoke a powerful theme, such as the renovated farmhouse from Corvelyn (21), which utilises recycled pont-de-grange planks in a beautiful floor. The irregularity of the large planks lends an exquisite air to the renovation, which is handily tied together with linen furniture and whitewashed walls.
Another house that is particularly notable is a castle renovation (81), with the woodwork taken care of by Den Stal. The term castle is rightly applied here, with each room more sumptuous than the last. Wood is omnipresent; light and dark floorboards laid in parquet, freestanding cabinetry and built-in cupboards with high levels of detail and a superbly designed dressing room that combines all of the above into a room that screams class. This castle has eighteen pages devoted to it and could well fill an entire book by itself.
Two alpine apartments also stand out (153), with furnishings provided by a decoratrice. The light wood tones are expertly contrasted with deeper browns and blacks on the furniture with playful splashes of colour throughout.
Wood at Home is a great view into the different ways that wood can highlight, contrast or support the themes in a house. The imagery is the main focus and does not disappoint. While there is not a huge amount of information in the book and no new or surprising architectural features are introduced, the photography is beautiful enough that leafing through the book is a sheer delight. Perfect for any coffee table, Wood at Home is sure to be appreciated by lovers of architecture.