Did you know that choosing timber cabinets for your new kitchen can make you feel physically and mentally better?
That’s the finding of a Planet Ark-commissioned report, released just before World Wood Day last Saturday.
Numerous studies found that exposure to wood products and interiors has measurable health benefits, similar to those created by spending time in nature.
“An increasing body of research is beginning to show that being surrounded by wood at home, work or school has positive effects on the body, the brain and the environment,” says Chris Philpot, Make It Wood campaign manager at Planet Ark, “and can even shorten hospital stays through reduced recovery times.”
Studies clearly demonstrate that the warmth and comfort of wood in interiors has the effect of lowering blood pressure and heart rates, reducing stress and anxiety and increasing positive social interactions.
Wood products in a room also improve indoor air quality by moderating humidity.
Planet Ark’s report said that increasing urbanisation means people have less access to nature in their daily lives and Australians on average now spend more than 90 per cent of their time indoors.
This has well-reported health consequences, so understanding how to incorporate the many benefits of nature into the indoor environment is an increasingly important area of research.
In addition to its health impacts, the use of responsibly sourced, certified wood can have significant positive environmental outcomes and help reduce climate change.
Yet only six out of ten survey participants understood that wood stores carbon and creates less carbon emissions during production than steel and concrete.
In the light of these findings, it’s good to note that an increasing number of architects who design buildings for healing, learning and relaxation are now incorporating significant amounts of wood into their structures.
New-home builders would be wise to take these findings into account and,
just like energy ratings, the use of wood could be a significant, credible selling point.
So, will that be wood with your granite?
