Burl Wood Will Be Everywhere This Fall—Here's How to Decorate With It

Biophilia has reigned supreme in recent years, ushering natural finishes and earth tones into the home en masse. There's some nuance to this—not all wood varieties are en vogue, and millennial green has become passé for some—but one emergent aesthetic is undoubtedly burl wood.

The material, characterized by its swirling, knotty grains, has become a beloved interior design staple not only for its inherent biophilic qualities but also for its vintage charm. It represents the perfect marriage of contemporary and nostalgic design, and is increasingly on the mind of interior designers—and in their homes.

What Is Burl Wood?

Burl wood is harvested from portions of a tree that are distressed, often by injury or disease. The resulting timber has a knotty appearance that's much more textured than traditional wood. It can be harvested from oak, cherry, and maple trees, among others.

What makes burl wood so appealing is its irregularity. Given the source, no two slabs of burl will be the same—which creates new design opportunities.

"You never really know what you’re going to get across different sheets of the same material," says Alex Dilena, design director of Parts and Labor Design. "Burl gives nuance, and can really enhance a straightforward form."

Dilena, who is also the creative director of Known Work, recently debuted an angular chair and cube-shaped side table that can be specified in burl wood for the brand. Her team mulled over many different burl finishes for these pieces—which are part of their Perceptions Collection—but ultimately settled on ones that brought just the right amount of softness to the furniture's various geometries.

As a result, Dilena has a profound appreciation for the material. "It's magic, really," she continues. "It can breathe life into something in the right context, because it really does feel alive itself."

History and Vintage Appeal

Burl's current moment has been bubbling at the surface for some time. In fact, its appeal goes back many years, originally rising to prominence in the 18th century. Most know it from its 20th century references, however, both in Art Deco and midcentury modern design. It was during the latter period that the material attracted megawatt admirers like George Nakashima, Milo Baughman, and Gio Ponti.

Interiors and furniture designer Emily Thurman has a particular love for the latter period. She began collecting vintage Baughman pieces that he designed in the 1970s with Thayer Coggin.

"Many of those pieces became staples in my own collection, along with making their way into client projects," she says. "At the time, before the current burl trend, they were something that not many people had seen before—so they sparked a lot of intrigue and excitement."

In Contemporary Design

Thurman refers to her Salt Lake City home as "a shrine to burl wood," so if anyone knows how to decorate with the material, it's her. "I asked myself, 'How much burl is too much?'" she says. "The honest answer was, 'there is no threshold!'"

Her approach uses burl both to soften the space and to make certain elements stand out, depending on the type of burl, as well as how it's showcased. In her living room, a stately, dark burl coffee table anchors the space; nearby, in the dining room, the burl table feels much more subtle.

"It's a natural material with beautiful variation, which makes it stand out, yet feel totally timeless at the same time," adds Jenni Kayne. In her own furniture collection, Kayne stocks a handful of burl wood pieces, including the Sur side and coffee tables.

As for Thurman, she recommends implementing pieces that are made with book-matched burl—a mirrored approach that can make a real statement. How you choose to decorate with it is up to you, ultimately—but much inspiration can be found from designers like Baughman and Coggin, whose work Thurman looked to for her own home.

"I like to think of burl like the caviar of the space," concludes Dilena. "Everything else is a supporting role ... but there can only be one burl."