10 Ways to Tap Into Plywood's Unfussy Appeal
It’s been a staple sturdy raw material for a long time, but now plywood is becoming a feature in its own right
It was one of the trends spotted at the design shows this year, but plywood has been around since the 19th century, when it was used as a strong material for making tea chests. These days, you’re likely to see this engineered, layered wood used as temporary fencing on construction sites or as an alternative to medium-density fiberboard for projects such as shelving, cabinetry and staircases. Traditionally, those projects are then painted. But today, plywood increasingly crops up as a star material, unpainted and proud.
Which is the best plywood for your project? The many plywood varieties and thicknesses to choose from include super-strong, humidity-proof and good-looking marine ply; easy-to-cut-and-drill softwood ply; rugged hardwood ply; pale, smooth birch ply; and thin, bendable sheets. Look for Forest Stewardship Council-certified plywood from sustainable sources.
You can also buy different grades of ply, with “A” being the best quality. Depending on your requirements, you may not mind blemishes or a rougher look — if it’s to be used for a construction job or covered in concrete, for example. Perhaps if you’re paneling walls and building furniture with it, as in this airy Swedish living room, a sanded finish will do the job. Alternatively, if it’s for a kitchen, bathroom or the outdoors, your project may benefit from ply made with extra-water-resistant glue.
Learn more about the types and grades of plywood
You can also buy different grades of ply, with “A” being the best quality. Depending on your requirements, you may not mind blemishes or a rougher look — if it’s to be used for a construction job or covered in concrete, for example. Perhaps if you’re paneling walls and building furniture with it, as in this airy Swedish living room, a sanded finish will do the job. Alternatively, if it’s for a kitchen, bathroom or the outdoors, your project may benefit from ply made with extra-water-resistant glue.
Learn more about the types and grades of plywood
1. Mix and match it. This pale, calming kitchen uses sustainably sourced birch plywood for the kitchen units and worktops — which are topped with brushed stainless steel — and Douglas fir for the shelves and floor.
Birch is a high-quality ply with a lovely grain and light color. The door and drawer fronts shown here have been treated with lye to lighten them for a soft, chalky look, but the end grain and recessed handles are simply sealed with an eco-friendly water-based matte lacquer to show the interesting patterns of the ply.
“Typically, we work with oak frames and doors,” and birch ply for the cabinet boxes, says U.K. kitchen designer and remodeler Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens. Here, however, the birch plywood takes center stage. “It’s the best-quality plywood you can get for internal joinery because it’s very stable,” he says. “But the owner liked it mainly for its light color.”
See more of this Cotswolds kitchen
Birch is a high-quality ply with a lovely grain and light color. The door and drawer fronts shown here have been treated with lye to lighten them for a soft, chalky look, but the end grain and recessed handles are simply sealed with an eco-friendly water-based matte lacquer to show the interesting patterns of the ply.
“Typically, we work with oak frames and doors,” and birch ply for the cabinet boxes, says U.K. kitchen designer and remodeler Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens. Here, however, the birch plywood takes center stage. “It’s the best-quality plywood you can get for internal joinery because it’s very stable,” he says. “But the owner liked it mainly for its light color.”
See more of this Cotswolds kitchen
2. Make it playful. Due to its cross-layered construction, plywood is a naturally strong type of engineered wood, making it especially suitable for structures such as this staircase in Philadelphia. Ask your builder or at your local timber yard for recommendations on a suitable thickness for this kind of project, and be sure to combine strength with pleasing aesthetics and smoothness — a staircase is a central feature in any space.
This design is made from laminated birch ply; the peephole panel doubles as a banister and a visual divide between the downstairs and upper floor. The cutouts are an especially sweet detail for a family home.
See more of this house
This design is made from laminated birch ply; the peephole panel doubles as a banister and a visual divide between the downstairs and upper floor. The cutouts are an especially sweet detail for a family home.
See more of this house
3. Warm up your bed. Base-only beds don’t necessarily need a headboard, but if you lean back against an exterior wall when sitting up in bed, you’ll probably understand the potentially warming benefits of wood paneling. And ply sheeting is an interesting way to do it.
You could cover the entire wall, as in this stylish bedroom, or simply have smooth A-grade ply (in a finish and thickness that suits your style and space) cut to size and fixed to the wall with strong screws. Always get professional advice if you’re not sure how to make a wall-fixing secure.
See more of this Toronto home
You could cover the entire wall, as in this stylish bedroom, or simply have smooth A-grade ply (in a finish and thickness that suits your style and space) cut to size and fixed to the wall with strong screws. Always get professional advice if you’re not sure how to make a wall-fixing secure.
See more of this Toronto home
4. Try old and new. Industrial-looking, contemporary plywood sheets — in this case, yellow pine ply — contrast in this hallway with a beautifully weathered painted wooden bench. The link between the floor in the adjacent space (just visible on the bottom right of the image) is a nice touch too. It’s made from solid yellow pine that has been whitewashed.
5. Freshen your floor. Installing a solid wood floor is never cheap, which is one of the reasons many of us go for engineered planks. But sheets of ply make for another alternative and work especially well in a modern, minimalist space like this.
6. Reach for the sky. The interior walls and ceiling of this cabin on a sheep farm in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, are clad with sustainable spruce ply.
To break up the visual expanse of wood finish, the homeowners painted sections of the spruce with breathable paint by Earthborn. This can be used as a light wash, letting the grain show through, or layered for a more opaque effect.
See more of this innovative tiny house
To break up the visual expanse of wood finish, the homeowners painted sections of the spruce with breathable paint by Earthborn. This can be used as a light wash, letting the grain show through, or layered for a more opaque effect.
See more of this innovative tiny house
7. Give it star billing. In this barn-like new build in rural Connecticut, one feature wall and the ceiling in the main living space are covered with unfinished plywood treated with linseed oil. The effect highlights the lofty ceiling while visually lowering it, making the room more welcoming and cozy.
8. Fashion some furniture. The interesting layered end grain on a thick slab of plywood catches the eye on tables and countertops.
The owners of this one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, New York, made this dining table using a sheet of birch ply cut to size and lightly stained to protect the surface from scratches and wear. They bought the hairpin legs on Etsy.
See more of this creative Brooklyn apartment
The owners of this one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, New York, made this dining table using a sheet of birch ply cut to size and lightly stained to protect the surface from scratches and wear. They bought the hairpin legs on Etsy.
See more of this creative Brooklyn apartment
9. Go industrial. The utilitarian look of pale birch ply makes it a fine partner for polished concrete.
The combination of ply cabinet doors and tabletop with a poured concrete countertop and floor gives this north London live-work space minimalist style.
The combination of ply cabinet doors and tabletop with a poured concrete countertop and floor gives this north London live-work space minimalist style.
10. Box it up. This unusual mezzanine stair/storage unit is constructed of plywood, making it an affordable way to create a new “attic” room in a tiny 16th-century Irish fisherman’s cottage. Up the stairs is a cozy sleep space, and tucked behind is a kitchen; the unit also houses a utility room and a shower room.
The designer describes the beamless structure as a huge piece of furniture and, as such, was made in collaboration with a cabinetmaker rather than a loft specialist.
Learn the story behind this cottage makeover in Bray, Ireland
Tell us: Have you used plywood for paneling and other surfaces at home? Please show us what you did in the Comments!
The designer describes the beamless structure as a huge piece of furniture and, as such, was made in collaboration with a cabinetmaker rather than a loft specialist.
Learn the story behind this cottage makeover in Bray, Ireland
Tell us: Have you used plywood for paneling and other surfaces at home? Please show us what you did in the Comments!
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Though pricier than MDF, plywood is still generally much more affordable than solid wood, and it has the benefits over MDF of being stronger, better at holding screws, suitable for exterior jobs (depending on the variety) and, arguably, better looking in its raw state.
In this kitchen, the handleless doors were constructed from high-grade plywood and treated to achieve a rich, warm color.
See how architects and designers are turning to plywood as a finish material