This ‘Dimpled’ Wood Replaces the Need for Color in a Room
I once told my partner that “texture is a color,” and even though he rolled his eyes wildly at me, I stood by it and still do. Now, let me clarify: it’s not that I think you’ll find ‘texture’ on the color wheel or in the ROYGBIV rainbow; it’s that I think it can often achieve the same job as color can in an interior. Choose one interesting enough — like this ‘dimpled’ timber I’ve been seeing everywhere lately — and you’ll add just as much visual character without having to commit to a bold color.
But don’t just take it from me. Interior designer Andrew Griffiths agrees, adding that for the bedroom above, the texture of the hand-chisselled timber side table replaced the need for color in the space. “The carving creates its own depth through shadow and light, so the room can stay tonal and restrained and still feel rich rather than flat,” he explains.
I’m noticing this faceted, ‘dimpled’ timber surface in interiors a lot lately. It goes by many names — hand-gouged timber, hand-chisselled timber, hand-carved sculptural relief — with the key being the handcrafted element. “As our lives become increasingly digital, handcrafted surfaces offer something technology can’t replicate. They hold imperfections, labour and personality,” interior designer Ruby Shields of Studio Shields tells me. So, here’s what to know about the textured design trend, and how to bring it into your own space.
Why Is ‘Dimpled’ Timber Trending?
Ruby Shields’ husband and design partner, Patrick Shields, handmade this headboard from reclaimed wharf timbers and paired it with bespoke aluminium bedside tables.
Image credit: Martina Gemmola. Design: Studio Shields
“Designing it took far longer than carving it,” she shares. “Too small and the carving felt visually busy; too large and it lost the movement we were chasing.”
Image credit: Martina Gemmola. Design: Studio Shields
“People are craving evidence of the hand again — surfaces that show process, imperfection, time,” explains A New Day’s Andrew Griffiths. “This texture does that instantly; you can’t fake it with a machine and get the same soul.”
It also speaks to the current trend for vintage and antiques — the new (or old, I guess) shorthand for adding character and story to a space. Rather than looking to more modern, minimalist movements, people are looking back, digging through the archives to discover the opulence of design styles like Art Deco and the detail of the Arts & Crafts movement.
“[The growing popularity of ‘dimpled’ timber] certainly draws from the Arts & Crafts movement, with its belief in honest materials, craftsmanship, and creating objects with longevity rather than disposability,” shares Ruby Shields. “There’s also an influence from Art Nouveau in the flowing, organic carving.”
Ruby Shields is the principal and founder of Melbourne-based Studio Shields. She’s known for creating materially rich interiors and often works closely with her husband, Patrick Shields, a carpenter and maker, to design custom furniture for her projects, including a ‘hand-carved sculptural relief’ timber headboard.
While the palette is relatively pared-back, the dimpled joinery and bar stools fill this kitchen with visual interest and movement.
(Image credit: Vigo Jansons. Design: Bergman Design House)
“I think both movements feel increasingly relevant because they prioritize story over perfection,” Ruby adds. “As technology continues to accelerate, handcrafted design becomes even more valuable. People are looking for homes with authorship, places that couldn’t exist anywhere else because they’re shaped by real people, their hands and their histories.”
Andrew says it’s hard to pinpoint a specific design movement that ‘dimpled’ timber speaks to, but echoes that it’s the focus on craft and the handmade that runs through many of them.
“It’s a shared instinct across periods: the hand should be visible in the object,” he explains. “That instinct keeps resurfacing as a counterweight to mass production, and it feels especially pointed now, when so much of what we come into contact with is templated or AI-generated.”
Andrew Griffiths is the founder of London-based design studio, A New Day. He’s been recognized as a “much-watch British talent” by Livingetc, and is known for creating spaces that balance interest with restraint, which often comes down to texture and materiality, over color or trends.
How to Style ‘Dimpled’ Timber in Your Home
Sarah-Jane Pyke and Juliette Arent Squadrito of Arent&Pyke chose joinery with delicately chiselled grooves for this bathroom to soothe the taut geometries of the Guatemala marble and travertine stripes on the wall.
(Image credit: Anson Smart. Design: Arent&Pyke. Styling: Jack Milenkovic)
The short answer is sparingly. “The strength of a carved surface comes from allowing it to become the focal point,” says Ruby. “Texture works best when every element isn’t trying to compete but complement. If you give one handcrafted piece room to breathe, it creates a moment that people remember.”
Andrew agrees. “Let everything around it stay smooth and quiet,” he adds. “It should read as a singular textural moment, not a motif repeated across the room. The restraint is what makes it feel considered rather than decorative.”
“Once we had decided on Walnut in the kitchen, the option to add a carved element for texture and to celebrate the craftsmanship was obvious,” says Rebecca Jansma.
(Image credit: Cricket Saleh. Design: Rebecca Jansma)
And while it can replace the need for color, the ‘dimpled’ texture can also be a wonderful complement. “Natural timber has an incredible ability to sit alongside color because it carries so much variation within itself,” shares Ruby. “I’ve seen people staining it with vibrant hues and painting it. We’ve also been experimenting with charring this carving technique, which creates an entirely different mood — much darker and almost mysterious.”
Interior designer Rebecca Jansma says she’s been working with the surface for years. “We think of it as a custom timber finish of the highest order — every time we incorporate this finish, the shape, scale and style of the carving is different,” she shares. When it comes to styling, it’s important to “match the materials in the space with scale and balance; color and tone,” she adds. “It’s tricky, but when it all comes together it’s timeless and very special.”
“We chose the hand-gouged timber to introduce another layer of movement and playfulness to the space,” explains Tali Roth.
(Image credit: Lillie Thompson. Design: Studio Tali Roth)
And then there’s the way it interacts with light. Interior designer Tali Roth chose a dimpled timber surface for this living room, and finished it in a dramatic green high-gloss paint.
“The carved surface has an almost reptilian quality, reminiscent of crocodile or snakeskin, creating an incredibly tactile finish that brings another layer of life to the space,” she shares. “The high-gloss lacquer catches and reflects natural light differently throughout the day, constantly shifting in appearance and adding movement and depth.”
Ruby adds that lighting is what makes dimpled timber really come alive. “Because the relief is irregular, it responds differently as the sun moves,” she says. But avoid flat frontal lighting, she adds. “Grazing light [lighting placed very close and at a slight angle], whether natural or artificial, is what reveals the depth and creates shadow. That’s when the carving becomes sculptural.”
“Through the day the shadows shift with the sun; by lamplight in the evening the dimples deepen, and the whole surface feels almost geological,” adds Andrew.
Tali Roth founded Studio Tali Roth, a multidisciplinary design studio, back in 2015. Today, she is known internationally for creating spaces with storied visual beauty and a colorful, creative spirit. Joinery design is a big part of what her studio does best, so it’s no surprise she’s experimented with a ‘dimpled’ style already.
“The carved cabinet is tactile rather than decorative, and it grounds the room in a way a flat, uniform surface wouldn’t,” says Andrew Griffiths.
(Image credit: Milo Hutchings. Design: A New Day)
Shop the ‘Dimpled’ Timber Trend
Westwing Collection
Camila Decorative Ash Wood Tray
West Elm
Nadia Carved Wood Tabletop Frames
John Lewis
Pebble 1 Drawer Bedside Table in Dark Wood
AM.PM
Azael Chiselled Solid Oak Rectangular Tray
Edited Life
Olsson Hand-Carved 1 Drawer Bedside Table
Westwing Collection
Camila Decorative Acacia Wood Tray
AM.PM
Gouge Sideboard with 4 Doors in Oak and Veneer
KONKfurniture
Tälja Bedside Table
AM.PM
Hango Oak Clothes Rail
Soho Home
Donato Sideboard
West Elm
Finn Adjustable Shelf Storage Unit
AM.PM
Kuchim Round Mirror With Gouged Finish
Ultimately, “Whether it’s carved timber, handmade tiles or woven textiles, these materials ask you to slow down and experience them rather than simply look at them. That creates a far more emotional connection to a space,” says Ruby.
But if a dimpled timber feels too rugged for you and your space, why not go in the complete opposite direction and try glossy lacquered walls or furniture; the impact is just as evocative.
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