Is “Forestcore” Too Much for My Home?

I’m always on the hunt for new styles, designs, and color trends; here is one I have read about that I can’t wait to share with you. In the design world, we’ve clearly opened up/adopted the colors of nature, and for a good reason. Rich and warm earth tones with natural textures of woods and woven fabrics leave behind the tired plastic and synthetic elements of years past. This new trend I speak of is about taking a leap and digging deep into a bold new design style. If you haven’t heard of “Forestcore,” you’re in for a treat, here goes! 

What is forestcore? Well, it’s probably not too far from what you’d imagine, but let’s explore this scheme and understand what’s so attractive about incorporating elements of the forest/natural world into your home and how far we can go with this unique design aesthetic! 

What Is Forestcore?

Forestcore is when homeowners/designers deliberately try to emulate the feeling of being deep in the wild forest, albeit within an interior space. Now, you may ask yourself, “How does that differ from biophilic design or farmhouse design? Your instinct is correct to assume there’s some crossover between them, but forestcore focuses on the raw, elemental side of the forest and suggests that we should let forests “takeover” our interior spaces, not be a part of them. Picture a moment when you’ve stood deep in a forest; it’s quiet, undisturbed, and wild, like a glorious photo featured in National Geographic. Now, let’s bring that into a room in the home; that’s forestcore.

Some Defining Features of Forestcore

• Darker earth-tone colors

Earth tones range from light and warm to dark and cool; in the case of forestcore, the focus is on darker earth tones, like deep muddy browns, maroon reds, moss greens, charred black oaks, and dark stone grey. There’s an intentional “weight” to the colors and tones within forestcore designs, so if there’s a lightness or levity to a color, it doesn’t match with forestcore. 

• Celtic/Nordic inspirational roots

If you can close your eyes and picture the dark forests, rolling hills, and ancient stone ruins of northwestern Europe, this is what forestcore is attempting to replicate within the home. That raw, ancient, untamed wilderness we’ve pictured for years in folktales and legends is at the heart of forestcore. 

• Low and moody lighting 

To capture the intended atmosphere of forestcore, you’ll need to outfit the space with soft, low-mood lighting. Think of walking into a grand old lodge; there’ isn’t bright/accommodating lighting overhead; no, it’s a giant roaring fire at one end and spatters of candlelight and lantern light here and there. Remember, the forest is wild, and symmetrically arranged lighting is not. 

• Wild decor

Some people will be more comfortable with this than others, but forestcore embraces wildlife in the home. What do I mean by this? Well, not actual living wildlife, but wooly pelt blankets, overhead antler chandeliers, and nature-inspired artwork. 

Does It Work Year-Round?

Absolutely. The reason I brought this up at the beginning of summer is that we are all about the outdoors right now. We are spending weekends outdoors, vacationing outdoors, and even eating meals outside rather than in the same old kitchen. So why not bring the outdoors in? That’s part of the fundamental appeal of this latest style. 

Will Homeowners Want All of This?

If you’re sitting there reading this thinking, “So, I need to turn my home into the wilderness lodge or a Viking’s cabin to adopt forestcore? No thanks.” It’s highly unlikely that homeowners will go full-on forestcore in their interior spaces. Unless you have a hunting cabin deep in the wild or a Nordic lodge vacation home, most people will adopt elements of forestcore into their home and not dive feet first into the full aesthetic. 

There are ways to incorporate the essence of forestcore into your home without regretting it. Firstly, I would start by trying the design in a room that’s already outfitted to focus on nature, not utility. What do I mean by that? Forestcore is best suited for areas like mudrooms, reading rooms, rooms with large bay windows facing the woodline, or rooms with a fireplace/woodstove at the center, not spaces that function with utility, like the kitchen, dining room, or TV room. 

You don’t need a rip-roaring fire blazing around the clock, but you can have soft candle lighting or overheard starry string lights casting a warm glow across the room. While you may not have wolf pelts or 200-lb stone coffee tables, you could use rich earth-tone wallpaper or murals featuring wildlife scenes like mallards in a pond or a cedarwood forest! Try placing some terrariums around your space; moss, wet stones, and succulents in each corner! And, of course, incorporate some contrasting earth-tone colors. Deep greens and light grey-stone colors work beautifully with each other, like a fresh stream meeting the grass. 

Don’t Adopt a Trend That Doesn’t Speak to You

While I find forestcore fascinating and charming, it may not be for everyone, and that’s ok! We don’t all have to follow the latest trend/flavor of the week. Time will tell if forestcore fades out of the common design vernacular, but at the heart of it are many timeless design strategies that will never go away. 

Challenged by what colors to use in this decor? Are you inspired by a fabric, wallpaper, or mural and want to capture the colors? I recently shared how you can easily create color swatches with the Color911 app to capture, save and share colors that inspire you! It makes it easy to buy items to match, pulling your design together beautifully. It is a great tool for capturing the colors of anything you want to match without taking it to the store. 

So, what do you think? Is forestcore for you? Would you adopt it in parts of your home, or prefer to have the scheme segregated into a space of its own, like a cabin? Please share your thoughts. I always love hearing your opinions!