Timber design trends we’ve predicted you’ll see more of in 2025
As 2025 begins, it’s the perfect time to look ahead and consider the evolving trends in timber design. Sustainability continues to be a driving force in the architectural and design world, and timber ticks all the boxes. For this blog, Zoë, our Marketing Assistant spoke with some of our in-house experts and shares insights from industry events we’ve attended, to bring you the key timber design trends we predict will take centre stage in the coming year.
1. Marrying old with new
Our Architectural Liaison Technician, Taylor Butler, identifies a growing trend of blending old with new in 2025. She notes, “When renovating or extending a traditional building, finding the right balance between contemporary functionality and retaining heritage can determine a successful design.”
Taylor explains that we are seeing an increase in modern timber extensions to traditional buildings. Timber serves as a bridge between the old and the new, offering both sustainability and high performance. Features such as thermal modification and SiOO:X Wood Protection ensure timber cladding excels in durability while responding beautifully to its natural surroundings. Taylor further explains, “timber performance doesn’t compromise aesthetics either.” It can appear rustic through a knottier board such as Scotlarch®, or sleek and contemporary through the use of coated Abodo® Vulcan Vertical Grain.
Expert View
Timber cladding is versatile, and able to contrast with existing structures while nodding to their historical character.Taylor Butler Architectural Liaison Technician
2. Warm and characterful flooring
Jodie Wight, Interior Project Liaison Technician, predicts a shift towards warm, characterful flooring in 2025, contrasting the cool whites and greys of recent years. We’ve noticed a significant shift towards flooring that enhances the natural beauty of timber while creating welcoming and timeless interiors.
Jodie recommends our European Oak flooring in Honey, finished with a clear hardwax oil, to let the natural golden tones of the oak shine through, while the wire-brushed texture accentuates the unique figuring of the wood. For a subtler look, our Original colour features a lightly pigmented finish that neutralises golden tones while maintaining a natural feel, perfect for modern minimalist spaces. Watch out for our new flooring options launching in 2025 that embrace this trend!
Larch flooring is another great option. With its knots and pronounced figuring, it evokes the character of traditional flooring often found in period properties. These floors add warmth and personality and can create a lovely traditional feel in both contemporary and heritage-inspired interiors.
3. Narrow batten cladding
Fraser Hourston, Architectural Liaison Technician, highlights the rise of narrow batten cladding as a hallmark of clean, linear design for 2025. Vertical lines add height and elegance to buildings, enhancing their architectural character, Fraser explains.
For narrower sections, such as those used in batten-style arrangements, modified timber is ideal. The enhanced stability from this process reduces movement, making thermally modified timber an ideal choice. Fraser also recommends modified timbers for their improved performance when using film-forming coatings like paint.
Abodo® Vulcan Vertical Grain offers a stable, clear-grade option for narrow batten cladding. Its clear grain provides a sleek, modern aesthetic, while its durability ensures resistance to bending or warping. Additionally, fire-treatable profiles like Luna Triple and Trio from the Lunawood Collection offer the flexibility to meet fire safety standards without compromising design. These two profiles, made from thermally modified Scots pine, ensure a stable product.
For projects without specific fire requirements, 42 x 42 mm Thermopine® battens are a readily available stock option. These battens can be wire-brushed for a textured finish that works beautifully with paints, oils, or SiOO:X coatings, as seen in the Ridgway Mews project.
Expert View
The stability and clean finish of modified timber make it the perfect choice for narrow batten cladding, ensuring longevity in modern designs.Fraser Hourston Architectural Liaison Technician
4. Sauna-inspired spaces
With the growing popularity of wellness-focused interiors, Jodie from our team believes sauna-inspired spaces are set to become a major design trend in 2025. Whether it’s creating your own sauna in the back garden, or incorporating Nordic-inspired aesthetics into your bathroom, this trend has seen a “dramatic increase in popularity”, she explains.
Jodie and Fraser recently attended a Sauna Reception at Cameron House, hosted by the Estonian Embassy, which highlighted the growing interest in bringing sauna culture to the UK—particularly Scotland. This trend is perfectly captured in projects like Pine Bank Chalets and Skotlanti Saunas, where our Lunawood Collection interior cladding and Thermopine® create stunning, functional spaces.
Both collections are certified for use with Burnblock® Fire Retardant, ensuring safety in any part of your home or garden. Whether you’re dreaming of a tranquil bathroom retreat or a traditional outdoor sauna, this versatile product can bring your vision to life.
Expert View
Sauna-inspired spaces celebrate the tactile beauty and wellness benefits of timber.Jodie Wight Interior Project Liaison Technician
5. SiOO:X and Burnblock integrated system
Taylor highlights the increasing demand for fire-rated timber cladding in 2025. Recent advancements now allow for certification with Burnblock® fire retardant treatment and SiOO:X Mid Grey and Light Grey to be used in combination on certain profiles and species. Previously, Burnblock-treated timber had to remain uncoated to meet Euroclass B standards. Now, the integrated system has undergone comprehensive fire testing to meet a Euroclass B-s1, d0. Taylor says “this combination provides versatility to projects wanting a seamless weathered appearance and the benefit of fire protection.”
SiOO:X and Burnblock® treated timber is created with sustainability in mind. SiOO:X is a natural silicon based wood protection treatment applied to the timber through a two-step coating. Burnblock® is a non-toxic fire retardant applied through pressure impregnation. Made from 100% natural ingredients, it is 100% biodegradable and meets GOLD-level Cradle-to-Cradle Certification.
As fire safety and sustainability become increasingly important, these advancements benefit architects and occupants alike, explains Taylor.
Expert View
This groundbreaking development provides an unparalleled solution for sustainable, visually appealing, fire-compliant timber.
6. Secret-fix fin sections
Fraser predicts a rise in fin-style cladding in 2025, valued for its ability to add depth and dimension to rainscreens. Fin sections can serve both aesthetic and functional purposes, such as solar shading for windows, explains Fraser.
The introduction of bespoke fixings like Russwood Finfix® simplifies installation, increasing the easiness of secret-fix fin-style designs. This solution, paired with the stock Luna SHP profiles, allows the once tricky design of larger fin sections to be a breeze to design and install. As the SHP profiles are available in 68mm, 92mm and 142mm widths at 42mm thickness, any of these are suitable for fin fixing and can be used together to give a range of depths to the cladding arrangement.
While fin cladding is classified as open rainscreen and isn’t fire-rated, we offer a range of certified profiles to meet Euroclass requirements when needed.
2025 is set to be an exciting year for timber design, with trends that celebrate its natural beauty, functionality, and sustainability. Whether it’s through innovative fire-rated solutions, wellness-inspired interiors, or sleek modern cladding, timber continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in architecture and design.
Have any of these timber design trends inspired you?
We are more than happy to offer advice on the best timber selection and fixings for your project. Get in touch with our team today.