Wood it Be?

Blue Prints on Wood Veneer

Sepia Print on Wood Veneer / Printed at a Blue Print Shop

Sepia Print on Wood Veneer /
Printed at a Blue Print Shop

This image was a digital, black and white photo I shot in Asia.  I was designing a wood, wall installation, and considered placing imagery on it, when our architect suggested taking wood veneer to the local blue printer and having a photo printed on it.  This was the test print.  I eventually went in a different direction with the wood, wall installation, and this print was rolled up and stashed in a corner of my studio collecting dust.  I dusted it off as soon as I decided a large piece was needed for this wall. 

The Kitchen Install

This wall required something large but visually neutral.  I didn't want to draw attention to the kitchen.  Kitchens are cluttered spaces when in use.  It is unavoidable.  I didn't want a collection of small items on this wall because it would add to that clutter.  This wood print draws your eye into the kitchen but isn't itself a design statement.  It is subtle and compliments a constant rotation of china, seasonal flowers and holiday decor.  I have been collecting dishes since I was in high school.  I don't know if it is a passion or an obsession, but either way it has resulted in a disparate collection of dishes.  I subscribe to the "use it or lose it" school of thought, and installed open shelving so I could rotate the numerous sets of dishes in and out at will.  Knowing this, neutral artwork was a must.

This DIY wasn't difficult but does require some precision.  The wood veneer needs to be mounted to a plywood or MDF panel after it has been printed.  I used contact cement.  That's where precision is a must.  You only get one chance to get it right.  You can read about how to apply wood veneer with contact cement at woodworkingnetwork.com, in an article titled "Eight Tips for Applying Wood Veneer with Contact Cement".  I would suggest employing a woodworker to mount your project if you have any reservations.  I recently discovered that signs.com, a company I have used for other projects, offers wooden prints.  They have 29 sizes, ranging from 8"x 8" to 30" x 20", all printed on maple panels that have precut keyholes on the back to hang them.  If you want to achieve this look, convert any digital image to a sepia print before uploading your image to signs.com.