Browsing by Subject "puumateriaalit"

This study examines Finnish consumers’ relation to interior design and materials used in homes, especially wood. Research in the field of home economics is mainly focused on food consumption and human well-being, but it is also possible to improve well-being and comfort through interiors design in the homes. Wood is considered a healthy, sustainable and domestic construction material. Using consumer behaviour and housing research methods, this study emphasizes how consumers give meanings to wood as a material and how they identify wood characteristics in home interiors. The study also considers wood’s position among other materials used in homes, such as plastics. Previous studies have demonstrated wood’s health benefits compared to other materials, for example psychophysically. This study investigates the value of wood as an interior material by using verbal repertoires e.g., to compare wood to other materials. The data has been collected using an online form that included open questions only. The dataset consists of 95 responses. The analysis is based on a cultural viewpoint that analyses the meanings connected to wood. The data was categorized and divided into themes, which consecutively formed categories. When people talk about wood as an interior material, there is a consensus in terms used. Consumers discussed hedonism, responsibility and practical perspectives with tension between the expressions. A significant finding was that people considered wood as a natural and pleasant material, while plastic and artificial materials were seen unpleasant. Wood is mainly discussed in positive ways, by associations with the environment, ecology, ethicality, aesthetics, practicality, well-being and atmosphere. Unfavourable descriptions were impracticality, stuffiness and restlessness. The respondents identified multiple properties of wood and evaluated its suitability to interior spaces and surface materials. The study supports previous research on the subject and creates new understanding on the link between homes and wooden materials in the Finnish culture.