Skip to main content

Official Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Change in the impression of rooms with interior wood finishes arranged differently: questionnaire survey with the use of photographs for the analysis of impressions of rooms concerning living activities

Abstract

Efforts were made to quantify the impact of visual stimulation from interior wood finishes on the impression of room interiors, using feelings about living activities as indicators. Four types of room interiors with interior wood finishes used in different proportions were simulated. The room interiors were photographed from the same viewpoint. A survey was conducted by interviewing 200 test subjects. As a result of the analysis of principal components, it was found that desires of living activities obtained from the four photographs consisted of two factors: desires for calmness and desires for activities. A great desire for calmness was obtained from photographs showing wood materials. A weak desire for calmness and a strong desire for activities were obtained from a photograph that showed no wood materials. Great desires for both calmness and activities were obtained from a photograph showing wood materials used only as flooring material. As for an evaluation of “living,” the photograph of a room interior without wooden materials was evaluated as a place that test subjects did not feel like living in. The photograph showing wood materials used only as flooring material was evaluated as the place that test subjects most felt like living in, and considered most suitable as a living space.

References

  1. Masuda M, Yamamoto N (1988) The wood ratio in interior space and the psychological images (in Japanese). Bull Kyoto Univ For 60:285–298

    Google Scholar 

  2. Masuda M, Nakamura M (1990) The wood ratio in interior space and the psychological images II (in Japanese). Bull Kyoto Univ For 62:297–303

    Google Scholar 

  3. Masuda M (1992) Visual characteristics of wood and the psychological images (in Japanese). Mokuzai Gakkaishi 38:1075–1081

    Google Scholar 

  4. Broman NO (1995) Visual impressions of features in Scots pine wood surfaces — a qualitative study. Forest Prod J 45:61–66

    Google Scholar 

  5. Broman NO (2001) Aesthetic properties in knotty wood surfaces and their connection with people’s preferences. J Wood Sci 47:192–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ridoutt BG, Ball RD, Killerby SK (2002) Wood in the interior office environment. Effects on interpersonal perception. Forest Prod J 52:23–30

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ridoutt BG, Ball RD, Killerby SK (2002) First impressions of organizations and the qualities connoted by wood in interior design. Forest Prod J 52:30–36

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Sakuragawa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sakuragawa, S. Change in the impression of rooms with interior wood finishes arranged differently: questionnaire survey with the use of photographs for the analysis of impressions of rooms concerning living activities. J Wood Sci 52, 290–294 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-005-0764-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-005-0764-1

Key words