Decorative wood and stone wall cladding: signature wall coverings

02

The framework

An office employee spends 1607 hours a year at your premises. At this intensity of use, wall covering works on three fronts: brand identity, acoustic performance, material durability.

On the acoustic side, grooved or perforated wood cladding helps reduce reverberation, bringing you closer to the NF S 31-080:2006 targets (32 dB Rw in shared offices, 38 dB in executive offices). On the durability side, Calacatta marble or Roman travertine lasts more than 50 years without rework; a high-end paint, 5 to 7 years, a gap that weighs heavily in calculating the overall cost across the lease term. On the fire side, the B-s2,d0 rating under EN 13501-1 is required in ERP buildings of category 1 to 4 and in IGH buildings (article R4216).

The industry’s received wisdom equates « wood cladding » with « bio-based bonus ». In practice at Kytom, a PEFC-certified oak veneer mounted on an MDF panel with a urea-formaldehyde binder degrades indoor air (VOC above A+) and loses environmental credits. We systematically exclude urea-formaldehyde substrates even when the veneer is certified: it is the complete system that counts.

03

Your gains

Image, HR appeal, avoided OPEX: three levers on the balance sheet

On Kytom projects that include decorative cladding, three impacts translate directly to the income statement and the balance sheet.

Perceived image. Executives regularly observe that a renovated lobby strengthens how clients and candidates perceive the company.

HR appeal. coworking spaces clad in wood are spontaneously preferred and better occupied than standard painted spaces, feedback we observe across all our projects.

Avoided OPEX. Natural stone requires no rework over 50 years, whereas paint imposes 7 to 10 cycles over the same period, a significant saving to factor into the overall cost calculation of your asset.

Real-world case: a 2800 m² Paris head office delivered in 2023 incorporated 340 m² of Calacatta marble and 180 m² of walnut marquetry veneer. Third-party before/after acoustic measurement (NF S 31-080 method): 15% reduction in reverberation time in the boardroom. High-level environmental certifications and quality of use achieved thanks to local sourcing (800 km radius) and A+ rated VOC emissions (decree of 19 April 2011).

04

Commercial honesty

When wood and stone are not the right answer

We prefer to tell you before the quote: some contexts do not justify investing in fine cladding.

Below a sufficient signature wall surface on the floor, the visual impact remains limited. A decorative matte paint combined with signature furniture is then preferable, twice as profitable per m².

On movable partitions intended to be reconfigured more than twice in five years, stone cladding is counterproductive: removal cracks the slabs. We switch to removable acoustic wood panels or stretched fabric, whose residual value is preserved from one reorganisation to the next.

On projects with less than 80 m² of total cladding, the 1/20 scale 3D setting-out step is not economically justified. We simplify with a dimensioned 2D plan and 2 samples, without a mock-up file, and pass the saving on to your budget.

Finally, the image gain assumes cladding concentrated on high-exposure areas (lobby, boardroom, plenary rooms). Spread across an open-plan floor, positive perception erodes and no longer covers the additional cost. Our role is to arbitrate this concentration with you, not to sell you undifferentiated m².

05

Method

1. Usage diagnosis
   Our teams carry out a laser survey of the walls concerned, an acoustic measurement of the existing condition and an audit of fire constraints (ERP buildings of category 1 to 4, IGH, premises covered by article R4216). This diagnosis determines the system choices (glued, screwed, invisible clip) and the required fire rating (B-s2,d0 minimum within the meaning of standard EN 13501-1).
2. Moodboard and material sampling
   Each 30×30 cm sample is validated under natural and artificial light, on site where possible. This dual validation avoids 80% of colour disputes during installation.
3. 1/20 scale 3D setting-out
   Our design office models recessed joints, wood grain, stone veining, integration of 500 lux LED lighting, sockets and sensors. The 3D setting-out is delivered as a virtual tour, validated before launching the rare stone order (4 to 6 week sourcing lead time).
4. Controlled sourcing across 15 suppliers
   We select the batches from 15 partners, with dimensional and colorimetric checks on receipt, and systematic verification of the Technical Approvals in force for glued systems. Priority is given to sourcing within an 800 km radius to secure credits under environmental reference frameworks.
5. Installation and transferable DOE
   Our craftsmen apply the DTU (wood) and 52.2 (stone) standards: MS polymer bonding, invisible clip fixings, 2 mm epoxy joints. The as-built documentation traces suppliers, Technical Approvals and DTU procedures, a condition for the transferability of the ten-year warranty on asset disposal.