Explore why the opposites of stainless steel and wood attract in any kitchen
Have you ever considered exactly why stainless steel and wood are the two most popular material choices in so many kitchens?
When designing a new kitchen, material choice is of course important. It’s the first stop for any architect or interior planner. The choice of material should be suitable for the many different purposes it will serve in the kitchen: from storage to preparation, to cooking, dishing and lastly washing. These five cooking stages each require the use of resilient material since they will be in use daily. That’s why you’ll find stainless steel and high-quality wood used so frequently in many kitchens. Over the long term, they’re simply the best choice you’re likely to find.
The remarkable properties of stainless steel, which are especially popular with professional chefs, not only make the material functional in a kitchen setting but highly desirable in terms of style. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but the industrial kitchen look is a trend that’s not going away anytime soon.
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As for wood, with its warm character and available in a wide variety of tones, textures and grains, wood kitchen finishes from floor to ceiling, are an obvious choice in any home. From oak-clad traditional wood kitchens to modern plywood kitchens, wood has the ability to add completely different looks to your kitchen, no matter what style you go for. It the diverse use of wood that makes it such a popular choice in many homeowners’ kitchens.
It’s clear that stainless steel and wood provide remarkable advantages in the kitchen. But let’s dig deeper, and explore more reasons why these materials have ascended to such prominence in so many homes.
Special qualities
Stainless steel is a metal combination with superior resistance properties. It contains a large amount of chromium to help keep it from rusting and eroding. So that makes it an appropriate material for use in any area of the home, particularly on surfaces and functional areas that experience a large amount of stress or areas that regularly come into contact with water. Sound familiar? That’s why stainless steel is a favourite in so many kitchens. But that’s not all. Stainless steel also happens to be 100% recyclable, easy to clean and can be used outdoors too.
Wood, on the other hand, while not quite so durable, has a lot more character. It’s one that is enchanting and practical, a material that ages gradually without losing many of its qualities. Tough, natural woods like oak, walnut, and now even plywood, is used all over the world as a wood kitchen mainstays. The beauty of wood lies in its diversity. It’s a material that feels welcome in all kitchen styles, from traditional to rustic to modern. Used in combination with stainless steel, a wood kitchen can strike a nice balance of elegance and timelessness.
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Trending materials
The technical qualities of stainless steel make it a great for use in high-traffic and wet areas. It’s for this reason that stainless steel first found a home in restaurant kitchens, for professional use. Throughout the years, trends and alternative interior design made stainless steel a desirable material to use in personal dwellings too.
The visual impact created by wood is what makes it so appealing. It won’t take much to see how wood can fit in well in just about any space. It’s been the material of choice for hundreds of years and will continue to be. The characteristics of wood make it a perfect fit for designer kitchens since it’s so good to look at and wonderfully diverse. So while the use of wood certainly isn’t a trend, it’s the rise of new, sustainable wood options that are becoming more popular. Plywood, for example, is enjoying a modern renaissance. Not only is it one of the most affordable materials you can use, but plywood has a stylish and contemporary appearance that’s very popular among Scandinavian design enthusiasts.
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Complementary combination
The thing about both stainless steel and wood is that both materials play nice with others. No matter which other materials you end up using in your space, be it marble, laminates or veneers, stainless steel and wood will combine nicely with all of them if applied correctly. Inside the kitchen, it’s important to create a balanced atmosphere, because the last thing you want is a boring, sterile space. Stainless steel and wood make an intriguing pair: the warm, natural feel of wood meets the more modern, sleek nature of stainless steel. A cross-match of these two very different materials will give your kitchen a fascinating appearance. One that is charming, inviting and warm, yet practical, modern and unique.
