SPOTLIGHT ON
BLANK CANVAS Wooden kitchens are a simple blank canvas from which you can experiment with your décor. Here the pink walls and floors add a feminine touch, while the metal finishes bring a modern industrial feel. Winchester Acacia kitchen, from £2,385 for eight units, Magnet
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BACK TO NATURE For ultimate calm, bring the feeling of the outdoors inside by mixing exposed wooden and soft green cabinets. Use the same exposed wood finish for your worktop to maintain a cohesive scheme. Otto Kitchen in rose walnut and bespoke Farrow & Ball Arsenic, from £7,500, Burbidge
WORK OF ART If you don’t want an entirely wooden kitchen, bring in some warmth by displaying a few wooden wall cabinets and keeping a block colour for the rest of your furniture. Coldharbour Grey and Market Mustard laminate with London Plane kitchen, from £10,000, Pluck
you need to know before choosing your wooden kitchen, for a space that’s as attractive and calming as it is practical
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‘As a natural material, the tone and pattern of wooden cabinets may vary from the samples you first saw. You should allow for this when planning your scheme,’ says Leila Touwen, co-founder of Pluck Kitchens. ‘Also the colour may change subtly over time.’ Celebrate these differences as they’ll make your kitchen unique.
When choosing coloured and wooden cabinets, opt for corresponding undertones. For instance, walnut has a warm undertone and birch a cool. Complement with coloured units in the same undertone. ‘Choose a muted tone of a bolder shade to ensure the wood retains prominence,’ adds Ben Burbidge, MD at Kitchen Makers.
Before you buy, check that your wood is FSC certified, to ensure your kitchen is environmentally friendly. FSC certifies forests all over the world to check that they meet the highest environmental and social standards. Wood and paper products marked with the ‘tick tree’ logo will have been made without harming the world’s forests.
What about water splashes? ‘Oak veneer, like any timber, typically has a lacquer for increased durability. Repeated or sustained exposure to water would result in issues such as expanding or warping, but everyday spills and splashes are unlikely to cause too much damage,’ says Ben Burbidge.
Exposed wooden cabinets look great, but if you change your mind they become a blank canvas for you to strip back and paint any colour you like. This versatility gives your kitchen a longer shelf life, making it more eco friendly and cost effective. See how to paint units at realhomes. com/design/how-to-paintkitchen-cabinets.
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FEATURE AMELIA SMITH PHOTOGRAPH MALCOLM MENZIES, INTERIOR DESIGN DAVIES-HOBBS DESIGNS (PLUCK)
Embrace natural textures and neutral tones for a kitchen that’s calming, easy to live with and bang on trend
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