I am a massive fan of the wood grain look. I am an even bigger fan of the many different lines and shades and patterns that the best wood types have to offer. Walnut and oak both topping my list at the moment as they both have very beautiful grains that are very eye catching and yet keep a modern look to go with any contemporary kitchen design.
For me the biggest advantage solid wood brings to the design of a kitchen is that you can stain and tone its finish to fully execute the look you are trying to achieve. Laminates are good, but they are often just a shade or two away from being perfect. Which is frustrating with all the amazing finishes you now get with this type of worktop. Because solid wood can be stained, you can really identify the color you want through your contemporary kitchen design, in other words you are not having to work around the worktop color for the room, you can simply adjust the tone of the solid wood to suit the completed pallet.
One other thing to note which is perhaps the obvious, it is real solid wood. This has an affection about it, it brings with it a touch of emotion. This wood grew from a seed and is possibly over 100 years old and you have the privilege to house it in your modern fitted kitchen giving it an extended life and with its aging will come beauty because as these tops wear they simply show more personality, or you can even sand it down to bring back that brand new finish that sits well with contemporary kitchen design.
When doing a modern fitted kitchen installation for customers on a budget I used to be put off by the price tag of solid woods however wood seems to have come down in price and laminates have risen. Now don’t get me wrong there is still a price difference but if you opt for a thinner worktop say 28 mm this brings the price even closer to that of decent laminates and in my opinion the thinner tops look very chic and streamlined. So if contemporary kitchen design is your thing why not give solid wood a chance and give yourself another area of kitchen color to play with.
Article is provided by www.mascari.co.uk
