I
recently completed a renovation on my kitchen.
And by completed, I mean to the untrained eye, it looks complete, but
for me, it will never truly be complete.
I’m always going to find something to modify or to make that much
better. But I digress and I’ll get to
the point. In my renovation, when I
faced any decision related to counters and the floor, I found myself
stuck. I was overloaded with
choices. Since the renovation is, as I
said, complete, I can tell you what my choices were.
It
was mix. The counters were both slate
and hardwood, specifically black walnut, as I thought it paired nicely with the
dark gray slate. I didn’t go overboard, only
installing wood on the kitchen island away from the more heavily used
areas. Arriving at walnut wasn’t an easy
choice. And in case you’re wondering, I
went with a hardwood floor - oak. Many people think wood
in the kitchen is a bold choice. Wood in
the kitchen environment is going to be exposed to various temperatures,
substances, and, of course, moisture.
That always concerns people. But,
it’s fine!
When
faced with indecision, it’s good to have a breakdown of what’s available. With wood, there are a number of options,
with varying grains and colors, not to mention more ideal uses (some woods make
better accents then counters, for instance).
Here’s what I looked at:
Ash
In
most commercial grade products, the ash used is typically a lighter color, such
as blond or light gold. There are many
other varieties, ranging from pale white to black, both those are less
common. It’s a resilient wood, but it
can be bent and articulated when exposed to steam for a more diverse look
beyond the squared edges or angles.
Birch
Birch
has a similar blond color to ash. It’s
also known for having a sweeping or waving grain pattern, giving it a more
unique and identifiable appearance. If
properly stained, birch wood can be made to resemble mahogany, which makes it a
great alternative—if you’re a fan of mahogany and don’t want to pay the high
mahogany price.
Cherry
Cherry
is a kitchen favorite due to the pink hues present in the grain. The pinkish color can range from very subtle
and understated to a vibrant, almost eye-popping hue. When aged, cherry wood takes on a very deep
red color and it can prove pricey for some consumers due to the very appealing
red coloring, since it’s always high in demand.
While it works great for cabinets, it’s not as ideal for an edge-grain
countertop or cutting board as it is slightly more susceptible to scoring. It’s recommended as an accent wood rather
than a primary work surface.
Mahogany
Known
for is rich, deep red or reddish-brown color when matured, it also has a
sweeping grain similar to birch, as mentioned.
The reddish variety is similar to cherry wood, but mahogany is harder
than cherry, making it more ideal for use as a working surface. The downside to mahogany, as you may already
be aware, is the cost. True mahogany
(yes, there are varieties of wood that are referred to as mahogany that aren’t
really mahogany, so be aware) is expensive, but it’s beautiful!
Maple
Typically
found in a yellow or light blond variety, maple is a very hard, very durable
wood that is ideal for many projects and uses.
In short, it can take a beating, so in a busy kitchen it will hold up to
years of abuse and still look good.
Plus, it’s quite affordable.
Oak
Hugely
popular, oak is slightly darker than maple and often a more pale blond. Oak has a rich history, respected in Europe
for thousands of years (there are even some living specimens over 1000 years
old). Oak has distinct and well-defined
graining, plus it’s highly resilient and ideal for any kitchen environment.
Walnut
Known
for its deep and rich brown in color, walnut is similar to cherry wood in terms
of its resilience. While it’s a
hardwood, it’s not nearly as hard as maple or oak, and because of that, it
works better as an accent to harder woods, rather than being used
independently.
Jonathon Ensor stays on top of the latest home design trends as a writer for Empire
Today. He loves to search forunique furniture and decor from thrift stores and
garage sales. If he can find something to put to good use, chances are he’s
going to do just that!
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