Combining wooden kitchen cabinet doors with other materials is a great way to make them stand out, and there are some recent trends in this type of kitchen design that are quickly becoming contemporary classics.
For as long as man has needed a place to store his finest bowls and goblets, there has never been a better material for making cabinets than wood.
In fact, thanks to its availability, versatility, durability and latterly sustainability, the use of wood has never been close to being superseded in the manufacture of furniture of all types.
That’s not to say, however, that it stands alone in its field. Other, man-made materials are often used in conjunction with wood to create designs that end up greater than the sum of their parts.
Wood and metal
Mixing wood and metal in interior design is nothing new. Iron, copper and brass fixtures and fittings have been used since the dawn of modern plumbing techniques.
Somewhere along the way, stainless steel and chrome took over and their silver color became the standard. However, nothing lasts forever. Not even stainless steel. Combining the natural wood of bespoke cabinet doors with the traditional golden tones of brass and copper has seen a resurgence in recent years as the classic again becomes the contemporary.
Deciding to add a touch of gold when installing new bespoke kitchen cabinet doors doesn’t have to be expensive or a complete overhaul either, as mixing brass with the silver of existing stainless-steel fittings actually works quite well too.
Wood and brick
Continuing the theme of incorporating styles from another time in modern kitchens, matching wooden cabinet doors with bricks is also nothing revolutionary.
The rustic feel of using exposed brickwork in contemporary kitchen designs has long been a modern classic, but more and more people are now taking things a step further and installing brick features that are more than just decorative.
Gaining in popularity, genuine wood-burning pizza ovens are best constructed from durable materials, and constructing one from bricks is a simple process for the experienced builder. Contrasting superbly with solid wood bespoke kitchen cabinet doors, the exposed brickwork brings a timeless look to any modern kitchen.
Wood and glass
For a sleeker aesthetic than brass or brick can give, solid wood cabinets can easily be teamed with contemporary glass elements.While decorative parts of a kitchen have long used glass, tough new types of the transparent material have made even glass worktops a possibility.
Matched with a backsplash and dining table, the solid panels of glass provide a smooth contrast to the rougher wooden kitchen cabinet doors.
Above the eye line
The oven hood and oversized ornate lampshades can continue the theme for those visitors who like to really take a look around.
Glass is perhaps the easiest material to match the smaller items with, with glass fruit bowls, hand soap dispensers, and even cabinet door handles readily available. It’s of course not uncommon to find kitchen doors and cabinets with their own glass window features.
Solid wood will probably never be surpassed as the premier material for kitchen cabinet doors, but that doesn’t mean your entire kitchen has to be made from this most traditional of materials.
Contemporary kitchen design is matching wood with antiquated metals and exposed brickwork to conjure up nu-retro styles, and the class found in glass looks here to stay alongside our solid wooden cabinet doors for a long time to come.