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Kitchens made of solid wood in the interior occupy a fairly large area, so it is logical to place them in large spaces. Moreover, many of these kitchens imply the presence of an island, which is also made of solid wood. Typically, such a room contains a lot of equipment and various devices that take up a lot of space. So it’s unlikely that you will be able to fulfill your dream of installing a solid wood kitchen in a tiny studio apartment. Well, if you still live in such cramped conditions, you will have an incentive to buy another home in which you can finally expand!
Photo: smalldesignideas.com
What you need to know when choosing a kitchen from an array
It should be noted that almost never 100% wood is used when furnishing a room for cooking and eating. Wooden facades for the kitchen are the most common technique. The frame is usually made from modified plywood or particleboard. Despite the relatively low cost and light weight, such furniture has a beautiful design.
A wooden tabletop will not be the best solution, since it cannot boast of moisture resistance, and is not yet resistant to dirt and mechanical stress. Designers advise choosing a combination of solid wood facades and a working surface made of natural or artificial stone.
Advantages and disadvantages
Wooden furniture has many advantages:
- environmental friendliness and naturalness;
- external attractiveness;
- ease of restoration;
- durability;
- relevance.
The disadvantages include:
- fastidiousness;
- low ultraviolet resistance;
- the need for regular care using special products;
- inability to use curved facades;
- high cost;
- heavy weight and labor-intensive installation.
Veneering of facades
As an alternative to wooden facades, veneer coating is used. The production technique of this material consists of cutting plates from natural wooden beams using a milling machine. Very thin knives remove a millimeter-thick layer of wood, then these layers are dried, glued together with glue combined with the desired paint and kept under pressure until completely glued and dry. Ultimately, the result is a wooden panel, flexible and durable, maximum 3 mm thick, which will visually replicate the structure of wood on furniture bases made of MDF, chipboard, etc. Veneer is made from valuable hard and rare exotic species, and then the cost of a product with a base made of inexpensive materials will be simply sky-high, thanks to such expensive veneering. That is why a method was invented for coloring veneer from budget coniferous trees in the style of oak, beech, ash, walnut and other valuable species.
When you run your hand along the end of a wooden part, you feel small irregularities, but veneered furniture is all smooth and perfect.
Pros and cons of veneered facades
Kitchen furniture sets covered with veneer have a lot of advantages and one minor disadvantage, which with the help of experienced stylists can be turned into a huge plus.
pros
- Price. This undeniable advantage makes veneered furniture accessible to a large number of buyers. It’s so nice to decorate your kitchen in an expensive, sophisticated style that you like without spending fabulous money on furniture. After all, not everyone nowadays can afford furnishings made of oak or wenge, but purchasing a pine or spruce set with such a chic look will be very useful.
- Naturalness of the material. Veneer is made exclusively from wood using absolutely harmless, non-toxic glue, therefore it is an environmentally friendly material. It is very important to pay attention to the raw materials that make up the base under the pasting. If it is wood or MDF, you don’t have to worry about the health of your loved ones. After all, the kitchen is the place in the apartment in which the hostess and her family spend a significant part of their lives, and natural materials are needed here like air.
- Material stability. Veneered facades are very durable. This coating is not afraid of temperature changes, high humidity, which is so typical of the kitchen, and grease and soot deposits. Such furniture does not deform; the veneer, securely glued using a special technology, will not peel off from the main surface and will not change its texture, so it will have a decent appearance for many years.
- Flexibility. Veneer coating is a very elastic material. Unlike wooden products, it is able to cover the most prominent surfaces. For lovers of Art Nouveau style and smooth lines, a kitchen made of MDF covered with veneer will be a real gift. This wonderful material will allow you to emphasize any decorative element according to the customer’s taste and will fulfill your wildest desire in terms of the shape of the facades.
- Restorative ability. The kitchen set is constantly exposed to external influences, which over time can transform its appearance. Not everyone can change furniture often, and not all materials allow for updating. A huge advantage of veneered furniture is the possibility of its restoration, allowing it to be given a new life.
If you like natural wood, but are looking for a cheaper solution, then a set with a veneered facade is the ideal option for you
Minuses
The only drawback is the negative impact of coarse abrasive detergents on furniture. Mechanical damage may also cause damage to the edges. Therefore, you should treat the headset with care, wiping it with a soft cloth or sponge with gentle detergents.
Having a wooden kitchen furniture set is a great solution and an invaluable gift to yourself and all your family and friends.
Pine
Pine furniture is the cheapest. The advantages of such wood are softness, pliability, ease of processing, wide availability, low cost. Most designers are attracted to the golden color of pine. It is visible even through the varnish.
A kitchen made of this wood will add light and comfort to the room. But this ephedra has a number of disadvantages:
- risk of rotting over time unless special treatment is provided;
- low resistance to moisture;
- ability to release resin when exposed to high temperatures;
- sensitivity to mechanical stress.
The combination of wood and green shades in the kitchen interior
A wooden kitchen can sparkle with new colors in combination with various color schemes. Below are photos of kitchens in which green is the dominant color scheme. This shade is present in the decoration and directly in the decor. The combination of green and woody colors is quite natural, as it is associated with a tree and its crown. Such a kitchen evokes a feeling of calm and comfort; a person feels as if he is walking in a summer forest. This is especially pleasant after a hard day of work in a crowded city.
Oak
Oak furniture sets the tone for the rest of the decor. Advantages of this material:
- nobility and attractiveness of texture;
- grace of color transitions;
- durability;
- high strength.
The main disadvantage is hardness. It is also worth noting such a disadvantage as high cost.
Beech
Kitchens made of beech can also boast high strength indicators. This is a very reliable material. Its characteristic shades are pinkish, white, bleached, coffee.
Beech is known as a donor tree. It is believed that it has positive energy, due to which it can have a beneficial effect on well-being. Beech wood can be tinted.
What trees are used
For the production of kitchens, wood of various types is used - both hard and soft. The first type is more expensive, but stronger and more durable. It is used to create branded cabinet furniture. The following types of hardwood are distinguished:
- Oak is considered a reference material, which has a special texture with a noticeable pattern of growth rings (wood with narrow rings is more suitable for furniture). Oak does not rot in the humid microclimate of the kitchen, and furniture made from it lasts for decades.
- Beech is one of the most common materials for kitchens. It is not inferior in strength to oak, but the lighter shade allows you to apply tinting and make the furniture suitable for any style.
- Ash is a strong and durable material. Wood comes in different shades - from light pink to dark brown tones.
- Cherry is somewhat softer than oak and beech, has a unique texture and a pleasant reddish tint.
- Wenge is a hardwood of East African origin. It is valued for its black-brown color and coarse-fiber decorative texture.
- Zebrawood is another exotic hardwood that has a texture similar to the stripes of a zebra. Pairs well with light oak or birch.
Soft breeds of domestic origin are easily damaged by accidental impacts and quickly become unusable, but they can be used as budget decorative elements and facades.
- Pine is a wood that is less valuable in terms of performance qualities than hardwoods, but it releases substances that are beneficial to health and destroy pathogenic microbes. It is well processed, has a smooth light golden surface, ideal for Russian rustic style.
- Alder is a wood that has a reddish tint, darkens from light, deteriorates from contact with iron, and is therefore not suitable for countertops. Suitable for interior decoration and the manufacture of external furniture parts. After staining, alder can look like any valuable tree species, which is often used to imitate it.
- Birch requires special protection and care, since the wood is easily affected by fungus and begins to rot. The color of the boards ranges from yellowish-white to light brown. Items made from this material have a beneficial effect on air quality.
Cherries
Solid cherry is distinguished by an attractive texture. Despite the fact that this tree cannot be compared with oak and ash in terms of strength, it is valued for its original reddish tint.
A good-quality kitchen made of natural wood is an indicator of not only good taste, but also status. Before going to the store, you should accurately imagine the desired interior of the kitchen space. It will also be useful to consult with specialists. They will be happy to recommend the most suitable option in your case.
Wall decoration
In order for a kitchen with wooden furniture to create a favorable impression, you need to choose natural finishes for it. An excellent choice is decorative plaster or light-colored wall paint. If the kitchen is made in Provence or country style, then you can decorate it with wooden panels. They will look great against the background of white walls. Washable wallpaper or ceramic tiles do not fit well with such an interior, as they simplify it too much and deprive it of its natural charm.
