NEW WAYS WITH WOOD

THIS KITCHEN STAPLE IS BEING REINTERPRETED WITH FRESH AND INTERESTING TECHNIQUES

- Linda Clayton

ANOTHER DIMENSION

Three-dimensional surfaces that shift with the light bring a modern twist to wood in the kitchen. ‘Combined with sleek flat-fronted doors in crisp white, thin vertical wood slats provide texture and depth, enhancing the tension between plain and pattern,’ explains Sofia Bune Strandh, CEO, Sola Kitchens. SKOG, meaning ‘forest’ in Swedish, is the name given to this striking new wood-focused design from Sola Kitchens. ‘It’s called SKOG partly because the wooden slats resemble the outlines of trees, but also the name reflects the embracement of natural materials – a typical quality of Scandinavian design,’ she adds.

The SKOG kitchen in oak, ash or walnut, from £50,000, Sola Kitchens

MODULAR MOVES

Keeping timber use below eye level is more peripheral so won’t overpower. It can also appear less ‘kitchen-y’. ‘Using oak worktops and wrapping the drawer units in the same oak creates a modular look, more akin to a living room sideboard,’ explains Jayne Everett, co-founder, Naked Kitchens. ‘We wanted each wood section to mimic a piece of free-standing furniture – far removed from a standard fitted kitchen.’ White American oak was chosen for its robust, tightly knitted grain and soft-washed tones. The timber was finished in a specialist Nano coating to provide resilience without altering the wood’s natural look.