A natural wood product may be beautiful and appeal to the nature-loving client, but it often comes with plenty of ongoing maintenance headaches for the end consumer, and as water and heat can be particularly problematic, it may not always be a great choice for the kitchen. Here we round up a selection of wood effect designs that are hardwearing, stain resistant and look like the real thing.
1. The Madoc range in Tuscan Walnut with Sutton Highland Stone by Masterclass Kitchens adds real warmth to this modern, open-plan space. The Madoc door, which has an MDF construction, also comes in three other paler wood finishes – Chalkwood, Border Oak and Portland Oak – as well as two textured stone finishes – Manhattan and Terra.
2. The Proline 128 range in Walnut Ultra Matt by Pronorm is teamed with the brand’s Y-line handleless Organic Black Matt range, making for a winning combination in this kitchen. “We’ve seen a strong rise over the last three years for designs that combine block elements in woodgrain with plain-coloured doors,” says Richard Turner, national sales manager for UK & Ireland.
3. The Textura contemporary range by Crown Imperial comprises 11 textured finishes and features long-grain and end-grain effects in shades varying in tone from cool right through to warm. In this broken plan design, Sand Oak wall units are teamed with Furore Cashmere on the base units and central islands for a balanced scheme with visual interest.
4. The Futura handleless range from Mereway’s Cucina Colore collection offers the opportunity to mix and match tones, as shown here with Dark Walnut on the island unit and Bleached Walnut on the run of tall units. The range also comes in Tobacco Oak and Sepia Gladstone Oak wood effects, as well as a broad range of metal and stone lookalikes.
5. The new Tinfilled Oak door colour from Rotpunkt is shown here on the kitchen island and a series of tall units, teamed with dark grey Lava extreme matt doors for visual interest. The laminate range features a metal-effect treatment that depicts knots and imperfections in the woodgrain for realistic effect.
6. The City Chic collection from Keller includes this handleless GL2000 door, pictured in Warm Oak and paired with matt black shelving, black lacquered trims and cognac coloured marble-look worktop. Other wood-look finishes available include Acacia, Blond Oak, Oak Oak, Champagne Oak and Espresso Oak.
7. The Alno Plan textured wood effect laminate door in Cashmere Oak adds visual depth to this scheme and acts as a contrast to the sleek white elements in the rest of the Alno by Halcyon design. “One benefit of wood effect kitchens is that they do not change over time as some real woods do, and are also far more resistant to stains,” says Graham Robinson of Halcyon Interiors.
8. The Renzo door from Daval comes in five high-texture finishes, including Charred Japanese Wood, shown here on the wall cupboards, along with Character Oak Tobacco and Hunter Green on the island. The Renzo kitchen also has the added bonus of sustainable credentials as each door is made from 100% recycled raw materials.
9. Wall units in Toulouse Castell Oak are teamed with base units in Bergamo in Marengo Grey in this kitchen by Störmer, with shelving and work surfaces also in Castell Oak to help complete the look. The laminate wood style doors offer durability, and the come with a range of interior storage solutions from Grass for a practical, hardworking design.
10. The Cartmel five-piece Shaker door from TKC, shown here in Indigo, is 22mm thick and comes in nine colours. “The range combines excellent value for money with realistic woodgrain aesthetics and the melamine material provides less of a worry regarding expansion and contraction with variations in room temperature,” says Neil Taggart, marketing manager at TKC.
