No, we’re not talking about healthy eating… this month we’re having a look at the trend for natural wood grains (or wood grain effects) that have become increasingly popular for kitchens, bathrooms and occasional furniture. Wood or wood-look kitchens have never really fallen out of favour, but the latest designs are very obviously grained, tactile and even distressed. It’s a good look if you want your new kitchen to have a softer, more lived-in look …

The Grey Grained Oak kitchen from LochAnna Kitchens, shown here with Fjord cabinets from the Lastra collection is a recent launch, and combines both natural and fresh, sleek elements. The fact that this cabinetry is so simple helps streamline the overall look, despite the layout being packed with concealed storage capacity. Sinead Trainor, Kitchen Category Manager, LochAnna Kitchens, says ‘Both large and small rooms can benefit from concealed features. Large projects that incorporate open plan living tend to create a statement, are design driven and minimalist; these spaces are a talking point with guests. Smaller projects use the space practically and hide appliances in order to create the feeling that there is more space. Smaller open plan living can cleverly link rooms through careful design planning’.

The Mix of Old & New

This project is a fabulous example of the use of grained and textured wood, it’s a new kitchen in a barn setting, which was commissioned to sit harmoniously within it’s rural surroundings, with an emphasis on sustainability and a relaxed, casual atmosphere. The owners wanted to ‘bring the outdoors indoors’ with the use of natural, organic materials. The Main Company was involved in supplying the reclaimed wood used for the project – including flooring, cabinets and wall cladding.

The team salvaged wood from a wide range of sources – including factories, warehouses and old barns, and the parquet flooring was saved from an old mill. Have a glance at the rest of the project here and admire the eclectic mix of exposed brickwork and pipework as well as the beautiful textures and grains of the timber elements. The Main Company

The kitchen is a glorious mix of country influences with a touches of steel and copper  (for the huge range cooker), while the quartz work surfaces and painted cabinets steer the look away from Alpine chalet! We think this project is a great example of combining slick, stylish appliances with natural finishes and grained textures. The Main Company

The Haberdasher’s Pantry by deVOL Kitchens is glorious, it looks as if it’s just been unearthed from a long-forgotten shop … having said that, I remember being taken to buy school uniform from a very old-fashioned shop that had those sort of display cabinets! So yes, this is a very definite style statement for anyone who wants to do something different to mainstream fitted cabinetry. The Haberdasher’s Pantry is finished in a new tint from deVOL; it’s a one-coat tinted oil, this shade is Sheer Stocking White, and it’s an excellent choice for adding a pale wash of colour to natural oak.

Well, these Country Nut porcelain planks from Tile Mountain are a bit of a cheat, but sometimes for ultra-practical reasons it makes sense to install hard tiles instead of timber, especially in hard-working kitchen. There are available in three shades; Honey, Nut and Khaki, are suitable for indoors and outdoors, and are designed, coloured and textured to replicate the appearance of real hardwood. Definitely worth considering if you’re on the horns of a dilemma ‘twixt tiles or timber.

Added Grains

Three ways of adding a textured, grained look to your kitchen-living-dining areas: This textured sideboard is the Chelwood Nordic Reclaimed model by Modish Living, with a grey oiled finish. Could be a good addition to tone down and add neutral tones to a glossy kitchen …

The vertically roller-shuttered Grayson Storage Sideboard is shown here in Natural, and also comes in Walnut and Brown from John Lewis & Partners. It adds a suitably retro look to the dining room … The advantage of items this size and proportion is that they can also work in other areas of the home – as a bedroom storage cabinet or as a room divider, sitting back to back with a sofa.

The Barton Wide Chest from Next Home has an ash-effect finish with metal handles, and horizontal ribbed details. Another storage investment that could work as added capacity in a kitchen-dining space.

Here’s another alternative to real timber … these are Portland Oak Luxury Vinyl Tiles from Tile Mountain, designed to replicate oak planks. They’re installed as a floating floor, with an easy click + drop system. Good for upper floors such as bedrooms, bathrooms, loft conversions and home offices – as well as kitchens of course as they have a durable, easy to maintain wear-layer and are highly moisture-resistant.

And naturally, we can’t resist bringing you a three more shopping ideas that would add texture and natural finishes to a new kitchen scheme. From left; Lene Bjerre Dealia Bench from a new collection at Sweetpea & Willow; Beautiful mango wood Midford serving accessories from a new collection at Garden Trading; and lastly, the weathered and worn Burlington Bleached Wood Sideboard is from a collection at Orchid Furniture.