The grain game: designers have a love-hate relationship with wood in the kitchen - doctor spec

Residential Architect, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Nigel F. Maynard

It's no accident that wood is one of our favorite products. Few other materials are as pleasing to the senses, of as durable and versatile. That's why luxury automakers lather on the hand-tooled leather and burled wood trim, leaving the lusterless synthetics to the budget-minded. Indeed, in the hands of a talented craftsperson, wood can bring a home design to life.

Despite its stellar past performance, wood's role in the kitchen has been decidedly secondary since Mid-Century Modernists spread the laminate gospel. Of course, wood cabinetry is still ubiquitous, but other, more imaginative applications of the material are approached with caution and sometimes dread by designers and consumers alike. Laminate and thermofoil remain the favorite budget-conscious choices, while loftier jobs more commonly attract water-impermeable specs for horizontal surfaces. These are missed opportunities, proponents say.

Susan M. Regan, executive director of the American Hardwood Information Center, in Pittsburgh, considers the kitchen rife with possibilities for her material of choice. "On the floor, people are moving toward wood for comfort and warmth," she says. "And architects shouldn't be afraid to look at various species for countertops."

counter insurgence

Designer Ellen Cheever, no stranger to the ebb and flow of kitchen trends, says butcher block is one of the hottest specs she's seeing. "Wood on the countertop is a more recent and interesting trend," says the principal of Ellen Cheever & Associates in Wilmington, Del. "And not just in the typical maple. Species such as walnut, cherry, and mahogany have been trending upward as consumers and designers look for what's next."

Effingham, Ill.--based John Boos is a venerable purveyor of butcher-block countertops and has been for more than 100 years. The company offers wood tops in various species, but hard rock maple and hard sugar maple are customer favorites. National sales manager Pam Beam says these species ate the preferred choices because of their tight grains and durability.

While conventional wisdom says to avoid using wood around the sink, Suzy O'Neal, owner of Atlanta-based Craft-Art Wood Countertops, disagrees. "We can do any type of sink installation," she claims, including drop-in, farmhouse, and under-mount installations. Her company controls moisture infiltration by treating its products with a "Waterlox" sealer and finisher. Twenty species are available, including American varieties and exotic types like zebrawood, padauk, and wenge. "We haven't found a wood that hasn't done well around water," she says.

tread ahead

Wood is also commanding the floor in many kitchen projects. Unlike stone or tile, the material is easy on the feet and back, and its muted warmth tames the modern kitchen's metal sheen.

Architect Peter d'Entremont, a principal of Knight Associates in Blue Hill, Maine, is a fan of wood for his custom kitchen designs. "We spec wood floors without much reservation," he says. "Though if you have a serious leak from an appliance, it could be a problem."

Wood floors come prefinished or unfinished, with advantages to each. "We find that prefinished floors hold up better at first," says d'Entremont. "But if they get scratched, they can be a problem, because matching the finish gets difficult."

Designer Beverly Ellsley is unequivocal in her preference for in situ finishing. "We prefer to finish our floors on site," says the principal of Beverly Ellsley Design in Westport, Conn. "You need to be able to sand it later. We never spec prefinish, because you can only sand them twice."

Another reason for specing unfinished flooring, says architect Ross Chapin, is for quality control over the final finish. Some species require careful application of finishes for durability and color matching. Finishing the floor on site gives you better control over both, the principal of Langley, Wash.-based Ross Chapin Architects says.

cabinet members

Of course, wood has long dominated the cabinetry trade. And most design pros agree that custom-built cabinets are the ultimate in high-quality kitchen appurtenances. They also represent a hefty portion of a kitchen's budget.

In addition to high-end kitchen planning, Beverly Ellsley Design offers its own line of handmade custom cabinetry. "We make our cabinets from all hardwood," Ellsley says. "Even when we do painted cabinets, we use maple, because it provides a good surface and paint lasts longer."

Architect Anni Tilt, principal of Arkin Tilt Architects in Berkeley, Calif., says cabinetry "is a fine use for wood--although getting anyone to use solid wood for anything but the door faces is a difficult and expensive proposition." Cabinets with solid wood and dovetails are beautiful, if pricey, and with a good clear seal, they're just as cleanable as any synthetic, she says.

D'Entremont agrees that people just "love to see a dovetail joint. But if you want to just hold stuff, then a cabinet does not have to be solid wood." Most custom-cabinetry makers use a plywood box, he explains. It's standard in the industry and more stable over time.