Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Why choose an oak kitchen?

By John Blaine


Your kitchen area is exceedingly significant; it calms, entertains, acts as a meeting place, and most importantly, is where you prepare and serve food! Deciding between all the different colours shapes, patterns and materials for your eating area can be a daunting task. One material that has seen resurgence recently is oak. Oak kitchens are traditionally found in period properties due to their fitting appearance however, they can now be seen in any home.

Not only are Oak kitchens attractive and stylish but they are also a highly adaptable canvas. With a wide range of finishes that can produce anything from a deep, rich traditional look or a modern gloss appearance oak is a truly versatile material. Where an Oak kitchen works especially well is within a country house as the traditional charm of the oak wood extenuates the rest of the house.

Not only can you modify the look of oak with gloss and stains but as a material it also has a brilliant long-lasting nature. Kitchen installers frequently explain that kitchens will experience the most knocks in the house, with sharp knives and slamming doors, and that the material that is used for the area needs to be tough so that it can withstand the abuse. Especially when glossed, Oak has great strength and resistance so will last a lot longer than a cheaper wood or plastic.

Whether you choose to gloss, stain or paint, there's no denying that the natural colour of wood is beautiful, however, it is not only beautiful, it also compliments a whole spectrum of colours - leaving you able to decorate you oak kitchen however you like! The specific colours that are well known for suiting the warm tones of oak are all shades of bronze, sage green or a soft yellow.

As long as the wood is treated correctly, oak is also highly resistant to insect and fungal attacks. As everyone knows, the kitchen is a playground for germs with the area around the sink especially susceptible to fungal infestations due to the build up of damp over long periods of use. Because oak is a hardwood it maintains its original look for many years. Hardwood takes in water via pores when it is a living tree then when it is used as a material it is sealed.

On top of its cost worthy properties, oak wood also has a rich heritage scattered throughout history. Up until the 19th century in Europe it was used for the construction naval men of war and other army ships as well as being used as the principal timber in the construction of European timber-framed buildings.




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