When an Abundance of Wood can be “Too Much” in Your Kitchen and What You Can do to Prevent it

There’s barely anything more off-putting to cooking and cleaning than having to take constant care of your surroundings so that the slightest water droplet or the smallest amount of condense stays away from your furniture’s surfaces to prevent damage. So, if you’ve developed an obsession for wood in your kitchen, you’re easy to understand and considered a savvy homeowner. 

It’s not just aesthetics that make you lean into this material, but boundless other reasons – so many that overcramming your kitchen with too many types of wood can be as easily said as it is doable. Everything, from seemingly insignificant additions like cutting boards to massive elements like cupboards, counts, so when they’re not from similar wood models, they easily harm your kitchen’s aesthetic coherence. How much wood is too much, and what can you do to enjoy the benefits of the wood-filled kitchen without making it too kitschy?

When too much wood is disturbing

While judging by the functionality and ease of upkeep of your kitchen, the issue of “too much wood” may never be a real and pertinent one, things change when the space’s visual ambience comes into the equation. Rooms overrun with too many types of wood can look cluttered and chromatically overwhelming, impacting the overall feel of your room. Let’s explore some of the most common situations when an abundance of wooden elements mess things up. 

• When wood covers every kitchen surface, such as the floor, countertops, and cabinetry, and utensils hide in plain sight, the space may lack contrast and visual appeal, making it monotonous and difficult for elements to differentiate. 
• Dark wood, especially when used disproportionately, may compress the space visually and create a claustrophobic feel. Such options may soak up light instead of spreading it, creating a murky and gloomy atmosphere. 
• Wood can easily play with the space’s contrast, which, in turn, will create a kitchen that lacks dimension. Fortunately, a few twists will help, such as adding glass, metal, or lighter-coloured surfaces for a chromatic break.
• An abundance of wood types with varying finishes and grains can create a messy and incoherent look. Luckily, opting for a complete wooden kitchen will deliver all the sought-after benefits, including low maintenance and durability, while creating a level of visual attractiveness and ambience that’s difficult to nail with other selections. 

The solution is more straightforward than expected 

When done right, instead, there can’t be “too much wood”, for everything will be visually balanced and cohesive. To strike the right balance between different wooden elements, try combining colours and materials, integrating lighter finishes and introducing the material tactically to emphasise particular spots instead of overwhelming the whole room. Most importantly, installing a solid wooden kitchen will help eliminate all these worries, for it can look rustic, vintage, modern, luxurious, and so on. This way, you’ll ensure that even if you (hypothetically) wanted to have so much wood that it spoiled your room’s visual coherence, you wouldn’t have enough space or possibilities to do it. 

Go with wood for the better part of the kitchen, and you won’t have to stress about multiple wooden elements ever again. 

Which units to integrate 

Granite and marble look terrific, but they’re often unjustifiably expensive, especially given today’s unstable real estate market. On the other hand, MDF and laminated chipboards can be really tempting because of the look offered at first glance and their budget-friendly price tag. Hopefully, you won’t fall into the trap of either of these two choices.

You can have wooden worktops that are customisable so that they look like the material you like, including marble and granite. On the other hand, MDF is pretentious to clean and easily damageable, meaning that solid wood in the countertops, cabinetry’s surface, and, why not, backsplashes will have you rest assured, knowing you can splash around how much you want without headaches.

These being said, here’s a list of items that can be made of wood and introduced into your kitchen with the least likelihood of messing up the space’s visual coherence:

• Racks for bottles, glasses, spices, and so on
• Storage units for pans, pots, dishes, etc
• The island or the extra counter space
• Surfaces for food prepping
• Paper towel holders
• Trash bin covers 
• Drawer dividers
• Drawer fronts
• Pantry doors
• Cutting boards
• Butcher blocks
• Bread boxes
• Coasters, etc. 

First, choose a dominant wood tone

Combining wood tones can be the key to a durable and timeless kitchen, assuming you’ll select a dominant nuance as a departure point for building up the room from scratch. For instance, wooden floors could be your leading tone if you don’t want to remove them. Otherwise, opt for wood in the elements that eat up the most space in the room, like the island, cabinets, or drawers.

Remember to check your predominant tone when selecting what other wood shades you’ll introduce to the room.

Pair undertones correctly 

Matchy undertones are the shortcut to building a space that doesn’t look disjointed but harmonious. Some tips will help you match tones flawlessly:

• Pair warm tones with cold tones. For instance, if you use warm-toned floors, you can opt for similarly inviting colours for accents, such as beige, off-white, butt yellow, or hazel. You can opt for earthy reds like brick or geranium hues for a touch of contrast. Top it up with countertops in coolish notes, like quartz or grey granite, as well as cool-toned standout pieces and backsplashes. You can combine, for instance, oak with maple nuances and enjoy a visually equilibrated kitchen.
• Match countertops with warm-toned backsplashes and cabinets, introducing wooden-coloured essentials like copper fixtures. For a touch of coolness, include accents in chrome or stainless steel. This works particularly well in cream kitchens if you wish to create a cohesive aesthetic.
• Opt for warm wood tones in knife blocks and racks, ensuring they match the kitchen’s theme. Add cooler shades or opposing hues to build a well-balanced look with tranquil tones. 

Endnote

Wood is easily the best choice for your kitchen if you want to ensure it is durable, low-maintenance, and timeless. This material is always relevant and classic, organic and warm, and last but not least, you won’t have to sweat to maintain it in tip-top shape over the years. Just try not to mess up the aesthetic coherence of your room so you won’t end up with a kitschy kitchen. With the right tips and knowledge, this task can be a breeze.

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