For the last few years hardwood flooring has became a new trend for home kitchens. Every second design magazin would have tons of pictures of kitchens with hardwood floors. In this article I will describe pros and cons as well as some key factors you need to consider.
Design-wise
Hardwood flooring has absolutelly astonishing look when combined with modern appliances and cabinets. Wood add authensity to your kitchen making it more natural and more organic. For the last 10 years this has been a strong trend in US, UK and EU. Hardwood gives warmth and life to the room, in constrast with tile which tends to take it away. In addition to that – wood comes in a lot of color variations – oak, mahogany, ash, cedar. Each of them can be stained and finished differently which creates unlimited color variations to choose from.
Price-wise
Hardwood flooring doesn’t require special underlayment like tile, that requires a layer of cement board or similar. Hardwood can be installed over 3/4″ thick OSB or Plywood boards. At the same time, it’s recommended to go with unfinished hardwood floor in order to achieve completely flat surface. This way you would know for sure that no foor or water would get under the boards. Unfinished material is sanded to the point when it get’s completely flat, all holes/cracks/seems get filled with special wood filler and then enrire surface is finished with several layers of finish. This makes it about 10-15% more expensive than to have prefinished floor installed, but makes a HUGE difference in longevity.
Contrary to popular belief, it is the floor that makes a kitchen. Think about it: what’s the first thing you notice when you see a beautiful kitchen in a design magazine? The astounding color of that kitchen, of course, starting first with the floor layout. A floor is the foundation of the kitchen’s aesthetic, giving life to the room, or, if not done well, taking it away. And, to make sure the latter doesn’t happen, your best bet is hardwood.
With a hardwood floor, you add a rustic look to your kitchen that opens it up to a more comfortable feel. It’s as if you can transform any kitchen just by laying some oak down. But there is something about hardwood flooring that linoleum tiles, marble, and carpeting cannot provide. So, what is it?
Well, a floor, first and foremost, needs to breathe. No, like actually breathe: a hardwood floor is, in the end, a product of nature, and is vulnerable to outside forces, like humidity and spills. That said, the flooring requires upkeep, but that maintenance works in your favor. It keeps your kitchen fresh in a way that metal or plastic interior design cannot provide. Again, it’s about the comfortable feel that only a beautiful, colorful set of wood can add.
And that’s another thing: the color. Oak, mahogany, ash, cedar… hardwood flooring has an enormous set of options to choose from, which are not necessarily available to other materials. Also, the offset of the flooring’s color is something that only hardwood flooring can provide. We all know that feeling we get when see a dark mahogany floor match the cabinetry and island table. It’s seriously magic.
In the end, we want every kitchen to have that “Aha” moment the minute you walk into it. And we just think that, based on the reasons above, a hardwood flooring is the most plausible way of pulling this off. That said, we wholeheartedly endorse the use of hardwood flooring for your kitchen today.