Oak is beautiful, hardwearing, versatile, and one of the most impressive timbers. Its natural grain is a key feature for many bespoke kitchens, and it can be utilised everywhere. The classic hardwood is ideal for kitchen floors and can be laid in a plethora of ways, from herringbone to parquet. On walls, oak panelling can be used as a design feature to add texture, reduce sound travel, and add style to a room. Solid oak and oak veneers are ideal for kitchen cabinetry, for practical reasons, and for aesthetic ones. Oak wood can also be finished in a broad spectrum of natural colours that can set the tone of a kitchen and create an opportunity to work with additional contrasting colours. Finally, the finished wood can be achieved with an exciting array of waxes and finishes to create golden, pale, rich and earthy hues or left completely natural.
At Papilio Bespoke Kitchens, we love oak and find it a joy to work with. Our design team uses it in numerous ways, whether solid or veneer form. There are many benefits to working with oak because it’s solid wood, resistant to water, and easy to work with its natural character. In addition, it is undoubtedly aesthetically pleasing and quality material.
Oak panel kitchen island Oak panel wall Draws Oak panel kitchen island Fulham Kitchen profile
In our Fulham Kitchen project, we used eye-catching oak panelling on walls and cabinetry on the kitchen island. The grand Victorian townhouse in Fulham, London, boasted exceptional natural light and ample space for our design team to work their magic. Alongside our client, we were keen to achieve clean lines and designed hand-laid oak veneers to create a sophisticated and contemporary kitchen. The slatted wall coverings were initially introduced to prevent sound reverberating in the ample open space but ultimately became a key aesthetic within the bespoke kitchen design.
Oak veneer Textured oak veneers Textured oak veneers Clifton Kitchen profile Clifton Kitchen profile
In our Clifton Kitchen project in Bristol, Somerset, the luxurious new-build home offered expansive space awash with light, clean, uncluttered lines and swathes of pristine white wall space. This was a fine backdrop for the character of our design which featured oak flooring and oak door fronts with a heavy grain and slight texture. Our design team used 6-8mm ‘constructional’ oak veneers, which were much more substantial than the standard 2-3mm thick veneers. In addition, our cabinet makers raked out the grain of the constructional veneer to create more texture and a slightly aged look. Thanks to the heavier weight of the constructional veneer resulted in a very hardwearing and beautiful kitchen.
