Elegant and timeless, wood is a popular material for creating a warm, welcoming and comfortable atmosphere in the kitchen. Although it has long been seen as outdated, wooden kitchens are making a comeback, proving to be more stylish than ever.
Wooden kitchen designs offers many possibilities, both in terms of colour and pattern, which can give your space a very different feel. Whether you’re looking for a natural, chic or a more rustic style kitchen, this material can meet your needs.
Due to its very nature, wooden kitchen designs allow you to obtain a space with exclusive and differentiating finishes that you won't find anywhere else. Santos kitchens with natural wood fronts meet this taste for uniqueness, as no two designs are exactly alike.
A quality material with unique finishes for your wooden kitchen
Do you dream of a wooden kitchen, but are unsure about solid wood? By combining wood panels and sheets, Santos natural wood veneer finishes maintain the quality, aesthetics and properties of the original material, while avoiding the problems inherent in solid wood, such as the movement of wood due to temperatures that affect the structure of the furniture or the considerable maintenance it requires.
All natural wood veneer furniture is created from high quality, sustainably harvested wood, given that Santos has a PEFC certification. The brand not only selects the raw materials, but also supervises their treatment and processing until the sheets are transformed into panels. It also takes care of the finishing of each piece before it’s assembled, from cutting to packaging to protect them from elements that could damage them.
An ideal finish for wooden kitchen enthusiasts
Each piece of wood used in the manufacture of Santos kitchens is unique. Although they belong to the same species, each tree has unique characteristics, whether in terms of colour or the shape of the wood grain. No two wooden kitchens will ever be the same.
Moreover, wood is a living material that is constantly evolving, which, over time, will show different shades and tones, will have irregularities to the touch and will change the appearance of your wooden kitchen over the years, adding its own character.
However, if you are looking for a quality material such as wood, but want your furniture to remain uniform and not move over time, we advise you to opt for materials such as laminate or melamine with a wood effect finish.
Santos natural wood veneer finish
Santos offers several natural wood finishes for its kitchens. The brand applies a treatment to the wood that consists of brushing it to open its pores and give it a more pleasant feel. Like the other materials offered by the brand, the natural wood veneers are subject to strict quality controls that guarantee the resistance and durability of your wooden kitchen.
Olive Ash
This natural wood veneer material is obtained from sections of Olive Ash in which the dark brown-grey tones of the heartwood veins, similar to those of olive wood, alternate with the white, yellowish part of the wood, typical of ash. It is a thick wood with a very present texture and marked pores.
Santos combines different Olive Ash leaves to obtain contrasting façades with character.
Rustic Oak
Rustic Oak is a natural oak veneer made with the European species, which we use for fronts composed of alternating leaves with different cuts, with small knots, buds or imperfections. It is brown to yellow in colour and has a coarse texture with very marked pores.
Smoked Oak
Like Rustic Oak, Smoked Oak is a natural oak veneer made from the European species. In this case, the wood is treated to obtain a smoky tone that varies in colour from light brown to dark brown to black.
To create the fronts, Santos selects the part where the wood mesh is most visible, alternating light and darker areas. The final matt finish reinforces the look and feel of natural oak wood.
American Walnut
Made from wood from the north-eastern United States or Canada, American Walnut veneer is recognisable by its colour, which ranges from greyish brown to purple-brown with white to yellow or light brown sapwood, its contrasting grain, its characteristic irregularities such as reflections or dark heartwood areas.
Santos American Walnut veneer fronts are made by combining leaves with different cuts and patterns. Like Smoked Oak, it has a matt finish, which gives it a very natural feel. American Walnut evolves over time as it oxidises rapidly when exposed to sunlight, becoming lighter and adopting warmer, more contrasting tones.
It is a popular wood for high-end units, largely because of its fine texture.
Care and cleaning tips for wooden kitchens
Natural wood veneer is a much more delicate material than laminate, which is why Santos only offers it for kitchen fronts and sides. It’s not advisable to choose this type of material for work surfaces.
Although natural wood veneers are coated with a protective varnish, it is essential to treat them with great care to avoid damage from knocks, heat, aggressive cleaning products or seepage.
For example, it is extremely important to avoid bringing natural wood veneer into contact with liquids (either by pouring it on or as a result of condensation). As a precautionary measure, we therefore recommend that you always cook with the extractor hood switched on and that you do not use a coffee maker, kettle, food processor or other appliance that can produce steam directly under the tall units with natural wood veneer. We also recommend that you do not open the dishwasher directly after the cycle has finished.
When cleaning, avoid the use of scouring sponges, products containing waxes, aggressive substances such as bleach, solvents, white spirit, acetone, alcohol, stain removers, ammonia, etc. In addition, steam-powered appliances are not recommended. It is not necessary to use special products to clean natural wood veneers; simply wipe with a cloth soaked in water and wrung out well, following the grain of the wood. If the dirt resists, a sponge soaked in water and neutral soap can be used. In both cases, the surface and edges should then be dried with a soft cotton or cellulose cloth.
