Mix and Match: How stone and wood can look great together

We love stone here at Zenstone, that’s very clear. However this doesn’t mean that we can’t see the beauty in other materials too. Indeed we would expect no less from our clients. We don’t think that you should have to choose exclusively between stone and wood. As kitchen design becomes more and more adventurous, there are some amazing ways to mix materials within a kitchen to great effect.

Surfaces and Cabinets

Perhaps you can see the benefits of a durable and attractive granite worktop. Or you’re certain that a cool natural marble will fit your lifestyle long into the future. The mix of horizontal with vertical in your worktop and kitchen unit doors offers an ideal opportunity for contrasting stone and wood.

Light Stone

For lighter tones of quartz or dekton, both light and dark woods sit nicely. The key here is to think about grain. As quartz and dekton both include elements of man made resin in their construction, the pattern or marbling of stone is regular and constant. This makes using grained wood more straightforward as you can predict where the lines will run for both surfaces. 

Dark Stone

When your stone surfaces are dark, it is intuitive to contrast with a lighter wood for your cabinet doors. However, super light wood is not the only way to contrast something like an Emerald Black granite. Think about warm woods like cherry, which will provide a great contrast without being too stark.

Coloured Stone

If you’ve decided on a coloured hue for your kitchen surface, perhaps Olive Green granite, or Norwegian Rose marble, then it’s wise to avoid too much contrast in wood cabinet doors. A coloured stone surface suggests that you have chosen this as the feature element of your kitchen, so play the wood contrast down with subtle tones that complement the stone rather than contrast it. 

Functional Contrast

Sometimes, contrast isn’t all about the look. It may be that the functional elements of your kitchen require a contrast of stone and wood to be in place. This may come down to cost, aesthetic, or simply a desire for something a bit different!

Baking Zone

Maybe you have decided on wooden worktops. Surprising but it can happen! However, this doesn’t mean that stone is out of the picture completely. For bakers especially, the coolness and durability of natural stone is hugely beneficial. So a marble or granite section can be included within your worktop to create a baking area which is both attractive and functional.

Splashbacks

Stone is a wonderful material for kitchen splashbacks as well as for the worktops themselves. This could be a sink surround, a hob splashback or even a ‘sidesplash’ running the entire length of your worktop. This needn’t be the same material as your worktop. So whether you choose to contrast stone with stone or stone with wood, this functional element can be a great addition.

Design Features

True design features in a kitchen are your talking points. They provide your ‘wow’ factor. However, these are the elements that tend to date the quickest. So when a granite, marble or quartz worktop is for life, it is in the design feature element of your kitchen that you can contrast stone and wood in a more fluid way.

Kitchen Islands

A kitchen island is the perfect opportunity to create a feature. You can make this area contrast the rest of the room without seeming out of place. It can also alter the tone of your kitchen so can be updated without the need to refit the rest of the room. So surround your marble kitchen island surface with sleek wooden unit doors, or contrast your stone kitchen with an entirely wooden island to create really unique contrast.

Seating

Such a bold statement is not for everyone, so many people look to furniture to provide design focussed contrast. From tall stools to soft seating to your dining table, wooden furniture sits beautifully against a stone kitchen. These pieces are easy to modify, update or change completely as you grow with your kitchen.