Stainless Steel Ideas for the Kitchen

30 June 2015
 Categories: Industrial & Manufacturing, Blog

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The beauty and easy maintenance of stainless steel has made it a staple in restaurant kitchens for decades, but it is also an attractive and modern choice for your home. The following ideas can help get you started on designing a dream kitchen using stainless steel as one of the primary materials.

Oven Hoods

The oven vent hood isn't just a useful item for whisking away smoke, grease, and kitchen odors; it can also be a focal point for the kitchen. There are two common styles of vent hoods, depending on the placement of your stove—hoods that sit against a wall and free-hanging hoods over island cook tops.

Island hoods typically have a bell or trough shape that descends from the ceiling, making them a free-hanging central focal point. Wall-mounted hood varieties can be sleek and flush with the surrounding cabinetry, or they may bell out over the stove so they stand out more in the room. Custom metal fabrication options include brushed steel, shiny finishes, exposed seams, or etched designs. You can even have a metal fabricator trim a steel hood with copper accents.

Backsplashes

Steel backsplashes are on trend because of their clean yet traditional look. They are also easy to maintain and impossible to stain. While a smooth wall of steel works well if it's used sparingly, most designers opt for fabricated designs. A diamond-shaped pillowing effect is especially popular. It gives the steel texture and is almost reminiscent of a retro diner.

Countertops

While stone countertops are still popular, steel is another emerging trend to consider. Unlike porous stone, steel is immune to staining. Brushed or lightly textured steel is a great choice for counters since it won't show any scratches from cutting or abrasive cleaners. A steel fabricator can make counters to your exact measurements and specifications, so you can fit worktops into even the smallest of spaces, such as between the stove and a wall.

Worktops

Don't limit the use of stainless steel to just the kitchen basics. Consider having an entire custom piece fabricated for your kitchen. Stainless-steel kitchen islands can provide a clean, modern-looking alternative to the dated butcher-block-style islands. The metal fabricator can size the island to perfectly fit your space while including every perk you desire—a sink, cabinets and drawers, or even matching steel stools.

If an island is too much for your space, rolling carts are another option for extending your work space. Work with your fabricator to design a piece that will easily fit in an area that is out of the way and otherwise underutilized, and then simply roll it out when you need a larger work top.