The Striking Visual Texture of Hickory Kitchen Cabinets

Hickory kitchen cabinets are light and varied in appearance making any kitchen look interesting and classic. The hickory wood is considered a medium texture, which means it includes both straight and wavy grains; this will create a marbled appearance, which can be quite striking visually.  It has a light to medium brown hue with reddish undertones. The light color will allow you to play up other elements in your kitchen like a fun painted wall or backsplash without feeling too overbearing. The texture will make it look authentic and interesting. Hickory is difficult to work with when using machinery but it is very easy to stain, glue and finish. Hickory is not as rot resistant as other woods like cherry, cedar or walnut but is very strong and shock resistant which is why it is often used as flooring.  Hickory is scentless and falls in the low to mid price range for cabinets.

The most beautiful and distinctive feature of hickory kitchen cabinets is the marbled and varied texture; play up this feature by using color instead of texture to brighten up other elements within your kitchen. Use an accent wall or fun bright single tone back splash to bring visual interest into the room without over powering the texture of the cabinets.  Similarly use simple clean knobs or handles in a solid color to accent the patterning in the cabinet doors without making it feel too busy. Avoid doing a hickory floor in your kitchen, as it will make the cabinets blend in as opposed to stand out. This overmatching of the woods will flatten out the room; instead opt for durable linoleum, tile or cork.

Hickory kitchen cabinets tend to lend themselves to a traditional or country chic vibe. Try rustic iron knobs here or an apron sink to extend this feeling into other elements within the room. However, the striking patterning can add an interesting accent to a modern kitchen as well. Try using the material in an unconventional way – for example as part of a counter top instead of the traditional cupboard placement to make it more modern. Mixing it with contemporary materials like Corian counter tops or stainless steel knobs can help modernize the material making the eye-catching texture a focal point within the room. The most important thing to keep in mind when using hickory is to use the natural grain pattern at the heart of the design.