Dezeen Magazine

Plywood kitchen cabinetry by Nimtim Architects

Ten wood-clad kitchens with warm and natural interiors

For our latest lookbook, we showcase ten kitchens where wood panelling and wooden cabinetry create a cosy, homely feel that is more often associated with living rooms.

These homes are all clad in various types of wood, from pale plywood and birch plywood to warmer-coloured materials such as cypress, oak and pine.

By using generous amounts of wood, designers and architects have created inviting spaces that also have a more laidback atmosphere than the sometimes sterile feeling that kitchens can evoke.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks including living rooms with floor-to-ceiling glazingstatement skylights and kids' bedrooms with loft and bunk-beds.


Floor to ceiling glass sliding doors run along the cabin
Photography is by Sebastian van Damme

Holiday home, the Netherlands, by Orange Architects

Dutch office Orange Architects' wooden holiday cabin on the island of Texel in the Netherlands is clad in black-stained timber on the outside. Inside, its open layout showcases a kitchen clad in light-coloured birch panelling.

The home also features moveable wooden panels that can be used to divide the interior into different zones as needed.

Find out more about the holiday home ›


Kitchen inside Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London
Photography is by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey

Muswell Hill house, UK, by Architecture for London

Local studio Architecture for London transformed a run-down Edwardian house in Muswell Hill, London, into an energy-saving home that features materials such as wood, stone and lime plaster, all of which come together in its light, airy kitchen.

Here, pale oak cabinetry contrasts with grey limestone fixtures. The studio also left the original timber roof exposed to celebrate the house's "modest beauty".

Find out more about the Muswell Hill house ›


Wood-panelled kitchen in Surf House
Photography is by Joe Fletcher

Surf House, US, by Feldman Architecture

The Surf House in Santa Cruz, California, has an exterior clad in salvaged wood and a wood-panelled kitchen overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Designed to fit "naturally and sustainably" into its surroundings, the home's interior is clad in cypress wood, which becomes a focal point of the design

In the kitchen, the workspaces, splashback and wooden kitchen island have been covered in black marble, creating a striking contrast against the wood.

Find out more about Surf House ›


Plywood kitchen in Curve Appeal house
Photography is by Megan Taylor

Curve Appeal, UK, by Nimtim Architects

Named after its curvy interiors, this 1920s London house was renovated by Nimtim Architects using multifunctional partitions built from plywood joinery.

These feature decorative arches that open the kitchen up towards the dining room and are complemented by lamps shaped like globes and half-moons.

Find out more about Curve Appeal ›


Hood Cliff Retreat by Wittman Estes Axon
Photography is by Andrew Pogue

Hood Cliff Retreat, US, by Wittman Estes

Hood Cliff Retreat's wooden interior matches its surroundings – the holiday home is tucked into a coastal forest in the Pacific Northwest.

US studio Wittman Estes designed the interior using simple details and a restrained material palette that utilizes pine plywood.

In the kitchen, countertops were constructed using wood salvaged from an old cabin that used to sit on the plot.

Find out more about Curve Appeal ›


a woodburner was placed at the centre of the home
Photography is by Dianna Snape

Coopworth farmhouse, Australia, by FMD Architects

This large farmhouse in Tasmania was designed to resemble rural vernacular buildings and has a dramatic plywood-lined interior. Its sloped ceilings follow the angled roofline and show off wool insulation sourced from the farm's sheep.

In the kitchen and living area, wood was also used for the cabinetry and kitchen island, as well as for a low table next to the woodburning stove that holds a trio of sculptural vases.

Find out more about Coopworth farmhouse ›


Kitchen of Fjord Boat House by Norm Architects
Photography is by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects

Fjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects

The interior of the black-timber-clad Fjord Boat House features a warm material palette, with gleaming oak-lined walls and cabinets and a floor made from handmade ceramic bricks.

The oak panelling matches the room's wooden dining table and woven chairs, while a large washi-paper pendant lamp that Norm Architects made in collaboration with Japanese brand Kojima Shouten hangs over the table and adds to the organic feel of the room.

Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›


Photography is by Katherine Lu

Vikki's Place, Australia, by Curious Practice

Named after its owner, Vikki's Place is a multigenerational home in Australia that has an open-space living and dining area, where birch-plywood kitchen cabinets match the simple plywood walls.

The house's simple materials were deliberately chosen by local studio Curious Practice. "An interior of craft and honesty is prioritised over style or glamour," the studio explained.

"It is this elemental, almost primitive construction of space coupled with the raw material treatment which on visiting the house, makes one feel instantly at home."

Find out more about Vikki's Place ›


Ti Clara by Espaço p2 Architects
Photography is by José Campos

 Ti Clara, Portugal, by Atelier Espaço P2

The combination of the stone floor and countertops and a wooden wall in this Portuguese kitchen creates a fun material contrast and gives the kitchen a more luxurious feel.

The kitchen, which sits in a deep wooden reveal that was created beneath a gable ceiling, was clad in wood and stone to create a comfortable and welcoming experience, according to architecture studio Atelier Espaço P2.

Find out more about Vikki's Place ›


Point Lonsdale House by Edition Office
Photography is by Ben Hosking

Point Lonsdale House, Australia, by Edition Office

The kitchen and living area of Point Lonsdale House features a monolithic, four-metre-wide timber pivot wall that rotates to join the room with an outdoor terrace.

While the structure of the house is dramatic, its materials are subtle and refined, with dark timber boards used to line the living room. Grey stone, green plants and decorative metallic vases underline the room's discreetly opulent feel.

Find out more about Point Lonsdale House ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing living rooms with floor-to-ceiling glazingstatement skylights and kid's bedrooms with loft and bunk-beds.