9 Ways Designers Have Made Interesting Use of Ply in a Kitchen
Plywood is hardwearing, typically sustainable, pocket-friendly – and stylish, as these kitchens demonstrate
From limewashing it or staining it black to using it for veneered door fronts or chunky worktops, ply has featured in numerous ways in kitchen designs on Houzz. Read about the clever ideas interior designers, architects and kitchen design teams have come up with to put this versatile, eco-friendly* and beautiful material to good use.
* To ensure a product that’s been ethically manufactured without the use of formaldehyde, choose FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified plywood.
* To ensure a product that’s been ethically manufactured without the use of formaldehyde, choose FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified plywood.
Let it shine
“Typically, we work with oak frames and doors and birch ply carcassing,” Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens explains. Here, however, in this Cotswolds kitchen, it’s the birch ply that takes centre stage. “It’s the best-quality plywood you can get for internal joinery, because it’s very stable,” he says.
“The door and drawer fronts were treated with lye to lighten them – it gives them a lovely soft, chalky feel,” he explains, “but the end grain and the recessed handles were left natural for contrast.” The plywood was sealed with an eco-friendly, water-based matt lacquer.
Tour the rest of this pale and interesting Cotswolds kitchen.
“Typically, we work with oak frames and doors and birch ply carcassing,” Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens explains. Here, however, in this Cotswolds kitchen, it’s the birch ply that takes centre stage. “It’s the best-quality plywood you can get for internal joinery, because it’s very stable,” he says.
“The door and drawer fronts were treated with lye to lighten them – it gives them a lovely soft, chalky feel,” he explains, “but the end grain and the recessed handles were left natural for contrast.” The plywood was sealed with an eco-friendly, water-based matt lacquer.
Tour the rest of this pale and interesting Cotswolds kitchen.
Craft worktops
The worktops, end panels and tall cupboard doors in this kitchen in Whitley Bay are all marine ply (the cabinet carcasses are from Ikea).
To create the luxuriously thick worktop, designer Cathy Dean of Cathy Dean Interior Design glued together two sheets of ply. She also added grooves next to the sink to create a draining board.
“All [the ply sections] are different widths for differentiation,” Cathy says.
Check out the full space-boosting transformation of this kitchen.
Could your kitchen do with a rethink? Search the Houzz Professionals Directory to discover interior designers in your area.
The worktops, end panels and tall cupboard doors in this kitchen in Whitley Bay are all marine ply (the cabinet carcasses are from Ikea).
To create the luxuriously thick worktop, designer Cathy Dean of Cathy Dean Interior Design glued together two sheets of ply. She also added grooves next to the sink to create a draining board.
“All [the ply sections] are different widths for differentiation,” Cathy says.
Check out the full space-boosting transformation of this kitchen.
Could your kitchen do with a rethink? Search the Houzz Professionals Directory to discover interior designers in your area.
Give units an inky finish
“I used my knowledge of construction to work out if there were cost-effective ways to create the kitchen on a tight budget,” architectural designer Richard Andrews of Richard John Andrews says of this, his own kitchen.
“I wanted to experiment with how we could finish it to look more expensive than it was to create,” he says. “My clients often want to push the boundaries, so that means you need to be a bit clever.”
Richard’s calculations led him to construct his kitchen with carcasses made from moisture-resistant MDF, while the doors and worktops are birch ply stained with Indian ink. “I wanted to keep the texture and grain of the plywood, but with a slicker, more fine-tuned finish,” he says. “We used a harder oil for the worktop, which makes it very hardy.”
Check out more of Richard’s kitchen ingenuity.
“I used my knowledge of construction to work out if there were cost-effective ways to create the kitchen on a tight budget,” architectural designer Richard Andrews of Richard John Andrews says of this, his own kitchen.
“I wanted to experiment with how we could finish it to look more expensive than it was to create,” he says. “My clients often want to push the boundaries, so that means you need to be a bit clever.”
Richard’s calculations led him to construct his kitchen with carcasses made from moisture-resistant MDF, while the doors and worktops are birch ply stained with Indian ink. “I wanted to keep the texture and grain of the plywood, but with a slicker, more fine-tuned finish,” he says. “We used a harder oil for the worktop, which makes it very hardy.”
Check out more of Richard’s kitchen ingenuity.
Fashion hanging storage
This simple yet ingenious storage idea came from Tom Jones-Marquez of Bath Bespoke, who designed this kitchen in a Grade II-listed townhouse in Bath.
It’s a birch ply board fitted with magnets and hooks for storing knives, small utensils, little storage pots and kitchen roll.
The design team used plywood in much of the kitchen, including the units, which have Formica fascias. “We use birch ply as much as possible in kitchens,” Tom says. “It’s really stable and waterproof, and it doesn’t suffer from wear and tear like other materials.”
This simple yet ingenious storage idea came from Tom Jones-Marquez of Bath Bespoke, who designed this kitchen in a Grade II-listed townhouse in Bath.
It’s a birch ply board fitted with magnets and hooks for storing knives, small utensils, little storage pots and kitchen roll.
The design team used plywood in much of the kitchen, including the units, which have Formica fascias. “We use birch ply as much as possible in kitchens,” Tom says. “It’s really stable and waterproof, and it doesn’t suffer from wear and tear like other materials.”
Carve out a nook
In the same kitchen, ply was used for another clever space-maxing purpose: to create a tiny reading nook next to the fridge. The overhead shelf provides storage for tall or bulky kitchen objects and also contains a spotlight for the nook below.
See the rest of this kitchen.
In the same kitchen, ply was used for another clever space-maxing purpose: to create a tiny reading nook next to the fridge. The overhead shelf provides storage for tall or bulky kitchen objects and also contains a spotlight for the nook below.
See the rest of this kitchen.
Build solid carcasses
Plywood doesn’t have to be permanently on show to be a workhorse in the kitchen. In this apartment kitchen in Edinburgh, designer Karyn Limond of Naked Kitchens opted to build the kitchen units out of sturdy 18.7mm oak-veneered birch ply.
“The brief was to create an eye-catching, frameless and contemporary kitchen that would effortlessly integrate with the period features across the kitchen,” she says.
The rich blue painted door and drawer fronts are complemented by solid oak inset handles, drawer boxes, cutlery inserts and a spice rack. These designed-to-last details give the kitchen an authentic look and feel that help it to tie in with its historic surroundings.
Tour the whole of this Scottish room.
Plywood doesn’t have to be permanently on show to be a workhorse in the kitchen. In this apartment kitchen in Edinburgh, designer Karyn Limond of Naked Kitchens opted to build the kitchen units out of sturdy 18.7mm oak-veneered birch ply.
“The brief was to create an eye-catching, frameless and contemporary kitchen that would effortlessly integrate with the period features across the kitchen,” she says.
The rich blue painted door and drawer fronts are complemented by solid oak inset handles, drawer boxes, cutlery inserts and a spice rack. These designed-to-last details give the kitchen an authentic look and feel that help it to tie in with its historic surroundings.
Tour the whole of this Scottish room.
Devise a pod
Here’s an interesting way to tackle the layout in a kitchen extension. The architects designed a plywood-clad ‘pod’ to boost function and flow in a cramped worker’s cottage in Melbourne, Australia.
The pod contains a pantry on one side, which opens onto a new galley kitchen. On the other side, it houses a bathroom and cloakroom through sliding doors. It has skylights to boost natural light. It also allows access to the rear of the house down both sides.
Here’s an interesting way to tackle the layout in a kitchen extension. The architects designed a plywood-clad ‘pod’ to boost function and flow in a cramped worker’s cottage in Melbourne, Australia.
The pod contains a pantry on one side, which opens onto a new galley kitchen. On the other side, it houses a bathroom and cloakroom through sliding doors. It has skylights to boost natural light. It also allows access to the rear of the house down both sides.
In terms of its aesthetic, the pod appears to ‘float’ a couple of centimetres off the floor and ceiling because of a black ‘shadow line’. The exterior is broken up with panels defined by similar shadow-line grooves, and the blonde tones of the material prevent the block from appearing too solid.
Check out the rest of this airy Australian home.
Check out the rest of this airy Australian home.
Design storage seating
The bulk of this stylish, contemporary London kitchen, designed by Lizzie Ruinard at neighbourhood studio, is made from solid oak. However, for a subtle contrast, this bench and cupboard along the side wall are made from white-oiled, oak-veneered ply.
The bulk of this stylish, contemporary London kitchen, designed by Lizzie Ruinard at neighbourhood studio, is made from solid oak. However, for a subtle contrast, this bench and cupboard along the side wall are made from white-oiled, oak-veneered ply.
The bench is designed for comfort and easy storage. “The top of the bench lifts up so the kids’ toys can be stored inside,” Lizzie says. The back of the bench is angled slightly for comfort. “It’s a nice spot to read a book or listen to music,” she says.
Tour this extension in full.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas is your favourite? Let us know in the Comments.
Tour this extension in full.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas is your favourite? Let us know in the Comments.
When architect Douglas Sutherland of Koivu was called in to redesign this kitchen in a London flat, part of his brief was to ensure it felt in keeping with the midcentury building it was within.
The communal lift features Formica finishes, and it was from this that Douglas took his inspiration, cladding the plywood kitchen in the same material in a zingy retro orange.
The design includes bespoke worktops – birch ply laminated with Polar White Formica – cupboards laminated in Levante orange, plus full-height units made from Douglas fir plywood with an Osmo oil finish, for contrast.
“Plywood is much more durable than chipboard [a common material for laminate worktops] and the laminate is as heat-resistant as Corian or quartz, but much cheaper,” Douglas says.
See the rest of this brightly coloured kitchen.