A kitchen demands cabinets. It is a prerequisite for any kitchen no matter what its style. While some may be hidden out of sight, others are blatantly front and foremost. In modern kitchens, they may gleam with chrome and metal. In kitchens reflecting the past, they may opt for wood that gives it a period look. In particular, rustic cabinets are popular.
Defining the Rustic Style
The rustic style looks back to the days when pioneers lived in simple shacks and log cabins. Rough walls, bare plank floors and organic materials are all components of the rustic style. With such humble roots, and relying only on the bare essentials, it is no wonder that wood is the preferred material for rustic cabinets. With this in mind, common woods commonly employed are cherry, knotty pine, knotty alder, Ambrosia maple, hickory, quarter swan white oak and red oak. Cabinetmakers choose them based on:
* Overall appearance
* Color
* Knot size
* Grain
* Mineral streak
* Scent
* Durability
* Warmth
The rustic style, while originating outside the city, is nonetheless popular, functional and even fashionable in city kitchens and other rooms.
Rustic Cabinets in the Kitchen
Kitchen cabinets have changed over the years. Today, kitchen cabinets is a term that denotes the placing of kitchens on or built into the walls and on the floor. They may hover above the sink, fridge or stove. They may be built-into the kitchen walls or be attached to the surface. In either instance, you cannot get to the walls. This is true whether the cabinets are mass produced or custom-built modern or rustic cabinets.
The concept of having kitchen cabinets is a 20th century one. They appeared in the form of the Hoosier in 1898. This one-piece item consisted of shelving units, drawers to hold flour and other staples and a counter/worktop. The proliferation of manufacturers in Indiana explains the name. Sellers made the first but it soon shared the market with others including the Hoosier Manufacturing Company.
After the Second World War, the popularity of the Hoosier cabinet declined. It was replaced with what we now refer to as kitchen cabinets. These are available in a variety of styles, including versions referred to as rustic.
Rustic Cabinets: A Modern Phenomenon
The rustic versions created today do not date back to the days of log cabins and the pioneers. Shelving units were the norm in log homes not cabinets. Rustic cabinets today are more a recreation of a perception, placing modern cabinets into a rustic era.
