Artisan products are enjoying immense popularity these days, as I’m sure you know! From artisanal cheeses to breads, even beers, consumers are seeking out foods and goods crafted in hand-crafted, traditional ways.
This preference for the artisanal and hand-crafted is showing up in home décor as well. Only go to Pinterest to search, and you’ll see all manner of rustic furniture, accessories and design ideas—even furniture built from pallet boards.
That popularity has naturally carried over into kitchen design as well, where we see rustic and artisan-influenced elements appearing—and we have customers asking us for rustic or artisan-styled kitchen cabinets.
We are only too happy to oblige! Of our dozens of semi custom cabinet styles, many of our traditional cabinets work nicely for a rustic look or artisan feel. Choose one of our glazed finishes—including heirloom glazes, brushed glazes and glaze applied over paint—and those traditional cabinets will look even more rustic.
For a rustic cabinet that still has the beauty of wood grain without glazing, we have created two styles specifically for this style of kitchen: the Artisan and the Retreat. The Artisan is fancier, with more detailing, and is available with arch design. The Retreat is simple, almost Shaker-like in design, with the details provided by the intricate patterning of the wood grain.
Why are rustic-looking traditional cabinets so appealing?
Why this surge in interest in a rustic look? Perhaps it’s because it’s so homey, warm and comfortable. A home or kitchen with a rustic feel looks lived-in, promising comfort and coziness. Maybe it’s all part of wanting the artisanal foods as well, as we move away from the mass-produced products that have become so pervasive.
In part, maybe it’s our reaction to the technology that has become such an integral part of our daily lives. Maybe we want a rustic, hand-crafted design in our kitchens to offer us a contrast to all of that high-tech, always-connected, always-on way of living.
Traditional cabinets that are truly artisanal
Regardless of the reason for the popularity, there’s another meaning to that word “artisan” when we talk about kitchens: how we build semi custom cabinets.
Semi custom cabinets are hand-crafted. Although not totally custom-built (which is a cost-prohibitive option for most homeowners anyway), traditional cabinets such as those crafted at Wellborn Forest Products are built to order…for you. You choose the style, the finish, even the hardware. You give us the dimensions. And we build your semi custom cabinets just for you and your dream kitchen.
We’re not so artisanal that we’re building your cabinets with old-fashioned lathes and hand-cranked tools. We do use modern machinery and techniques in the making of your cabinets! Yet our approach is artisanal, as we build these cabinets specifically for you, and your rustic kitchen design.