Kitchen porn abounds, doesn’t it?
Pinterest’s entire foundation is constructed atop an endless volume of pristine, drool-worthy kitchens. I find these perfect kitchens to be lifeless and dull, and Instagram has shown me over the years that there are a lot of pretty kitchens out there that don’t look like they’ve seen so much as water boiling.
I’m here to beg you to consider my strong opinion that stainless steel countertops are the superior countertops.
I worked in restaurants from the age of 16 to the present day, so I’ve been surrounded by the robust, steel workstations of a kitchen for over 20 years. They are incredibly handsome in their indestructible, industrial form, but I never considered them for a home project until we bought out first house (pictured below).
The previous owner had installed steel counters and I fell in love instantly. They reflect light into the room and their durable surface is truly meant for a person that cooks - really COOKS.
The surface is impervious to spills or stains, and you don’t need a trivet when putting a hot pan down - you can just plop it down and move onto the next thing. Cleaning up is a breeze. (Of course, you’ve gotta warn the family: when you move the pot, the surface stays hot for a bit.)
I cannot imagine a kitchen without these counters, and they have the added benefit of being much cheaper than marble or granite. To achieve the same look, you can have a carpenter create the countertops in wood to your desired thickness and call any stainless steel fabricator (they are everywhere) and they can wrap the wood in the steel.
My love affair has grown so much that I’m even considering entire kitchen cabinets in steel. That more bespoke option certainly increases the price, but I can’t get over how this kitchen just begs to be cooked in:
It features an all stainless steel kitchen from the Italian company Tisettanta - and now I’m saving my pennies.