In our earliest dwellings, the hearth was the focal point, and the kitchen supplied the heat for the home. Much to the delight of those who love cooking as well as a beautiful place to cook, our kitchens are now clad in a variety of elegant materials, including wood. Kitchens frequently feature in our articles about family homes, and we see all types of wood. Samantha Hauvette favours Macassar ebony, Anna Cor and Noemi Ferst have chosen pine, and Chrysoline de Gastines has gone for oak. Varnished, lacquered, or even simply left untreated for a strikingly natural look, wood has an enduring, natural beauty in all its forms. Lending warmth and comfort to your room, nowadays this natural material adds a designer touch and a sharp dimension to your interior that is far from the somewhat outdated aesthetics of the typical traditional wooden kitchens used by our ancestors. A transformation in keeping with the spirit of today, with the kitchen once again establishing itself in these uncertain times as a focal point in the home rather than a purely functional space that we wish to conceal. So, it makes sense to take care over the way it looks. Wood, an organic, living material, and its reassuring feel, marked by the veins and rings inherited through the passage of time, appears to be one of the most attractive alternatives. You just have to look at our interviewees’ kitchens, which combine wood’s raw beauty with precious details in stainless steel, leather or marble, for suggestions in the current trends. Are you attracted by this association between timelessness and innovation? To inspire you, and perhaps encourage you to take the plunge, The Socialite Family has selected 16 exceptional wooden kitchens for you from our articles. Desirable spaces, offering you real food for thought for your future projects.