Rustic kitchens in Tenerife

Rustic kitchens in Tenerife are at home in the traditional houses of the north: La Orotava, Icod, Tacoronte, El Sauzal or the old quarters of La Laguna, with thick walls, timber ceilings and terracotta floors. Renovating the kitchen in a house like this means respecting what already has value and building units that live happily with walls that are out of plumb and with more humidity than on the south coast.

Traditional rustic and modern rustic

Traditional rustic uses solid wood with framed doors, iron or brass handles and natural stone worktops. Modern rustic keeps the natural materials but simplifies the shapes: flat wooden doors with a strong grain, matt stone-look worktops and less ornament.

In old houses, something in between usually works best. The walls, beams and floor already bring all the character, so simple timber units let the house take centre stage and stop the kitchen feeling overdone.

Solid wood in the north of the island

Solid wood works in northern kitchens as long as it is chosen and built with the humidity in mind. Wood moves as humidity changes, and a large door made from a single solid piece can split or warp. That is why large doors are made as frame-and-panel doors, which absorb the movement, or from laminated core board veneered in natural wood, which is more stable.

The finish matters as much as the species. A good-quality oil or water-based varnish protects the wood and can be renewed. Around the sink and dishwasher, water is the main enemy: there the wood needs to be very well sealed and the worktop needs a proper drip groove. Humidity also shapes other decisions in kitchens in the north of Tenerife, such as the board used for the carcasses and the hardware.

Stone, terracotta and the worktop

Natural stone is the classic worktop for a rustic kitchen, and granite is the toughest option: it takes heat, knocks and daily use with little maintenance if it is properly sealed. Solid wood makes a very warm worktop, although it needs oiling and you must avoid leaving water standing on it.

The terracotta floors in old houses are porous and soak up grease and stains. If you keep them in the kitchen, they should be deep-cleaned and treated with a sealer before the units go in, so the plinths do not leave marks and the working area does not stain.

Keeping beams and stone walls

Keeping the beams and walls is what makes a rustic kitchen authentic, but it shapes the design. Before designing, it is worth checking the condition of the timber: termites are present in some parts of the north of Tenerife, and they need to be ruled out or treated before the renovation is closed up.

With stone walls there are two things to consider:

• Damp. A stone wall can pass moisture into the units. A small air gap is left or battens are fitted so the unit does not touch the stone directly.
• Unevenness. The walls are not flat. The units are made with filler pieces, and the wall units hang from levelled battens, not straight onto the stone.

Exposed beams limit the height of the wall units and where the extractor can go. In many cases it is better to leave out wall units on the stone wall and keep it on show, making up the storage with tall units or a larder.

If the kitchen is part of a wider renovation of the house, we coordinate it within the kitchen renovation project, so units, services and building work all follow the same plan.