For far too long, the stainless steel kitchen has been viewed as the antithesis of the cozy, heart-of-the-home type of archetype many seek in an interior. Sure, stainless steel has long been a hard-working hallmark of the kitchen—the professional kitchen, in particular—beloved for its durability, hygienic properties, and ease of cleaning. The metal alloy, developed just over a century ago years ago and praised in the New York Times in 1913 as “non rusting, unstainable, and untarnishable,” tends to, nonetheless, conjure descriptors such as cold or sterile.
But lately designers are rethinking that stereotype. As a vogue for industrial-tinged ’90s minimalism reemerges, many are revisiting the utilitarian metal, deploying it on counters, backsplashes, and even light fixtures to create sleek spaces that feel modern but never chilly. Which means one thing: The stainless steel kitchen is making its comeback.
“There’s actually a warmth to stainless steel,” insists AD100 designer Billy Cotton, who used the material to an all-over extent in artist Cindy Sherman’s New York kitchen. “I love how it ages over time. But it is a commitment—some people can’t stand the scratches and fingerprints!”
