From professional kitchens to the center of the living room and bedroom, stainless steel is making a surprising comeback in home design. Once associated mainly with industrial and functional spaces, it is now receiving a new, even warmer interpretation.
“With a raw, clean and effortless look, stainless steel is being integrated into furniture, decorative objects and living spaces, marking one of the most prominent trends of the moment: a return to raw materials as they are, with beauty created precisely by simplicity and the passage of time,” said Carmit Redlich, owner of Prat Living, which has been adding more and more stainless steel pieces to its mix following demand from designers and customers.
“Everyone is talking about a greener world and authentic materials, and that is why I think this is stainless steel’s finest hour,” she added. “Just like untreated wood that is coated only with oil, without varnish, or natural stone that remains with holes and roughness without being sanded, stainless steel is also entering the living space in its raw state.”
Unlike painted metal, which loses its charm, Redlich said, raw stainless steel is a living material that changes over time. “It accumulates delicate scratches, layers of texture and signs of use that give it character and a unique presence. Choosing stainless steel in furniture such as tables and benches is not only a fashion statement, but an invitation for products to ‘live’ alongside us, while its silver tone becomes the modern successor to the brass and rose gold that dominated in the past.”
Do you think this is a passing trend or is it here to stay?
“It will stay, and there will always be hotter periods, like now. There was also a trend like this 15 years ago. Today, we are seeing more and more brands and exhibitions around the world using stainless steel in a raw and beautiful way, and this is a kind of return to the source.
9 View gallery
Stainless steel entered homes through the kitchen. House in Herzliya Pituah, design: Amir Zoref
(Photo: Nimrod Levy)
“Stainless steel is the common name for inox, or corrosion-resistant steel, which is the pure material as it is, and it will always be in our lives just as wood will always be in our lives. It does not depend on trends or fashion. In the past, the common use in home design was brass, and then it was replaced by rose-gold-toned metal, but today silver is undoubtedly center stage, in as raw a form as possible.
“We are also seeing many combinations of stainless steel with wood or glass, for example, pairings of stainless steel with different wood tones such as light oak, walnut and smoked oak. Stainless steel changes its tone over time. The furniture has a life of its own, and that creates interest and charm in home design, especially in the modern era, when people are looking for that cleanliness, that minimalism.”
And what about practicality?
“It is true that this is a material that gets stains from moisture, heat and even from a finger touching it, but that is also its beauty. It is the real thing — a living material. Beyond that, there are now dedicated cleaning and coating sprays suitable for stainless steel.”
‘Contrast is the hottest trend in the design’
Designer Coral Chen Haimovitz (full disclosure: she also holds a management position at ynet) identified the trend two years ago and began creating home design pieces from the material.
“My father has been working with stainless steel for more than 30 years. He has a factory in Holon, one of the largest in the field. He mainly works with kitchens for the biggest restaurants in the country,” she said, explaining how she also came to work with the material.
“I discovered this trend of combining warmth and coldness in design and fell in love with the beautiful contrast created by the warmth of the home — the rug, curtains, textiles, pictures and wood — against stainless steel and its cold, industrial character. In my eyes, it is real magic. Contrast is the hottest trend in design around the world today.”
9 View gallery
Stainless steel furniture and accessories designed by Coral Chen Haimovitz
(Photo: Saar Pesach)
She began designing pieces for her own home through her father, and when compliments started coming in, she began producing items for others and selling them under her brand, MuseStell.
“The tough, industrial material suddenly took on a soft, design-oriented meaning, and that is its uniqueness. Industrial stainless steel received new, domestic life, and that is definitely what I felt should be done with it,” she said.
Among her items are shelves, coffee tables, side tables, candlesticks, vases, stools and more. “Until now I sold through Instagram, and our website has just gone live,” she added, pointing to growing demand.
Shani Bar, of the home furniture and accessories brand Melach Haaretz, also said the new collection brings stainless steel back to the center of the conversation, not only as an industrial material but also as one with lasting design value.
“With a precise finish and quiet presence, it integrates into the modern space and creates a balance between functionality and aesthetics. This is a use of material that does not depend on changing trends, but offers a contemporary interpretation of a classic that remains relevant over time,” she said.
9 View gallery
Stainless steel furniture. Durable and 'living,' making it popular among young people as well
(Photo: Courtesy of Shani Bar, Melach Haaretz)
9 View gallery
Decorative stainless steel pitchers. A material with honesty
(Photo: Courtesy of Mickey Mann)
A real and authentic material young people love
Neil Nenner, an industrial designer and head of the industrial design department at Shenkar College, said this is the nature of trends: Every material has a period when it is more popular. And now it is stainless steel’s turn.
“It can definitely be connected to sustainability and ecology, which are being widely discussed, because stainless steel is a durable material,” Nenner said.
“If, for example, a designer is debating whether to create a certain product from galvanized steel, which is iron with zinc, or from stainless steel, he will ask himself what function the product is meant to serve. If it is intended for outdoor conditions, both are suitable, but stainless steel will last longer. That is why there is always a preference for stainless steel in industrial kitchens. It is less prone to rusting in conditions of water and humidity. That is also why we find more stainless steel on yachts. There is both an element of sustainability here and one of functionality and practicality.”
Nenner added that younger generations prefer to buy durable products in every field, and that is one reason for stainless steel’s popularity.
“The new generation will always prefer a shirt that survives more than two washes and a sofa that stays in the living room for several good years, and that has become a purchasing consideration. Design stores are also speaking this language — that there should be both sustainability and quality.
“I think stainless steel also offers clarity about how it looks originally, unlike what happens, for example, with a wood product, which can be painted and finished, coated with varnish and so on. Stainless steel does not hide, and there is something real and authentic about it. That definitely connects to the trend of working with raw materials, because there is a certain honesty in it, when the customer receives the product with the material remaining as it is. Stainless steel is one of the basic materials, and it is not going anywhere. It will always remain in demand.”