By Jennifer Roberts

Once associated with industrial design, metal surfaces now appear in even the most traditional kitchens. The vogue for metal took off in the 1990s with stainless-steel appliances that paid homage to restaurant kitchens. It wasn’t long before stainless-steel worktables, counters, and shelving units came into favor for residential kitchens, and with good reason…

An alternative to sheet metal is metal tile. Eleek makes pricey but gorgeous cast-metal tiles from 100 percent recycled aluminum or bronze. The tiles, which can be used for counters and backsplashes, have a nonreactive clear powder-coat finish. The 5/16-inch-thick tiles come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are adhered to a substrate with tile adhesive or mastic, as with ceramic tiles.