This is how to do a black kitchen in style – the fearless monochrome look is both sophisticated and timeless
It's anything but dark
Home Notes
WHO LIVES HERE? Saoirse Davis lives here with her husband, Richard.
THE PROJECT A kitchen extension within a five-bedroom 1890s house in southwest London.
TOTAL COST £55,000
The inspiration for Saoirse and Richard’s new kitchen was sparked by accident, after deciding to remove an Aga cooker from the existing space. ‘I wasn’t particularly confident cooking on it, and once we looked at removing it, we realised how much extra kitchen space we would be able to gain without it,’ explains Saoirse.
The pair then went on to extend the space further, turning what was once a narrow kitchen and dining room into a striking, sociable hub. ‘It’s a very modern-looking kitchen, but we’ve kept a lot of the period features,’ says Saoirse.
‘I didn’t want appliances on display, so our designer suggested we hide them behind bi-fold doors for easy access.’ Bespoke kitchen cabinetry, price on request, Kate Feather; painted in Jack Black intelligent matt emulsion, £70 for 2.5ltr, Little Greene
‘The quartz work surface really brings this kitchen to life. As soon as we saw it, we said bingo! It’s exactly what we had been looking for
The couple worked closely with Kasia Piorko, lead designer at boutique kitchen company Kate Feather, who encouraged them to make bold choices, particularly when it came to the dark mineral worktop.
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Brass and glass wall lights, £150 each, Cox & Cox. Quinn pull handles, £8.54 each, Hendel & Hendel, are similar
‘Kasia had beautiful Caesarstone quartz at the showroom, and we loved it,’ says Saoirse. ‘We wanted to create texture against the black cabinets and white walls, and we thought this option really anchored it all.’
Despite some dark choices, the space rarely feels flat. ‘We wanted to soften the black and white colour scheme – the touches of wood and brass do this beautifully.’
For a similar fridge, try Fisher & Paykel Series 7 in Stainless Steel, £2,579, Appliance Centre. Try Clovelly laminate flooring, £15sq m, Wickes
The kitchen also integrates some clever design solutions. ‘I wanted the lighting to be almost invisible, but still provide plenty of light. These aged brass wall fittings were the perfect choice,' adds about the elegant pendant and wall lights.
'Kasia also designed us a bespoke pocket sliding door for our utility room. It feels really seamless.’
‘We’ve got a light well in the roof and big French doors to bring light in, which then reflects back off the mineral worktop,’ says Saoirse. ‘The kitchen is ageing beautifully, and we’re so happy with it.’
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