Kitchen

Espresso Ash Kitchen

An L-shaped kitchen that balances two tones with quiet confidence: espresso-dark wall cabinetry above, pale ash-grained base units below, and a run of open black shelving holding glassware within easy reach. Full-height glazing washes the working surfaces with daylight, while a concealed strip beneath the wall units keeps the splashback softly lit after dark.

The project

The brief here was contrast without noise. Handleless wall cabinets in a deep espresso tone form an unbroken band along the upper wall, while the base cabinetry beneath carries a pale, vertically grained ash finish that lightens the whole run. Between the two, a dark splashback and slim worktop read almost as a single shadow line, so the eye moves easily from the glazed corner across to the open shelving wall.

Everyday use shaped the layout: the sink sits beneath the glazing where daylight is strongest, the hob is set into a dark-topped counter facing the room, and the open shelving keeps glassware and dry stores ordered but within reach, each bay framed in the same near-black finish. Wide, dark timber boards ground the scheme underfoot, and a sculptural brass piece mounted on the white wall above lends the room its single warm accent.

Finishes in this project