Modernising Your Dark Wood Kitchen

When considering materials for use in your new kitchen, wood is always a popular choice. Durable, stylish, and cost effective, using wood in your cooking space can be both a fashionable and practical choice.

Dark shades are particularly en vogue at present, no longer solely the domain of mid-century retro kitchens, especially when paired with large windows and natural light, as they create stark, dramatic contrasts. Recent trends are awash with warm oak, walnut, and deep painted shades, paired with tiles or industrial metal to fully embrace the fashion of the moment.

Dark wooden base cabinets alongside the industrial style cooker make for an urban minimalist utopia

Contrasting Materials

When using dark wood shades, to maximise their full effect, colour should be injected using contrasting materials. Instead of using conventional rectangular tiles, consider an unusual shape, perhaps in a cool green or blue – how about echoing the colour of the natural surroundings in soft organic shapes, alongside bi-fold windows to bring the outside in. If you’re city-based, perhaps consider a bold utilitarian colour – yellow or red – to reflect contemporary urban living. Black tiles alongside black painted wood makes use of a materialistic contrast in a different way – the matt, light absorbing wood makes a bold statement alongside the reflective tiles, showing off the imagination and flair that goes into a well-designed kitchen.

If tiling feels a little retro, and you’d prefer a more ultra-modern look, dark wood also pairs well with a striking backsplash, perhaps in an unconventional material such as granite. By combining these natural materials in dark shades, as opposed to the traditional light colours favoured in a kitchen, you can truly make a personal style statement – both in the home, and insta-ready for those impromptu #brunch moments!

Tall dark wood cabinets paired with the unique texture of our Oxidised Metal range make for a dramatic statement