As part of the renovation to a mid-century property in Blackheath, Uncommon Projects was asked to develop a design to replace the existing kitchen. The owner had an image of an inset oak worktop framed by matt black kitchen cupboards and was keen to pursue a similarly sharp and striking look in their own home.

Uncommon Projects designed a scheme that delivered this aesthetic through the use of matt black overlay doors, contrasted with white Corian worktops and a warm cork floor appropriate to the house’s 1960s heritage. To achieve the look, Uncommon Projects extended the cabinetry beyond the kitchen area to the garden wall but switched from its signature in-frame doors to more minimal cupboards, set back from the kitchen base units to create a visual and spatial distinction between the kitchen and dining areas. A mirror-backed sideboard recess in the dining area cabinetry offers storage/display space and creates a window-like effect, reflecting light from the rear doors back into the room.

Opposite the main wall, the tall kitchen units housing the fridge, freezer and ovens segue into a peninsula and breakfast bar, with an open bookcase for the owner’s cookery library. A new sliding door between the two walls leads to the utility room, where the mood becomes more playful, largely thanks to the pale pink laminate doors – an engaging contrast to the sleek modernity of the main kitchen space.