Graphite and Concrete Kitchen
Grimsby

The client was having an extension built and wanted a high-quality modern kitchen. The direction was straightforward: clean, well-made and properly detailed, without anything unnecessary. The extension also retained part of the original building structure, which included an existing pantry space the client wanted to keep rather than open up or remove.

The island sits at the centre of the layout with seating for four, a Bora venting hob and generous drawer storage. The main back run houses the sink, tap and the full-height Dekton backsplash, with a floating shelf above keeping that wall light and unenclosed: the two decisions read as a coherent choice between wall units and open shelving. The tall units sit either side of the back run, with the pantry door and integrated fridge freezer to the left and the ovens to the right, keeping the working zones clearly organised across the width of the kitchen. 

One of the more honest details in the layout is the bottom drawer under the oven, which was specified at a shallower depth than standard because incoming services needed the space. Rather than fighting the constraint, the unit was adapted to suit it. The depth difference is not visible from the front and does not affect the usability of the drawer, but it reflects the kind of practical problem-solving that keeps a kitchen installation moving forward cleanly rather than stalling over something that can be resolved at the design stage.

The main cabinetry runs are Häcker Top Soft Graphite, a matte handleless finish with a controlled, architectural quality. The island furniture is in Comet Opal concrete, a lighter Häcker colour that brings a concrete-look texture and a softer tone to the central piece of the kitchen without disrupting the overall palette. The contrast between the two finishes is the visual signature of the design. 

The worktops are Dekton Somnia, running continuously across the main runs and up the wall as a full-height cladded backsplash behind the sink. Using the same material for both the worktop and the backsplash gives the sink wall a seamless, architectural quality. The Bora venting hob on the island extracts downward, keeping the sight lines above the island completely clear. The island drawers are designed with a two-drawer frontage and a hidden internal cutlery tray, giving the visual simplicity of two drawers with the storage function of more. Power outlets are built into the side of the island, keeping the worktop surface free of trailing cables.

The pantry was part of the original building structure that the extension wrapped around, and the client wanted to keep it. Rather than integrating it as a standard kitchen unit, Sam fitted a bespoke-sized door to the front of the existing opening so the pantry reads as a natural part of the kitchen elevation. Spice racks are mounted inside on the back of the door, making practical use of what would otherwise be dead space and turning an inherited feature of the building into a working part of the kitchen. 

It is a good example of how working with what is already there, can produce a better result. The pantry gives the kitchen proper enclosed storage that a fitted kitchen of this size would not otherwise have, and the bespoke door means it fits the design.

The lighting scheme in this kitchen is worth noting. Rail lighting is integrated into the handleless rail throughout the cabinetry, providing even, low-level illumination across all the worktops in the evening without any surface-mounted fittings. LED strip task lighting is fitted in the underside of the floating shelf above the sink, giving a clear working light directly where it is needed when preparing food at the sink. The two lighting types work independently of each other, which means the kitchen can be lit differently for cooking, eating and relaxing.

The kitchen was coordinated alongside the wider extension works, with Sam remaining closely involved throughout the installation. The full-height Dekton backsplash, the retained pantry opening with its bespoke door and the incoming services issue at the oven position all required careful management on site. Sam attended key stages to make sure the finished result reflected the design as agreed.

The finished kitchen is exactly what the brief called for: a clean, well-made modern design. The graphite and concrete contrast gives it visual interest, the full-height Dekton backsplash gives the sink wall a quality that lifts the whole room, and the lighting works properly at every time of day. It is a straightforward extension kitchen, designed and delivered with care.