Homeowners Suzanne and James Dexter decided to lean into dark colours to create a dramatically welcoming new kitchen extension. Fancy a tour?
Since moving into their 1930s-built, semi-detached house in 2006, Suzanne and James Dexter had added a loft extension and refurbished every single room, except for the kitchen.
“It got to the point where we felt that it was the one space letting the house down,” says James, who runs a graphic design agency with Suzanne. “It was very small, with units from the 1980s, peeling laminate worktops and an oven with broken seals – let’s just say that this thing was tired.”
KBB journo Amelia Thorpe shares the story behind the new contemporary kitchen…
The kitchen extension
To increase the size of the kitchen and make room to include a large dining table and a living area to share with their two teenage children, the couple realised that major work was required. “We knew we needed to rip off the back of the house to make room for a big extension across the entire width of the rear,” explains James.
With their joint love of socialising and entertaining in mind, they decided it was time to face the upheaval and get ready for action. While a local architect drew up plans for the extension, including demolishing a wall between the existing kitchen and living room, Suzanne and James turned their thoughts to the kitchen layout and look.
The aesthetic
Given that they are designers themselves, the couple had a strong sense of the striking, contemporary kitchen they wanted. So, they made a trip to London’s Wigmore Street, home to flagship showrooms of several award-winning kitchen companies. “We wanted to step away from the run of the mill,” says James.
After visiting Halcyon’s showroom and meeting senior designer Ashley Collins, they decided to opt for handleless clean-lined furniture. “Ashley listened carefully to what we wanted, and we liked so many of the things we saw in the showroom,” he adds.
After admiring the displays, Suzanne and James settled on a furniture range with a tactile dark steel grey finish. “We wanted to add drama to the room, because it is filled with natural light from the wide glass doors to the garden,” says Suzanne. “Rather than going for a pale look, which might have seemed bland, we decided it would be more exciting to lean into darker colours.”
The moody grey cabinets have a velvety soft matt lacquered finish. It teams beautifully with CRL Stone’s Silk Negro and Labradorite Royal Blue porcelain surfaces – the latter blending rich colours with dramatic veining.
The island
A key feature in the new room is a large 3.7m-long island with integrated seating area. A generous curve sweeps around one side of the kitchen island to create a cosy banquette seating area, adjacent to a bespoke dining table. “It’s designed to seat up to twelve, so it makes the sociable hub of the room,” says James.
The kitchen island is clad in black porcelain, immaculately fabricated to achieve the precise curve. “Every detail had to be carefully calculated to deliver a meticulous, clean result, down to the way the porcelain ‘folds down’ the side of the island and the way the join in the slabs on top is concealed,” explains Ashley.
An L-shaped run of tall cabinets houses appliances and provides storage. “To break it up, we created a feature sink area in rich brown-blue porcelain to catch the eye,” says Ashley. Integrated LED strip lighting along the rear top of the niche offers illumination for washing up, and creates a warm glow in the evening, accentuating the theatricality of the feature.
“The space is great for parties and family meals,” says Suzanne. “It works for us on so many levels.”
As originally told to: Amelia Thorpe | Photography: Chris Snook
This house tour was featured in the February 2025 issue of Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine.
Enjoyed this post? Click here to tour this gorgeous sage green kitchen in south west London
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