Industrial
Metal finish
Black
Shadow — Lacquer & Metal
a dark lacquer bespoke kitchen with blackened metal detailing, hand-finished in London
Deep lacquer, blackened metal framing and one run of veined stone cutting through the middle of it. A dark kitchen with enough precision to stay |elegant| rather than heavy.
— Specification
- Collection
- X — Shadow — Lacquer & Metal
- Style
- Industrial
- Door style
- Matte deep-shadow lacquer with machined pulls
- Metalwork
- Welded and hot-blackened steel framing
- Standard worktop
- 20 mm pale veined stone, mitred apron
- Runners
- Full-extension, 70 kg rated, soft-close
- Reveal
- 3 mm, verified at dry assembly and on site
- Typical footprint
- 14–30 m² including island
- Lead time
- Four weeks from signed drawings
- Installation
- 3–5 working days, in-house fitting team
Depth rather than darkness
Shadow & Metal avoids flat black. The lacquer is a deep, slightly warm shadow tone that shifts with the light, and it is paired with blackened metal — a material with visible variation — so the elevation has depth rather than reading as a void.
That combination lets the scheme work in rooms with modest daylight, where a true black kitchen would collapse into a single mass.
Metal framing as structure
Slim blackened-steel frames define the open shelving, the glazed cabinet fronts and the island's base. The frames are welded, ground and hot-blackened in one piece rather than assembled from sections, which is why the corners read sharp.
Steel is also used functionally: a rail across the splashback carries utensils and small shelves, so the worktop stays clear. All fabricated by |one team| — no subcontractors.
Stone as the light source
One pale veined stone run — worktop, splashback and island top — provides the only high-value surface in the composition. Against deep lacquer it does the job a window does, bouncing light back across the room.
The stone is mitred to a heavy apron on the island so it reads as a solid block set into the dark joinery.
Precision hardware
Dark schemes expose sloppy tolerances, so this collection uses machined pulls in solid brass or steel, three-way adjustable hinges and full-extension runners rated at 70 kg.
Every reveal is held at 3 mm and checked twice: once at dry assembly in the workshop, and again during installation after the carcasses are levelled.
— The kitchen in detail
What this kitchen is made of.
- Deep shadow lacquerWarm-toned dark matte that keeps depth under low light.
- Hot-blackened steelWelded and ground in one piece for sharp, seamless corners.
- Pale veined stoneThe single reflective surface; carries light back into the room.
- Machined solid pullsBrass or steel, cut rather than cast, with a consistent knurl.
- Fluted glassOptional cabinet glazing set into the metal frames.
The same kitchen, in a different register.
Bring the Shadow — Lacquer & Metal kitchen into your home.
Request a QuoteNothing here is fixed.
Every kitchen we build is drawn to a specific room and a specific way of cooking. These are the modifications clients most often make to this model — the list is not exhaustive.
Colour and lacquer
Deep shadow is standard; the metal detailing suits several dark tones.
- Shadow, graphite, bronze-green, ink navy or oxblood lacquer
- Two-tone: dark perimeter with a pale stone-clad island
- Fine-textured anti-fingerprint finish on all fronts
- Timber island in smoked oak or walnut for warmth
Metalwork options
All framing is fabricated to your drawings by the same metalworkers.
- Blackened steel, aged brass, bronze, pewter or brushed stainless
- Glazed cabinet frames with clear, fluted or antiqued glass
- Utensil rails, pot racks and open shelving in matching metal
- Metal-clad island base or full metal worktop section
Stone and layout
One bright surface set against the dark joinery.
- Pale marble, quartzite, sintered stone or porcelain
- Full-height splashback slab behind the hob
- Heavy mitred aprons at 100 mm on the island
- Concealed pantry and utility behind flush dark doors
How a Shadow — Lacquer & Metal kitchen gets built.
- 01Consultation & surveyWeek 1On-site measure, brief, lifestyle and cooking audit.
- 02Design & technical drawingsWeek 2Elevations, renders, samples, services and appliance schedule signed off.
- 03Workshop buildWeek 3German cabinetry, hand-finished in our London workshop. Dry-assembled before it leaves us.
- 04Installation & stoneWeek 4Our own fitters — |never subcontracted| — set the kitchen, then worktops are templated, fitted and calibrated.
- Contemporary apartments and converted warehouse spaces in Shoreditch and Clerkenwell
- Rooms with strong architectural character that can carry dark tones
- Clients who want an industrial register executed to furniture tolerances
- Open-plan kitchens where the joinery should recede at night
Asked often.
Will a dark kitchen work in a room with limited daylight?
Yes, provided the worktop and splashback are pale and the lighting is properly layered. We specify a three-circuit scheme with high-CRI task lighting as standard on this collection.
Is blackened steel fragile?
No. It is hot-blackened rather than coated, so scuffs blend into the finish instead of exposing bright metal underneath.
How much does a dark lacquer kitchen cost in London?
Most projects fall between £42,000 and £100,000 fitted. Bespoke metal fabrication is the main variable above a plain lacquer scheme. No middlemen.
Can the metalwork be brass instead of black?
Yes — aged brass, bronze and pewter are all made to the same drawings and suit a slightly warmer version of the scheme.
— Other kitchens you may like
Start your own Shadow — Lacquer & Metal.
Direct from the manufacturer — designed, built and fitted by Dominus Kitchens for private homes across Greater London and the UK.