Inside Jade Doutch’s beautiful black kitchen, finished with gold kitchen accessories
Jade Doutch’s iconic semi-detached house in North Wales is instantly recognisable. Inspired by her visit to Iceland, she covered the aged off-white exterior with jet-black cladding, bringing her bold vision to life.
Extending her signature dark colour palette to the interior, Jade recently embarked on her next project – finishing the kitchen she started seven years ago. Opting for matt-black cupboards paired with gold kitchen accessories, Jade also finally fitted the bespoke kitchen island she’d always wanted to fill the open, airy space.
With her kitchen complete, Jade chatted to us about the renovation process, her favourite design features and her top tips for making a space unique.
How did you begin when it came to designing your new kitchen?
My kitchen got designed and fitted seven years ago (time flies) when my extension was built, but I ran out of money, so I had to pull back on some elements of the design and push my dream kitchen island to the future – 2023 was the year!
It was time to add my island of dreams. It was made bespoke by Tom Vousden, but my existing kitchen was still in excellent condition, so I kept the units and had the cupboard doors sprayed black to match the island. I toyed with colours for a while but kept coming back to BLACK! I recently had the whole front of my house clad in black, and I love the boldness!
What are your top tips for balancing modern and heritage styles?
Be brave and bold when mixing old and new to make your design unique and stand out.
I knew I wanted an antique larder cupboard when I originally designed the kitchen, and it adds so much interest to the whole space.
Don’t be scared to expose original property features – they add texture and interest. Your original features are your superpower, and if you have a more modern house, embrace that and go ultra-modern with a piece of abstract art. You can create these yourself if you’re on a budget.
Can you tell us more about the finishing touches and why you chose the styles you did?
I’ve had my eyes on the Skyscraper handles for the last few years. They’re simple, stylish, and contemporary with understated sparkle. A few years ago, I would never have gone for gold, but next to the black, it looks so expensive and classy. I carried the gold kitchen accessories throughout, with a new boiling water tap and wall lights above the sink.
What’s your favourite element of the new kitchen design and why?
The new island of dreams! It features lots of lovely new deep draws with new handles – absolutely stunning.
What advice would you give anyone at the beginning of a kitchen renovation?
Spend time shopping around, and don’t be afraid to mix and match. My original kitchen was partly from Ikea, with other features from a local kitchen company.
Mix old with new, antique with modern, textured with smooth. Stick to a simple colour palette and keep your accessories to one material.
I used three different types of handles (Skyscraper t-bars, Skyscraper handles and Modernist knobs) because it adds interest and draws the eye.
Who wants their kitchen to look like everyone else’s?
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