When architect Peter Dickeson and his wife designed their own home in Thorner, Leeds, the kitchen had one job: hold it's own against the exposed steel beams and industrial style architecture around it, without ever feeling cold. The result is one of our most distinctive kitchen projects. An industrial-style Kuhlmann kitchen in gloss grey, built around a bold custom matt yellow island raison on slim steel legs, a bespoke design created specifically for an equally distinctive home.
Kitchen Design Brief
This was never going to be a conventional kitchen. As the client’s own home, and designed by an architect, the brief called for something that matched the industrial character of the building itself, exposed structural steel, an open-plan living and dining space, and full-height glazing looking out over open countryside, while still feeling warm enough to live in day to day.
The answer was a two-part approach: a long run of Kühlmann Vida gloss grey cabinetry along the wall, housing the ovens, microwave and tall storage, paired with a bold custom yellow kitchen island raised on slim steel legs. A vertical gloss grey door on the wall run conceals a fold-down breakfast bar, keeping the industrial lines of the room clean until it’s actually needed.
Specification at a Glance
• Cabinetry: Kühlmann Vida, gloss grey wall units with a custom yellow laminate island
• Worktop: Silestone Gris Expo (Cosentino)
• Hob: Neff 5-zone gas hob
• Extractor: Siemens downdraft extractor
• Oven: Siemens Pyro Single Oven
• Microwave: Siemens Combi Microwave
• Dishwasher: Miele integrated dishwasher with cutlery drawer
• Fridge freezer: Siemens integrated fridge freezer
• Motorised pop-up socket built into the island worktop
• Grip handles throughout
• Hidden breakfast bar behind a vertical door
Designing a Kitchen With Bold Colour
The island is the centrepiece: custom yellow laminate cabinetry raised on slim steel legs, allowing the oak flooring to continue uninterrupted beneath it and giving the piece a lighter, almost furniture-like quality. Surrounded by exposed steelwork, gloss grey cabinetry and walls of glazing, the vibrant yellow feels like a natural extension of the home's architectural language rather than simply an accent colour.
Behind it, a long run of Kühlmann Vida gloss grey cabinetry houses the Siemens Pyro Oven, Combi Microwave, integrated fridge freezer and dishwasher. Finished with slim grip handles rather than handleless doors, the cabinetry reinforces the industrial aesthetic, echoing the exposed steelwork throughout the space.
One of the quieter details is the vertical door built into the grey run. Closed, it reads as another section of cabinetry, but it conceals a fold-down breakfast bar that appears only when needed. It's a thoughtful solution that preserves the clean architectural lines of the room while adding practical everyday functionality.
Every element of the kitchen responds to the architecture around it. The gloss grey cabinetry provides a calm backdrop to the exposed steel structure, while the yellow island introduces warmth and personality without overwhelming the space. Raised on slim steel legs, it allows the oak flooring to continue uninterrupted beneath it, reinforcing the light, open feel created by the expansive glazing and views across the surrounding countryside.
Kühlmann gloss grey cabinets
Kühlmann kitchens are designed and manufactured in Germany to exacting standards. For the Dickesons’ kitchen we specified the Vida range in gloss grey for the main run, paired with a custom matt yellow finish on the island, a genuinely bespoke combination built around this specific room rather than picked from a standard palette.
Siemens Appliances
The Siemens Pyro Single Oven and Combi Microwave are built into the grey gloss wall run, alongside a Siemens integrated fridge freezer and a Siemens downdraft extractor at the hob, keeping the sightline across the room uninterrupted by an overhead canopy.
Neff 5 Zone Gas Hob
A Neff 5-zone gas hob sits in the island worktop, giving real flexibility for a family that cooks properly, paired with the Siemens downdraft (pop-up) extractor rather than a hood, so nothing interrupts the view across the open-plan space.
Dekton & Silestone Worktops
The worktops throughout are Silestone Gris Expo from Cosentino, a cool, neutral grey that lets the yellow island do the visual work while staying practical, resistant to heat, scratches and stains, for a kitchen that’s genuinely used every day.
Motorised Pop-up Socket
Built into the island worktop is a motorised pop-up socket that stays hidden when not in use, preserving the uninterrupted lines of the Silestone surface. At the touch of a button, it rises smoothly to provide convenient access to power for small appliances, before disappearing neatly back into the worktop once finished. It's a simple detail that combines everyday practicality with the clean, architectural aesthetic found throughout the kitchen.
Grip Handles
Rather than handleless cabinetry, the gloss grey run throughout the kitchen uses a slim linear grip handle set into the top edge of each door. It’s a detail that adds a tactile, engineered quality in keeping with the exposed steel beams overhead, without breaking up the clean lines of the room.
Arlington Interiors designs and installs bespoke kitchens across Leeds and Yorkshire. Whether you're renovating, extending, building a new home or working with an architect on a bespoke project, our experienced kitchen designers will create a kitchen tailored to your home, your lifestyle and the way you want to live.
Visit our Farsley showroom to explore our kitchen displays, browse hundreds of door, worktop and finish samples, complete our contact form or call us on 0113 255 5566 to start your project.