Dark Kitchen — It's Very Beautiful: 7 Clear Proofs

We also disproved at least two well-known stereotypes — that dark kitchens are not suitable for small spaces and that it's hard to 'pull off' a dark kitchen.

Modern Kitchen in a Rental Apartment

It's hard to believe, but this stylish kitchen cabinet was bought at IKEA. 'I tried to make it look more expensive: the countertop and shelves were custom-made, and I lowered a box above the kitchen for a nice built-in look and ventilation. With minimal costs, we managed to create the feeling that the kitchen was custom-made,' explains designer Nina Ivanenko.

The interior feature is the color scheme: dark gray cabinet fronts, noble lilac walls, and an unusual combination of several shades of 'boar' tiles on the backsplash.

Design: Nina Ivanenko. View the full project

Kitchen with a Loft Style

This minimalist and monochrome kitchen is located in a pre-revolutionary house, so here there are high ceilings and original brickwork on the walls.

The linear kitchen cabinet in dark gray with an island was custom-made — it looks like a continuation of the walls rather than separate furniture. Five upper cabinet fronts are wood-like, a wine rack with backlighting above the island, and a luxurious black marble backsplash create a unified ensemble — stylish and unobtrusive accent.

Design: Elena Tambyeva. View the full project

Minimalist Kitchen

The L-shaped kitchen cabinet for this kitchen was bought at IKEA — although it was designed to fit the room dimensions, with additional storage under the bar counter. The appliances include a dishwasher, refrigerator, built-in range hood, and a two-burner cooktop.

Pay attention to how the countertop is handled — it transitions from the work surface into a shelf for small items, and then into a bar table. Above it, there is a fancy wine holder with a shelf for indoor plants. There's even space in the kitchen for a small sofa for relaxation.

Design: Huge Studio. View the full project

Green Kitchen for Ladies

This kitchen in muted green tones is located in a small apartment where three women of different generations will live. For the kitchen cabinet, designer Julia Chernova chose an IKEA modular system and combined two types of fronts — EKESTAD with oak veneer for the upper cabinets and gray-green BODARP for other elements.

For the floor, they chose ceramic granite with a geometric pattern. For the backsplash, they picked moss green glazed tiles with a beautiful name.

Design: Julia Chernova. View the full project

Kitchen in the Normandy Style

The idea for decorating this space was inspired by trips to Normandy: a cold, slightly gloomy northern nature with its alabaster cliffs and houses with burgundy wooden shutters on the windows. All these tones and materials found their place in the project.

The kitchen feature is the color palette. Despite the restrained tones, interesting and even radical solutions were used that look great: for example, burgundy tiles on the backsplash of a mouse-gray kitchen and ceramic granite in the style of Normandy cobblestone bridges.

Design: Irina Kireeva and Anna Piskun. View the full project

Kitchen in a Nook

In a small apartment with an irregular trapezoidal shape, a compact kitchen was set aside in a small extension next to the entrance. 'The cabinet was fully custom-made because I needed to fit the sink on the side with 40 cm deep cabinets,' explains Elena Zinger.

The cabinet fronts were chosen in a noble and deep gray-blue color, which looks particularly elegant with brass hardware and faucet. The backsplash was made from budget-friendly and minimalist 'boar' tiles, while the floor had natural marble pattern ceramic granite.

Design: Elena Zinger. View the full project

Kitchen with a Touch of 'Bygone Times'

Designer Daria Shaposhnikova created the appropriate atmosphere using details — aged brick, vintage furniture and lighting elements.

The kitchen cabinet was moved to one of the kitchen-living room walls, and part of the cabinet was placed along the window. The cabinet fronts were ordered from a local manufacturer. There was no need to make a spacious kitchen, so they opted out of upper cabinets.

'We chose simple but high-quality materials. Among the unusual finishes — brick ordered from a factory in St. Petersburg according to old patterns with stamps. The door frames and sills were made from thermowood, resistant to temperature fluctuations. This added nobility and respectability,' explains the designer.

Design: Daria Shaposhnikova. View the full project

The Truth About Sliding Doors: 4 Pros, 1 Con, 6 Myths, and 8 Opinions

Clear and with Examples