Light and Dark Wood Kitchens: Emerging Kitchen Trends

22 Oct 2025

Long ago, a woodworker invented the wood kitchen and, ever since, light, mid-tone and dark wood kitchens have jostled for the title of history’s most popular kitchen finish. Whatever won, wood remained. Remember Gran’s home? Lakehouse holidays? Dinner parties? Cozy wood. Lots of it.

Other finishes are available in the modern age, but we still crave the nostalgia of wood – even if today’s meals are more likely to come from glowing app than a fiery stove. Either way, the question has never been, “Are wood kitchens in style?” It’s, “Are light, mid-tone or dark wood kitchens in right now?”

Are Dark Wooden Kitchens Back in Vogue?

Before the 2010s, orange wood stains were omnipresent in kitchen design. Then a flood of white gloss kitchens briefly took their place. But, guess what? Wood finishes are back stronger than ever. In particular, dark brown wood kitchens and even black wood kitchens, like the one above, are thriving.

As a H-Line Madoc black and gold kitchen, it exemplifies how to modernise a dark wood kitchen. It’s handleless facades and warm fittings, for instance, wholly complement Espresso wood. Similarly, a dark wood breakfast bar – or island, in this case – brings attention to the grandeur of the dark wood.

Prefer cooler colours? The H-Line Madoc range is hugely versatile. Take, for instance, this Reclaimed Oak collection with Light Grey handle rails. The metallic grey elevates the design to an undeniably modern dark wood kitchen, ideal for those in search of a cool colour palette.

Dark Wood Kitchens with Rich Colours

Cooling a dark wood kitchen with silver fittings, or warming it with gold, appeals to mainstream tastes, but what if you have a more unique vision for your dark-wood kitchen? What if you want the dark wood not to lead but to support a blended colourway of rich options?

In that case, you’ll love our brand new H-Line Amalfi Rosso and Madoc Tuscan Walnut kitchen range. Fusing rich Tuscan Walnut external and internal cabinetry with sizzling splashes of Rosso, this red and wood kitchen forms a bewitching aesthetic that’s both decadent and full of charisma.

Prefer a deeper contrast instead? How about this Hardwick Onyx kitchen with marble counters? Its dark wood elements are two-fold. Firstly, there are the black wooden kitchen doors. Then there’s the exterior, which conceals Tuscan Walnut cabinetry, the latter revealing class with every drawer pull.

Dark Wood Kitchen Cabinetry

Following that muse, what if you like the idea of dark wood but don’t want an overtly dark wood kitchen? If that’s the case, Hathaway pantries or similar dark wood cabinets are the perfect answer.

Hardwick Olive and Biscuit range designed at Sigma 3 Kitchens Newport

One Hathaway here – a fresh innovation – sports glass display doors while the other remains compact behind tasteful Hardwick Olive doors. Both contain dark wood cupboard interiors and dark wood drawers, enabling you to showcase your drinkware or foods, either for the world or your eyes only.

Dark Wood Kitchen Alternatives

So, dark wood is fashionable, but is it the only popular wood colour option? At first glance, it might seem that way, but dark wood kitchens aren’t trending alone. Indeed, while light wood kitchens aren’t as prominent, they have also ridden a growing wave of admiration from lovers of a brighter aesthetic.

For example, this Oslo skinny Shaker kitchen with Blush Pink doors utilises Blonde Oak Madoc wall cupboards to establish an air of delicate charm. Mixing light oak kitchen cabinets with minimalist design, it harkens to Scandi kitchens but with classic Shaker factors that provide an intriguing blend.

Are Orange-Brown Wood Kitchens Dated?

So, what about the more central brown wood kitchens that dominated the 90s and early 2000s? Are they totally dead now that light and dark wood kitchens are in vogue? Not necessarily. Besides the argument that tastes are subjective and any kitchen can look good if you like it, mid-tone wood can look fashionable in accordance with a modern home; you just have to know where and how to use it.

H-Line Sutton Scots Grey and Madoc Portland Oak designed at Sigma 3 Kitchens Cardiff East

Consider this H-Line Sutton Scots Grey affair with Madoc Portland Oak feature doors. Proudly presenting blocks of mid-tone wood, it looks fantastic. The key is to pair the warmer wood with neutrals, and modernising the traditional orange hue with handle rails and clean lines.

Get a Wood-Finish Kitchen of Your Own

Need help creating your luxury wood kitchen? Request our brochures. Available as digital downloads or luxury coffee table catalogues, they cover all the inspiration you’ll need. Or, if you’re ready to meet a designer, why not find your nearest Sigma 3 Kitchens showroom and book a meeting for free?

Book a Free Consultation