L-shaped Kitchen with Marble-look Backsplash

They are grey and handleless, opened by a groove along the edge instead of knobs. Losing the handles keeps a long run looking flat and calm, which suits the open-plan setting where the kitchen is on show. A matte grey hides marks better than a gloss and does not throw glare under the lights. There are base units, wall units and a tall unit for full storage. The clean front is the whole point of the look.

It is a full-height marble-look slab rather than small tiles. Running one big slab means almost no grout lines, so the busiest wall in the kitchen, right behind the hob and sink, wipes clean in seconds. The soft grey veining also lifts the flat grey cabinets and adds a little luxury. It carries up to the wall units as one piece. Fewer joints is both cleaner to look at and easier to maintain.

There is a black angled chimney over the hob, a built-in gas hob on the counter, and a stainless sink with a tall tap on the return. A wall-mounted water purifier sits nearby. The black chimney is the one dark piece against the grey and it marks the cooking zone. Everything is set into the run so the line stays unbroken. Placing the hob and sink on different legs of the L keeps prep and cooking apart.

Set into the cabinetry are open niches with a rust-coloured back, along with a frosted glass cabinet and a tall unit. The niches hold the jars and mugs you reach for daily, so they stay out on show while the closed units hide the rest. The rust back is the one warm colour that breaks up all the grey. The frosted glass front lets you find things without a fully open shelf. It balances display with tidy storage.

The big drivers are the handleless mechanism, the full marble-look slab and the appliances. Handleless doors need precise carpentry, and a single tall backsplash slab costs more than basic tiles but saves on grout and cleaning. Grey matte laminate is mid-range and sensible. To save, tile the backsplash instead of slabbing it, or keep handles. Spend on the hob, chimney and hardware, since those get daily use and are hard to change later.

They look clean but ask for a habit change. The groove that replaces the handle catches cooking grease over time, so it wants a wipe more often than a knob would. On the plus side there is nothing to snag clothes or bump into in a narrow kitchen. A matte finish hides smears between cleans. If you cook heavy, oily food daily, weigh that extra wiping against the sleek look before choosing.

It does, and it is why the cabinets were kept so plain. With the kitchen on view, a calm grey front and a hidden-handle look stop it shouting across the room. The trade is smell and sound travelling, so the angled chimney over the hob matters more here than in a closed kitchen. Run the chimney whenever you cook and keep the counters clear. For light cooking the open link makes the whole floor feel bigger.