Presenter Stacey Dooley's home is an endless source of inspiration for the entire team at Ideal Home. If you're in the market for an anti-trend kitchen that feels both modern and bold, then take note of her dark wood kitchen renovation.
Stacey Dooley showcased her new renovation on Instagram, showing off dark wood cabinets paired with creamy yellow walls (Farrow & Ball's ''New White' is our favourite comparable shade), and stunning marble countertops. It was the dark wood kitchen cabinet ideas that caught my attention.
Warm, natural wooden tones have been a big kitchen trend in 2025, and this is only going to deepen in 2026 as we all get ready to cosy up and hunker down in our kitchen over the colder months. However, while they might be trending right now, according to design experts, they are the perfect anti-trend idea that will age beautifully and still look chic in 10 years.
'We are seeing a decisive shift in kitchen design towards richer, deeper timber finishes such as dark-stained oak and walnut in particular, and we believe this reflects a broader culture around food and living,' explains Richard Davonport, managing director at Davonport.
There's been an increase in the last year in creating warm, lived-in kitchens that truly are the heart of the home. While it's easy to achieve this through wooden worktops and Shaker kitchen ideas, incorporating it into a more contemporary scheme can be more challenging.
Stacey has combined dark oak fronts with a slab door style, adding depth to a sleek, modern design. With lighter oak floors and large sash windows, there is still plenty of light within the look, particularly thanks to the illuminated plinths between the worktop and cabinets.
'When you specify dark oak doors you are harnessing the grain, texture and depth of the timber as much as the colour. That material character brings a sense of calm and gravitas, it means the cabinetry will age gracefully, absorb light and carry the room,' Richard continues.
'Walnut goes a step further still as it is a subtle tone and its natural warmth bring a richness that aligns with how people are now thinking about the food-space: slow, crafted, textural.'
Stacey has also incorporated another big kitchen trend in her new space - a statement marble worktop. When opting for dark doors, so much of the light in a design comes from your choice of worktop surface, and a bold veined marble is set to be popular in 2026.
Charli Howard recently chose a Calacatta Viola Marble worktop for her kitchen and while Stacey's doesn't look to have a purple tone, it has a dramatic dark brown vein that ties in wonderfully with the doors.
Shop the look
If you don't have the budget for a full kitchen revamp, here are a few small ways to get the look in your current kitchen.
This mushroom lamp is so affordable but looks so much more high end - it would look great on a worktop or open shelving.
This marble trinket dish would look perfect on open shelving to tie in the dramatic veining.
These dining chairs are similar to Stacey's and in a rich walnut tone that will make any dining space feel cosy.
This would look so chic next to an armchair in an open plan kitchne.
Adding height to your accessories is a clever way of making them look more expensive. Stacey has candlesticks like this on her table.
Are you tempted to try out a rich wood tone or are you more of a fan of Scandi design?
