The Blackwood Project is a new build family home in Lancashire, with interiors by RK Studio in Preston. The kitchen came from Stuart Frazer Kitchens, built around SieMatic cabinetry. We made and fitted the stone for the worktops, the island and the splashback that runs up to the ceiling. The project was shortlisted in the Interior Design Scheme UK category at The International Design & Architecture Awards 2026.
Stone from worktop to ceiling
On the back wall, the stone doesn’t stop at the worktop. It carries on up to the ceiling, behind two floating shelves with lighting set underneath, so the whole wall reads as one surface. With a pattern this bold, where the cuts fall really matters, so the layout is worked out before any stone is cut. The heavy veins need to sit where you’ll see them, with the joins somewhere quieter.
Round the window, not up to it
The usual approach at a window is to stop the splashback at the frame and plaster the reveal. Here the stone goes into the reveal as well, so the veining wraps round the window instead of ending at it. It means more cutting and more fitting, but it’s the detail that makes the wall look solid rather than tiled up to the glass.
The mitred island end
The island runs most of the length of the room, with painted shaker doors and black handles on the seating side. At the far end, the top turns down to the floor. The top and the end panel are mitred, cut at matching angles and joined on the corner, so the edge looks like one thick piece and the veining runs over it instead of stopping at a seam. The polished finish picks up the windows and the lighting, which you can see in the reflection by the tap.
A bold surface in a warm room
Everything else in the room is fairly quiet. Dark wood units line the back wall and the tall housings, the floor is a warm herringbone, and the tap is brushed brass. Against all that, a white surface with heavy dark veining gives the kitchen its contrast, and the brown tones in the veins tie it back to the timber.
The team
- Interior design: RK Studio, Preston
- Kitchen: Stuart Frazer Kitchens, with SieMatic cabinetry
- Worktops, island and splashback: Granite House
- Tap: Quooker
- Also on the project: LUSSO
Planning a similar kitchen
If you want a statement veined surface for a splashback or an island, our porcelain and marble effect quartz ranges have plenty to choose from. For bold veining against a darker scheme, our Viola kitchen in Euxton pairs it with all black cabinetry. You can see full slabs by booking a showroom visit, or call the team on 01772 440888.
