Kahawa Sukari Residence

This new-build residence in Kahawa Sukari called for a kitchen that would set the tone for the entire home — light, modern, and unapologetically contemporary. The homeowner wanted a space that felt open and connected to the garden, with clean European aesthetics and no visual clutter. We designed a U-shaped kitchen anchored by a freestanding breakfast island wrapped in Calacatta marble with full waterfall edges on both sides — the single most striking element in the room. The marble cascades from the countertop to the floor in unbroken veined slabs, creating a sculptural centrepiece that separates the cooking zone from the open-plan living area beyond. The cabinetry is deliberately two-tone. Warm taupe base units with recessed matte black channel handles sit below, grounding the space. Above, floor-to-ceiling white upper cabinets with flat-panel doors rise to meet traditional crown moulding — a subtle nod to classical proportion in an otherwise modern kitchen. A smoked-glass display cabinet with internal LED lighting breaks the white wall and adds a layer of depth and display. appliance integration is seamless. A stacked built-in oven and microwave sit flush within the tall cabinetry, flanked by a full-height pantry unit with a long matte black bar handle. A recessed flat extractor hood disappears into the cabinet line above the gas hob, and an undermount sink on the left run keeps the countertop uninterrupted. Above the island, a sculptural gold LED ribbon pendant — sinuous, organic, and deliberately unexpected — provides both task lighting and a focal point that draws the eye upward. Recessed downlights fill the rest of the ceiling evenly, with warm-toned spots washing the tall units. Grey oak-effect flooring runs unbroken from the kitchen through the living space, reinforcing the open-plan flow. Full-height aluminium-framed sliding glass doors on the far wall open directly to the garden, flooding the kitchen with natural light and blurring the boundary between interior and exterior. This is a kitchen designed for a new generation of Nairobi homeowner — one who cooks, entertains, and lives in the same space, and wants every surface and detail to reflect that intention.