Konstantina

Tour this soft pink kitchen with tropical influences

Posted on 6th February 2026

We learn all about this soft-hued kitchen, where British design meets tropical influences…

With light pastel pinks, creams, and greenery outside, this kitchen brings to mind relaxed images of tropical, faraway places. Yet, we haven’t left the UK. This space lies in a late Victorian, eight-bedroom family house in charming Dulwich, south east London.

An L-shaped kitchen with a central island and a seating area by the glazing. — In this open-plan space by Ray Munn Kitchens, all the different zones – kitchen, breakfast corner, dining, seating area – are in harmony with each other. Photography: Germaine Thurgood.

“For me, this kitchen has a ‘colonial’ vibe,” Jerry Shaw, part-owner of Ray Munn Kitchens, the company behind its design, supply, and installation, tells me. “Lots of exposed wood and RSJ (Rolled Steel Joist) beams, with green plants dripping down, plenty of natural light, glass, soft pink paint, green island chairs, and black-framed, indoor partition doors… All thoughtfully brought together.”

View of the pink kitchen layout with a central island, glazing, and houseplants hanging down from the RSJ beams. — Light floods in through the glass sliding doors and skylight that runs across the ceiling. Houseplants trickle down from the RSJ beam. Double oven stack, Neff.

The kitchen design

The room’s exotic feel is combined with modern, sleek elements. After all, the homeowners, a married couple, were looking to create a restful, open-plan space for them, their children, and their loved ones to hang out in – with the kitchen as its focal point.

View from the island with green bar stools and a white worktop. — The island offers plenty of seats for the couple to host their friends and family.

“It is meant for friends and family, entertaining, and relaxation,” says Jerry. “Off this main kitchen, there is a pantry with base cupboards and open shelves, and a utility kitchen with laundry, where most of the family’s daily cooking is done.”

View of the closed pantry. — The cabinetry is made up of 18mm oak veneer carcass, with the doors made from beech.

View inside the opened pantry. — The main kitchen leads to a pantry and a utility kitchen with laundry via a gorgeous checkerboard patch of floor. 80cm induction hob, Neff.

The extension

As Jerry explains, the room is the central part of a back-extension building project and ground-floor renovation which started in 2024, three and a half years after the family moved in. “Before the building project, the house was over 4000 sq ft – now I would estimate the floor space has exceeded 5000 sq ft – while the kitchen was perfunctory, and the décor was slightly tired and dated,” he recalls. And so, it wasn’t long before the family started dreaming of a new kitchen.

A pink kitchen island with green bar stools and modern, black-framed, indoor partitions which lead to other rooms in the house. — Modern, black-framed, indoor partitions lead to other rooms in the house.

“Our photographer Germaine’s children and the homeowners’ children go to the same school. So, when Germaine found out the couple were looking for a new kitchen, she was happy to refer us,” says Jerry. “Unsurprisingly, they looked at other kitchen retailers, but they selected us based on the quality of our furniture, a competitive relative price point, and the skills of part-owner and head of design Jason Smith, who designed the space.”

Marvellous details

These are particularly evident in all the thoughtful details. In-frame cabinetry, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pink Ground, adds an extra level of sophistication, with wall and tall units featuring a ‘top hat’ instead of traditional cornicing – a contemporary twist in an otherwise traditional kitchen.

Antique brass handles and hinges, Calacatta Gold quartz surfaces, oak veneer cabinetry interiors, and an American-style fridge-freezer, all make for a considered and elegant design.

Closeup inside a drawer with solid oak interiors. — Solid oak, soft-close drawers add to the scheme’s organic, natural elements that bring the outside in.

An open larder in the pink kitchen with spice rack next to an American-style fridge-freezer. — The 90cm American-style fridge-freezer from Fisher & Paykel adds a contemporary touch to the otherwise traditional scheme.

The final result

But how does the family feel about the outcome? “They told us they love their kitchen, plus they gave us a wonderful Google review!” says Jerry. “The room has truly transformed into beautiful, open-plan living, with huge, glass sliding doors that bring the garden inside and the kitchen outside. The traditional cabinetry in a delightful pink shade, the sliding doors, the greenery, the sense of space… It’s all tasteful, clever, and a real visual feast.”