If you want to create a sophisticated, versatile space that will be the envy of your friends and family, you cannot go wrong with black cabinets. Whether you are creating a modern space or want a more timeless feel, black cabinets will work with any design aesthetic.
Before you spend money on an over-priced interior designer, here are a few amazing ideas highlighting the sleek look and cosmopolitan aesthetic of black cabinetry.
Minimalist Black
You appreciate the beauty of your timeless, all-black kitchen cabinets and want to continue the trend throughout the rest of the space. If you would consider yourself a minimalist at heart with a little bit of a dark side, there are ways you can add elegant accents to the kitchen without making the space feel busy and overburdened.
For example, if you really want to extend the classic black look throughout the space, opt for black appliances, black hardware, black countertops, and even black furniture. A great way to add some contrast and break up all the black is to choose different finishes. For instance, you could choose matte black cabinets and glossy black countertops.
However, be aware that if your kitchen is small, all of that black can make the kitchen space seem more like a dungeon and less like a welcoming place to host family and friends. If you love black but want the room to feel homier, pair the black cupboards with other black elements, such as black subway tiles, backsplash, black pendant lights, or a dark accent wall.
Go For a Rustic Vibe
When you hear “rustic kitchen cabinets,” chances are black cabinets are not the first thing that comes to mind. However, if you love the rustic look but don’t want to upgrade your current kitchen cabinets, you can add a few careful touches that will transform your kitchen into a pastoral paradise.
Green and black will always pair well together, so incorporate rustic green touches into your black kitchen. For example, add classic May green, rustic green, or distressed green stools into the space. These hues will create a great contrast that will make your all-black design look less drab.
Greenery is another simple addition that can create a rustic feel in your kitchen. Potted cacti and certain native grasses, including bear and horsetail, create a more sophisticated, rustic ambiance.
When it comes to your countertops, opt for butcher block, white marble, or more neutral-toned natural stone. You cannot go wrong with light wood flooring and delicate blue, eggshell, or yellow walls.
Creating a more contemporary rustic kitchen with a sense of contrast between the black cabinets and lighter accent colors will provide your kitchen with an unmatched, sophisticated aesthetic.
Pair With Marble
Finding the right kitchen countertops to accent your black cabinets can be tricky. However, before spending hours getting your kitchen designed by a professional or scrolling through kitchen Pinterest boards, narrow your search to a classic style option that will work with almost any shade and style of black cabinetry: marble.
Marble has been a popular, timeless choice in kitchens for centuries, and for a good reason. The natural stone is available in a variety of dark colors, and light shades work with just about any imaginable kitchen interior design styles. Perhaps most importantly, marble is a sturdy option that will withstand the wear and tear of everyday use for decades and even centuries.
Just about every color of the marble will work with black cabinets, so feel free to express yourself. However, if you want a more classic look, opt for white countertops with gold accents to make your black cabinets really pop.
Brighten Black Cabinets with a Contrasting Backsplash
Let’s face it: all-black kitchen cabinetry can look drab and uninspired. This is especially true for many homeowners who love incorporating other colors throughout their house and kitchen design.
If you love the idea of weaving color into your minimalist kitchen, adding a vibrant backsplash might just be the answer. Backsplashes are a popular kitchen remodel project that is becoming increasingly popular simply because the addition can transform your kitchen’s overall aesthetic without breaking the bank.
Backsplashes are available in an almost unimaginable wide variety of colors and styles. There are peel-and-stick varieties that can be installed in a matter of minutes or subway tiles that must be adhered to the wall and grouted.
Whatever route you choose, your kitchen can be transformed in a matter of minutes by simply adding a sleek, funky, or sophisticated backsplash.
Chic Open Shelves
Black is an elegant color option for every room in your house. However sophisticated, the biggest downside to black cabinets is that if you falter while styling the rest of the kitchen, the black cabinets can envelop the space and make your kitchen look more like a dungeon and less like an inviting space to entertain guests.
Open shelving is a very contemporary, popular choice that is perfect if you have black cabinets in your kitchen. You can either remove the doors of your existing cabinets, or you can take down a few of the existing black cabinets and replace them with open shelves that can be easily hung on the walls.
Whatever you choose, if you opt for open shelving, be aware that while the shelving can give your kitchen a more airy feel, you will need to keep the shelving clean and organized. Purchase wicker baskets or clear plastic containers to keep your snacks and other food organized.
When it comes to displaying your bowls, plates, and other kitchen wares, always keep these items neatly stacked to prevent the shelving from looking cluttered and messy.
Bring Pattern into the Mix
You are looking for one-of-a-kind design styles that look like something an interior designer would envision. If you are bold and want to express your unique aesthetic, add some timeless patterns to your kitchen. For example, you can create a sophisticated space by applying patterned wallpaper to an accent wall.
Patterns can also be incorporated in more subtle ways. For example, you can hang patterned curtains, throw a patterned rug on the kitchen floor, or hang a patterned tapestry or another piece of art on one of the kitchen walls.
Choosing light colors in the pattern is a great way to add contrast to the matte black finish kitchen cabinets, as well.
Keep the Look Light and Open
Once again, the most significant consideration for any homeowner with black cabinets in their kitchen is to ensure that the stark black cabinetry does not become the single focal point in the room. Unfortunately, your kitchen will look dark, foreboding, and uninviting if this occurs. An easy way to combat this is to let the light in!
Choose sheer or light-colored drapes to allow natural light into the space. The natural light will not only highlight the black cabinets, but it will also help your kitchen look and feel more open and lighter.
If you don’t love the idea of open shelving, swap out the doors on your current kitchen cabinets with glass doors. The kitchen will seem more open and bright, and, in many cases, the kitchen will even feel bigger than it actually is!
Create Focus by Painting One Wall Black
Adding an accent wall has been a popular interior designer trend for several decades. If you love the idea of adding sophistication to your kitchen with paint, consider a single black accent wall. All black kitchens can feel too claustrophobic, so instead, style your kitchen with a single matte black or glossy black accent wall.
If a single paint color is too drab, use a dark-colored or black and white striped wallpaper to style a single accent wall instead.
Enjoy and Embrace the Drama
You choose black kitchen cabinets because black cabinets are unique, stylish, and very dramatic. Embrace this aesthetic and use the black kitchen cabinets to draw inspiration for the rest of your black kitchen ideas. For example, style the cabinets with glossy black flooring if you have matte kitchen cabinets.
This is a great, modern black kitchen idea that can draw together the dark style throughout the rest of your home. Adding large, black kitchen statement lighting is another excellent option. For example, hang a large black chandelier from the kitchen ceiling. Painting the kitchen ceiling a glossy or matte black is another way to draw attention and add a little style to unique dark black kitchens.
10 Black Kitchen Design Ideas
Black is your signature color, and you want to incorporate even more black into a dark, black kitchen design. Here are nine fast, easy, and often inexpensive black kitchen ideas that will perfectly complement your timeless black kitchen cabinetry:
You will never go wrong with black and white.
Black and white kitchen accents are a classic for a reason. The stark contrast between the dark cabinets and the cool or bright white countertops is a classic combination that any interior designer would recommend.
Opt for a two-tone kitchen.
An excellent idea for any kitchen remodel project is to pair black with another single color. If the stark contrast between black and white isn’t appealing, but you want to incorporate a lighter shade into the black kitchen design, try gray, ivory, alabaster, or pearl instead.
Install a black farmhouse sink.
A black farmhouse sink is a white-hot black kitchen design idea. Farmhouse sinks are trendy, and a black sink in a black kitchen will make your uniquely dark room seem even more hip and modern.
Consider a bold kitchen island.
Many homeowners cannot live without their kitchen island, and if you do not already have an island or want to breathe life into your current kitchen island, install an island in a bold color. An orange, red, or even bright blue island will be a fantastic contrast to your black kitchen cabinets.
Choose brass hardware.
Swap out your chrome, silver, or polished bronzed hardware for some sleek brass hardware. Brass is the perfect accent for black cabinetry and an impactful kitchen design element that will not break the bank.
Add modern gold accents.
If you want your modern black kitchen to look more timeless, luxurious, and less minimalistic, you cannot go wrong with gold. Gold drawer pulls, a gold vein running through a natural stone, or a striking gold faucet is an excellent option for homeowners who want black kitchens to look more classic and stylized.
Paint your floors.
If you want to tackle a DIY kitchen remodel project, go ahead and paint your floors. If your wood floor is not in the best shape, and you want to save big money and still have a floor that will look amazing with your black kitchen cabinetry, grab a paintbrush and start painting!
Make sure to prepare to floor correctly by cleaning it thoroughly before removing the existing finish. Because black kitchens and black kitchen cabinetry are so versatile, you can use just about any color on your kitchen floor,
Go for it and add white cabinets.
You really want to design a kitchen that is bold, brash, and one-of-a-kind. Black kitchens are a great start, but why not start your trend and add some modern white cabinets to your black?
The stark contradistinction between an all-black kitchen and white cabinetry will definitely be something you will not see anywhere else and a design element that will have your friends, neighbors, and family talking!
Choose the Right Shade of Black Cabinets
Black cabinets are available in a variety of shades and finishes. For example, a softer shade of black cabinets is the right choice if you are incorporating black cabinets into a farmhouse design. A deep shade of black is ideal for a bohemian or industrial kitchen.
Incorporate additional wood kitchen accents.
Wood kitchen accents, such as a wood accent wall, a contemporary wood paneling backsplash, or dark wood trim and finishes, are a great option that will work with any style of kitchen and black cabinetry.
Are Black Cabinets a Good Idea?
You are considering a kitchen remodel and have one simple question: Are black cabinets a good choice for me? Dark wood or black cabinets are for everyone, especially if you have a small kitchen or you want to achieve a lighter, airier look. However, if you are bold, want to make a statement, and want a kitchen that stands out, you cannot go wrong with black cabinets.
Black cabinets can work with almost every style and aesthetic, from minimalism and mid-century modern to farmhouse and rustic.
