Black Kitchen Cabinets

Black kitchen cabinets are not a new favorite and have actually been around in order to cater to more modern kitchen interiors. However, some may find darker kitchen cabinets intimidating and hard to pair with certain elements in a kitchen (e.g., mosaic tile backsplash). If you’re looking for different ways to incorporate black cabinets in the kitchen, here’s our guide and some ideas for you!

Are Black Kitchen Cabinets Still In Style?

Yes, black kitchen cabinets are still in style for modern, country, contemporary, and more traditional interior design styles. While some may think that black kitchen cabinets are an extremely bold statement, paired with the right countertop, hardware, island, wall, and backsplash, this darker cabinetry can be used to put together your dream kitchen.

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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Black Kitchen Cabinets

Before deciding that black kitchen cabinetry should be installed in your space, here are the pros and cons of painting the cabinets a shade of black:

Black Kitchen Cabinets: Pros

  • Sophisticated and Elegant: Black cabinets can elevate a space and make your dream kitchen instantly become more sophisticated. Dark cabinetry instantly adds a modern twist to any kitchen and can be used to create a more elegant and luxurious atmosphere. 

  • Can Hide Scratches and Stains Well: Black kitchen cabinets, unlike white cabinets, can hide scratches and stains well. If you’re looking for a way to maintain your busy kitchen after a remodel, opt for a shade of black paint!

  • Easily Highlights Other Colors: Painting your cabinetry a shade of black is one of the best ways to highlight and draw the eyes to any focal point in the kitchen. Black cabinets in a kitchen with just a hint of color in the form of a painting on the wall, bright lights hanging from the ceiling, or decorative pulls will make these elements stand out. 

Black Kitchen Cabinets: Cons

  • Can Make a Space Look Smaller: A kitchen with black kitchen cabinets can be sleek and modern but they can make a kitchen space look more closed off and small. 

  • Requires Quality Lighting: The trick to pulling off any black cabinets is by having high-quality lighting or enough windows to let a lot of natural light come through and into the kitchen. Unlike other kitchen cabinets, black cabinets will give off a darker atmosphere that can be made more welcoming with warm lights or brighter with natural lighting. 

  • Can Be More Difficult to Clean: Due to their darker nature, black cabinets will take a little more effort to clean because it is harder to spot grease stains and splatter marks. 

  • May Not Be Future-Proof: Although black cabinets have been popular over the last few years and are a source of inspiration for interiors to this day, some homeowners may find it difficult to sell their homes with these cabinets. Unlike other traditional cabinetry in other shades, black is not the most popular cabinet coat out there. Some homes may be better off with white kitchen cabinets instead. 

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Black Kitchen Cabinet Ideas

If you’ve deciding on painting your cabinets black or are set on purchasing darker cabinets, here are some ideas that can make your kitchen really come together:

Matte Black Cabinets and Marble Countertops

In general, black kitchen cabinets work really well with marble elements. To really elevate your kitchen and give the space a modern look, choose a matte black paint that will dry overnight and go with a classic marble counter. 

Sleek Black Cabinetry and White Backsplash

Black kitchen cabinets, when paired with white backsplash on the walls pair really nicely together. The contrast of the colors is a great backdrop for other elements in your kitchen that can be used to make a bold statement like a painting or glass sculptures around the room. 

A Monochrome, All-Black Kitchen

Black appliances, drawers, storage solutions, and cabinet doors in a kitchen are very modern and a great idea. Going with a darker take on a monochrome theme, having dark kitchen cabinets is an easy way to incorporate different shades of black or even textures. Complete your modern monochrome kitchen with black cabinetry!

Glass Fronts for Your Black Cabinet Fronts

Choosing glass fronts for your black kitchen cabinet gives the cabinetry a smooth finish and allows light to bounce off it. It is important to create opportunities for either artificial or natural light to bounce around in a dark space and the cabinets are a perfect place to start. 

Glossy Black Cabinets

Another dark cabinet idea is painting your doors with glossy paint. This way, you can still have traditional cabinets but with a smooth and shiny finish

Make a Bold Statement with Steel Hardware

Pair black kitchen cabinets with steel hardware. Not only does this give the cabinets a chic, timeless look, but this is an easy way to mix different types of interior design styles. For instance, you can have contemporary-style cabinets but incorporate a taste of the country by choosing antique handles for the doors.

Pair Your Dark Kitchen Cabinets with Black Open-Shelving

Black cabinets also look great with dark shelves. While kitchen cabinets are great for kitchen and dinnerware storage, shelves require less prep work, are easier to paint, and can be installed in different places during a remodel. 

Black and White Kitchen Cabinets with a Black Kitchen Island

Painting the kitchen cabinets black to match your island and having white kitchen cabinets in a space is perfect for more modern styles. These two colors can be used to create zoning for more open kitchen plans as well. 

Don’t Be Afraid, Add a Pop of Color

Kitchen cabinets don’t have to be exclusively black. Add a bright kitchen cabinet among the darker ones to create interest in the kitchen. 

Say Yes to Under-Cabinet Lighting

As mentioned before, you need all the light you can get when you choose to install black kitchen cabinets. An easy way to do this is by installing an under-cabinet lighting fixture for higher-placed cabinets. 

For a Modern Look, Paint Kitchen Cabinets Black to Compliment the Concrete Floors

For a kitchen with a concrete floor, painting the kitchen cabinets black and making sure that they have a smooth finish is futuristic and chick.

Black Cabinetry and Natural Wood Accents

Going with the modern theme, install wood accents after painting your kitchen cabinets black. Natural wood really complements dark colors and adds to the elegance of a room. You can also paint wood cabinets with a layer of black to showcase the wood grain but still incorporate darker cabinets into the kitchen. 

Black Cabinet Doors and Red Accents for Contrast

Paint the cabinet doors black but add some red to create contrast. This may mean you paint the outside of the kitchen cabinets with a coat of black but paint the sides red. You can also choose to paint the insides of the cabinets red or make sure that the pulls, knobs, or handles are a bright red color. 

Black Bottom Cabinets in the Kitchen

If you do not think that all of the cabinets will dry overnight, just paint the bottom kitchen cabinets! By choosing to paint just the bottom cabinets in the kitchen, you create cohesion and actually give yourself an opportunity to get creative with the shelves or higher cabinets. 

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