3 Beautiful Black Kitchens
Designers incorporate black cabinets, ceilings, floors and more for a wonderfully dramatic look
Mitchell Parker
21 June 2019
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
As we noted earlier this year, black is back in kitchens. While some homeowners and designers are dipping a toe into the trend, incorporating a black island or a pantry wall of black cabinets, others are going beyond just cabinets and fully embracing the dark side. The following kitchens show how a mostly dark palette brings drama, elegance, sophistication and beauty.
1. Inky Industrial
Designer: Kourosh Babaeian of Black Orchid Design
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 255 square feet (24 square meters); 17 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. Designer Kouroush Babaeian says this is a spec home for which the client asked him to think outside the box and build something “different from everything else that’s being built around town.” Babaeian used Houzz images to help translate his vision for this project to his client.
“Most of the new construction in L.A. is very stark and contemporary, and I wanted to build something that felt like it has been in the neighborhood forever,” he says. The Los Feliz neighborhood, with its close proximity to downtown Los Angeles, has a very urban feel. “I wanted to capture the feeling of being in an old industrial space or warehouse loft,” he says. “I really wanted to use materials that could flow from the inside out, especially the brick. One of my biggest philosophies as an L.A. designer is blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living to embrace the beautiful L.A. sunshine, so this was a great opportunity to achieve that vibe.”
Find a kitchen designer near you on Houzz
Designer: Kourosh Babaeian of Black Orchid Design
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 255 square feet (24 square meters); 17 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. Designer Kouroush Babaeian says this is a spec home for which the client asked him to think outside the box and build something “different from everything else that’s being built around town.” Babaeian used Houzz images to help translate his vision for this project to his client.
“Most of the new construction in L.A. is very stark and contemporary, and I wanted to build something that felt like it has been in the neighborhood forever,” he says. The Los Feliz neighborhood, with its close proximity to downtown Los Angeles, has a very urban feel. “I wanted to capture the feeling of being in an old industrial space or warehouse loft,” he says. “I really wanted to use materials that could flow from the inside out, especially the brick. One of my biggest philosophies as an L.A. designer is blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living to embrace the beautiful L.A. sunshine, so this was a great opportunity to achieve that vibe.”
Find a kitchen designer near you on Houzz
Dark palette. Black walls, ceiling and cabinetry (all painted in Pitch Black by Farrow & Ball). “We offset the darkness with white honed Carrara marble countertops, and added the rust brick backsplash to really give the space an urban feel,” Babaeian says. “An abundance of natural light pours in from the indoor-outdoor counter pass-through, which really gives the space life.”
Other special features. Floating wire-brushed wood shelves. Reclaimed-oak flooring. Exposed ductwork.
Designer tip. “Lighting — the key is all in the lighting,” Babaeian says. “When working with a dark palette, it’s important to make sure you have great lighting to highlight and accentuate the space. We added lighting on shelves to illuminate all of the kitchenware, which really made the space pop. Also, it’s very important to make sure everything is on dimmers, so that you can set the mood.”
Shop for counter stools on Houzz
Other special features. Floating wire-brushed wood shelves. Reclaimed-oak flooring. Exposed ductwork.
Designer tip. “Lighting — the key is all in the lighting,” Babaeian says. “When working with a dark palette, it’s important to make sure you have great lighting to highlight and accentuate the space. We added lighting on shelves to illuminate all of the kitchenware, which really made the space pop. Also, it’s very important to make sure everything is on dimmers, so that you can set the mood.”
Shop for counter stools on Houzz
“Uh-oh” moment. “I always caution clients to get samples of anything they are ordering,” Babaeian says. “We decided to order the brick backsplash online, and totally skipped ordering a sample to save time. Once it was installed, our rustic kitchen had a wall of bright red, which was not the look we were going for. We had to get creative, as it was already installed, so I had the guys rub concrete and debris all over the brick to age it. This actually ended up being a great mistake, because it gave the kitchen a more rustic and industrial feel. The lesson here was: Always, always, always get samples — physical samples. Never order any material off of a photo without seeing it.”
2. Pitch-Dark and Pretty
Designer: Kate Mihelitch of KitchenLab / Rebekah Zaveloff Interiors
Location: Chicago
Size: 350 square feet (33 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. An open, bold kitchen good for entertaining. “We decided to push the limits a bit and do something unexpected,” says designer Kate Mihelitch, whose clients found her by searching the Houzz pro directory.
Dark palette. Rough-textured, glazed black backsplash tile. Black perimeter cabinets (Black of Night by Sherwin-Williams). “The dark color scheme came about organically during design meetings, where the clients responded to bold tile and colors and everything that may not have been expected,” Mihelitch says. “They had fun pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. They really wanted this space to feel truly theirs, and trusted in the design process to get them there.”
Other special features. Quartzite countertops. Custom range hood surround.
Designer tip. “Don’t be afraid to layer multiple colors of the same hue, light or dark,” Mihelitch says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “There is a plumbing stack [not pictured] that we needed to come up with a creative design solution for, in the dining room wall! Crazy, but we figured out [how] to make it work with drywall-framing open shelving. You’d never know it was there, thankfully!”
Designer: Kate Mihelitch of KitchenLab / Rebekah Zaveloff Interiors
Location: Chicago
Size: 350 square feet (33 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. An open, bold kitchen good for entertaining. “We decided to push the limits a bit and do something unexpected,” says designer Kate Mihelitch, whose clients found her by searching the Houzz pro directory.
Dark palette. Rough-textured, glazed black backsplash tile. Black perimeter cabinets (Black of Night by Sherwin-Williams). “The dark color scheme came about organically during design meetings, where the clients responded to bold tile and colors and everything that may not have been expected,” Mihelitch says. “They had fun pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. They really wanted this space to feel truly theirs, and trusted in the design process to get them there.”
Other special features. Quartzite countertops. Custom range hood surround.
Designer tip. “Don’t be afraid to layer multiple colors of the same hue, light or dark,” Mihelitch says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “There is a plumbing stack [not pictured] that we needed to come up with a creative design solution for, in the dining room wall! Crazy, but we figured out [how] to make it work with drywall-framing open shelving. You’d never know it was there, thankfully!”
3. Moody Mediterranean
Designers: Em Shephard and Jessica Helgerson of Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 520 square feet (48 square meters); 16 by 32½ feet
Homeowners’ request. A functional kitchen for large parties and casual, comfortable weekends with family.
Dark palette. Cabinets in dark gray with a green undertone (Ashwood Moss by Benjamin Moore). Dark stained floors and ceiling beams. Black range and hood. Black window frames (Black Panther by Benjamin Moore). “The room is so large, with high, pitched ceilings and exposed beams,” designer Em Shephard says. “The lower portion of the room needed visual weight to help balance out the ceiling. Also, the rest of the house is painted all white, with doors and windows in black. So this was an opportunity to bring is some variety to the palette without interrupting the cohesion of the other spaces’ being all-white.”
Other special features. Concrete perimeter countertops in a soft matte finish. Custom Oregon white oak island that has “the character of an old farm worktable,” Shephard says.
Designer tip. “The original floors and ceiling beams were essentially orange in color and looked very dated, besides being a bad color,” Shephard says. “We stained them both dark, adding a more sophisticated contrasting palette to the whole house, with [its] white walls, while still keeping the vibe casual and comfortable. Also, the previous kitchen was full of can lights and unsightly tracks. In the pitched ceiling, can lights become much larger dark holes that really mar the ceiling. Instead, we added sconces around the counter to get light down to the work surface. And then added small tracks up high on the ridge beam for additional light over the island. And everything is on a dimmer. The resulting light is both functional and ambient.”
Wall paint: Dove Wing, Benjamin Moore; countertops: Cement Elegance; island: Master Furniture Makers; hood: Raw Urth Designs; general contractor: The Works
More on Houzz
Cooking With Color: When to Use Black in the Kitchen
10 Smashing Black Kitchens
Get kitchen design ideas
Shop for furniture and other home products
Find a kitchen designer in your area
Designers: Em Shephard and Jessica Helgerson of Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 520 square feet (48 square meters); 16 by 32½ feet
Homeowners’ request. A functional kitchen for large parties and casual, comfortable weekends with family.
Dark palette. Cabinets in dark gray with a green undertone (Ashwood Moss by Benjamin Moore). Dark stained floors and ceiling beams. Black range and hood. Black window frames (Black Panther by Benjamin Moore). “The room is so large, with high, pitched ceilings and exposed beams,” designer Em Shephard says. “The lower portion of the room needed visual weight to help balance out the ceiling. Also, the rest of the house is painted all white, with doors and windows in black. So this was an opportunity to bring is some variety to the palette without interrupting the cohesion of the other spaces’ being all-white.”
Other special features. Concrete perimeter countertops in a soft matte finish. Custom Oregon white oak island that has “the character of an old farm worktable,” Shephard says.
Designer tip. “The original floors and ceiling beams were essentially orange in color and looked very dated, besides being a bad color,” Shephard says. “We stained them both dark, adding a more sophisticated contrasting palette to the whole house, with [its] white walls, while still keeping the vibe casual and comfortable. Also, the previous kitchen was full of can lights and unsightly tracks. In the pitched ceiling, can lights become much larger dark holes that really mar the ceiling. Instead, we added sconces around the counter to get light down to the work surface. And then added small tracks up high on the ridge beam for additional light over the island. And everything is on a dimmer. The resulting light is both functional and ambient.”
Wall paint: Dove Wing, Benjamin Moore; countertops: Cement Elegance; island: Master Furniture Makers; hood: Raw Urth Designs; general contractor: The Works
More on Houzz
Cooking With Color: When to Use Black in the Kitchen
10 Smashing Black Kitchens
Get kitchen design ideas
Shop for furniture and other home products
Find a kitchen designer in your area
What are you working on?
Related Stories
Kitchen Guides
10 Key Kitchen Dimensions You Need to Know
Here are key kitchen dimensions that will help you design like a pro
Full Story
More Room Guides
35 Serene Puja Room Designs
Take a leaf out of these elegantly designed, beautiful prayer rooms on Houzz
Full Story
Decorating Guides
What Are the Benefits of Hiring an Interior Designer?
From furnishing working drawings to beautifying the home, find out how an interior designer plays multifunctional roles
Full Story
More Room Guides
Turn One Room Into Two With These Genius Ideas
Carve out an extra room within your home with these fab room-splitting tips and tricks
Full Story
Bedroom Guides
What Are the Ideal Wardrobe Measurements?
Here are dimensions for different types of wardrobe designs that ensure maximum functionality and storage
Full Story
Architecture
These Indian Homes Know How To Combat Harsh Climate
See how these homes by SPASM, Kumar Moorthy & Associates and JPLUSDARCHITECTS mitigate the ramifications of harsh climate ahead of time
Full Story
Architecture
How to Find an Architect That's Right for You
Make the construction and renovation of your home a pleasant and memorable journey by selecting the right architect
Full Story
Bathroom Guides
Step-by-Step: A Guide to Renovating Your Bathroom
Planning to renovate your bathroom? Learn about the different stages involved in the remodelling process
Full Story
Living Rooms
30 Best Sofa Designs
This guide gives a rundown of sofa types that will leave you spoilt for choices
Full Story
Small Spaces
7 Stylish Ways to Dry Your Laundry In a Small Apartment
Has your drying rack become a perpetual eyesore in your home? These dapper laundry drying solutions have you covered
Full Story
I have had white kitchen cabinets and black kitchen cabinets in two different houses. White cabinets were harder for me to keep pristine. my black island cabinets do not not constantly look dirty. They are stained not painted.
My cabinets are dark stained (not black) but with black granite countertops, and black appliances. I LOVE them! Easy to keep clean. One other thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post...our flooring looked gray with bits of brown under the lights at Home Depot. Installed, had a much more brown look. Son changed out all the lighting to natural daylight, and while it instantly changed my flooring to the gray, it looked like a sterile dentist's office. Ugh. We changed back to the soft lighting that I prefer, that gives a moody but CALM feel when you walk in after a long day at work. (Did I mention I work under florescent lighting and can't wait to escape it?) My personal feeling on the black is that it ramps up the wow or class factor.
Bdesai1, i love mine...might depend on the actual material being used...sheen, low sheen, textured, etc. my island has a painted black, beadboard base and a soapstone countertop. Never feel like it’s dirty, but I am kind of a clean freak.