10 Stellar Black Kitchens
Looking for a stylish alternative to an all-white kitchen? Consider coming over to the dark side instead
White kitchens have reigned for several years now, but bold black is slowly gaining ground in this space. It can add a sleek touch, put the focus on a view and contrast materials like nobody’s business. Whether it’s used in an industrial space in Brooklyn, a fashionable apartment here in Australia or a villa surrounded by forest in Sweden, there are good arguments for going dark in the kitchen in all kinds of homes.
2. A flawlessly chic Miami, Queensland apartment gave interior designer James Dawson the freedom to go graphic. When facing in the opposite direction from the view here, you have a full view of a marina. When facing the kitchen, the eye goes up to an op-art ‘wallpaper’ treatment on the ceiling. (Dawson drew the pattern, then had the wallpaper crew cut and apply the shapes.)
Sleek black wood-veneer cabinets and black marble benchtops keep a streamlined look, while mirrored splashbacks on either side bounce the light around. Using the black created a strong contrast that doesn’t compete with the view.
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Sleek black wood-veneer cabinets and black marble benchtops keep a streamlined look, while mirrored splashbacks on either side bounce the light around. Using the black created a strong contrast that doesn’t compete with the view.
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3. This black kitchen also opens onto much lighter rooms with coastal views, so it recedes into the background in a sleek, sophisticated way. The designers at LDa Architecture & Interiors were inspired by the rocky coastline right outside the Massachusetts, USA home when choosing the benchtop. This large slab creates a stunning middle ground between the black and white spaces.
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Island top: Argos marble; kitchen benchtops: Caesarstone in ‘Blizzard‘; cabinetry: custom; lighting: Benson pendants
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Island top: Argos marble; kitchen benchtops: Caesarstone in ‘Blizzard‘; cabinetry: custom; lighting: Benson pendants
4. This villa perched in the forest outside of Stockholm, Sweden, emphasises different views, that of trees and moss. (In fact, it is named Villa Vy, and vy is Swedish for view.) Suitably, the designers at Kjellander + Sjöberg Architects put the focus beyond the glass on the trees and the moss, by creating a black kitchen. The colour also helps the space look less like a kitchen within the open-plan area.
5. We certainly have the black kitchen thing down in Australia. Auhaus Architecture chose a matt black finish for the laminate cabinets in this homegrown property. The finish is just the right complement for all of the natural wood, which includes spotted gum flooring in a Bona Naturale finish and an island top of grey box, a highly durable hardwood. But both the woods and the black laminate take a back seat to the stunning graphic Moroccan tile splashback.
6. Jeffrey Douglas of Douglas Design Studio recommends making sure that a kitchen has good light showing through from different angles before going black. This kitchen gets plenty from the large windows and doors, and another window set in the splashback (not shown). This is also a story of wood – the cabinets are Canadian red oak with a charcoal stain. Engineered white oak flooring, a light-coloured ceiling and a rich wood island add warmth.
Zac Ridgely light fixture: Ridgely Studio Works; red oak cabinets with a charcoal stain: Emanuele Furniture Design; Di Legno collection flooring: Moncer
Zac Ridgely light fixture: Ridgely Studio Works; red oak cabinets with a charcoal stain: Emanuele Furniture Design; Di Legno collection flooring: Moncer
7. Interior designer Candace Cavanaugh specified black-brown when coming up with a custom colour for these cabinets. The hue adds an unexpected warmth to the dark room. She then custom designed canary-yellow bar stools to add a playful dash of colour. The overall look is glamorous and unexpected.
Custom cabinet hardware: Folger & Burt Architectural Hardware Inc.
Custom cabinet hardware: Folger & Burt Architectural Hardware Inc.
8. Renovation Design Group gave this bungalow the contemporary loft-like feel that the owner preferred. The black cabinets fit right in with the industrial-style corrugated ceiling, glass garage door, concrete benchtops and stainless-steel accents.
Custom benchtops: Mike Lookinland of Just Add Water
Custom benchtops: Mike Lookinland of Just Add Water
9. This industrial kitchen in Brooklyn, New York, USA, used to be an industrial woodworking shop. Appropriately, the island is a well-worn vintage workbench. Dark cabinetry and appliances put the focus on items that homeowner Alina Preciado has collected on her worldwide travels, including spices and unique teapots.
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See the rest of this loft
10. In this creative Toronto, Canada, loft the galley kitchen’s appliances and cabinets have a sleek, streamlined look, putting the focus on the exposed brick and unusual light fixtures. And, of course, on the chalkboard wall, which invites clever artwork (in fact, this made our chalkboard art hall of fame). Note the way the lighting helps highlight the objects along the top shelf.
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