Dark kitchens are a bold choice, but that could be just why they’re the right choice for you. While we love light and bright kitchens, we also love creating elegant dark kitchens for our clients. In the spirit of Halloween, we’ve picked out 13 dark kitchen designs—created by us and by cabinetry manufacturers we work with—that will make you want to go over to the dark side.
Caution: 13 hauntingly beautiful kitchens ahead
At Bath + Kitchen, our goal is to ensure our clients get the best guidance, designs, and cabinetry for their dream kitchens. Through bespoke design and custom-build services, we help our clients personalize their spaces with state-of-the-art options. That’s how we created the kitchen pictured above.
Here, the grey/black walls, floors, faucet and sink, and cabinetry frames give the space a cool, soothing darkness. In contrast, the cabinet fronts have a light wood aesthetic that feels natural and bright. The dark elements highlight the grain and finish of the cabinetry. Also, notice that the room has a good amount of natural light that keeps it from feeling weighed down.
For this kitchen, we opted to use dark and natural wood cabinetry. Why? The owners wanted the opposite of white; which means black. “We brought in the stained cherry cabinetry to mix it up and to try to blend the base cabinets with the floor. We fell in love with the look of cherry inset cabinetry a bit more than expected,” says Bath+Kitchen’s Eric Shipe. Touches of white, through the countertop and appliances, added refreshing brightness and contrast.
Read: Kitchen Love Story: A Family redesigns their life by redesigning their kitchen
If you’re considering a dark kitchen, think of where you can add brightness for balance.
If you appreciate the freshness of a white kitchen but also love the drama of a dark kitchen, this could be your happy medium. This dark kitchen was designed by B+K’s Kat Reynolds using Dura Supreme Cabinetry (Bria Series). More details:
- Durasupreme Hudson Full Overlay Paintable Rock Bottom Furniture Board
- Countertop: Silestone White Zeus Quartz
Here, we used dark cabinet fronts on the lower cabinets and white fronts on the upper cabinets. Natural wood elements add character as well. Two-toned kitchen cabinets have become super popular over the last year or two. People love the way it instantly makes their kitchens more interesting. What’s more, the color placement can make your kitchen look bigger or draw your eye to the most striking features of your kitchen.
The magic of custom-fit cabinetry… that’s what makes this small kitchen so functional and elegant. Previously, the kitchen had white cabinets that lacked character. With these dark Dura Supreme Inset Hudson Flat Panel cabinets, we were able to add depth and accentuate the unique shape of this kitchen. This is a great example of how a space can come alive with dark, deep tones.
See the before and after
This makeover was extreme, with major changes from the ground up! The floor tile is installed in a herringbone pattern, laying the foundation for the space. We used flush inset cabinetry from Dura Supreme. The paint finish is a curated color called Graphite, and it creates a bold look that we love.
An island with dark cabinet fronts is striking in a white kitchen like this one. We made room for a huge kitchen and island by combining the existing kitchen with an unused room. We removed 115ft of exterior wall to add three sets of French doors overlooking the gorgeous backyard, creating a kitchen with an abundance of natural light. Watch a recap of the process:
Black and dark grey aren’t the only two options for a rich, dark kitchen aesthetic; you can try a dark shade of blue like this one by Nobilia, a top-rated cabinetry manufacturer that we work with. This is Nobilia’s new Fjord blue, which they say “unfolds its true qualities in combination with light uni-coloured surfaces and wood”. Combined with gold-colored elements, this dark blue hue looks very classy.
Aside from the main cabinet fronts, there are many ways to add the bold elegance that black offers to your kitchen. In the kitchen pictured above, the main cabinet fronts are in Nobilia’s Oak Montreal décor. For contrast, they have added dark furniture, light fixtures, appliances, and additional cabinets to create this look.
Tip: If you love the natural look but love the convenience of modern options, Nobilia’s NATURA is a great way to go. It’s a perfect combination of design and convenience, is easy to maintain, light- and water-resistant and even impact- and shock-resistant.
Slate grey is an excellent choice if you’re not looking to create a bold contrast. Used almost exclusively throughout the kitchen pictured above, it creates a soft, soothing ambiance. This design is part of Nobilia’s cottage style range, which aims to offer comfort and familiarity.
This is a great example of how you can create warmth and comfort in a kitchen with bold, black cabinetry. Here, the exposed brick and natural wood floor soften the overall look of the kitchen, while Bellmont’s contemporary cabinets in matte black steal the show. The doors used here are in their Apex style, with a slim 5mm pencil edge frame and manufactured using 100% recycled PET film and MDF core.
You can also create a dark kitchen with a wood aesthetic for a warmer look and feel. Plain & Fancy, another great cabinet manufacturer we work with, describes their project:
“This kitchen takes advantage of a small area by marrying simply elegant form with functional storage options. A Full Overlay, flat panel, Metro door style, finished with a natural Reconstituted Gun Metal Ebony, succeeds in its aim of giving the space a sleek look and feel.
The bar area has mullion doors for displaying a fine glass and drinkware collection. While decorative canisters and cookware are placed on open shelves, above the sink. These stainless steel shelving units join with the subway tile backsplash and the unique ceiling design to add an industrial feel to this space.”
Adelphi’s Woodbrier cabinet boxes are all assembled in the European style with dowels and glue using engineered wood sides, backs, and bottoms. Interiors are natural birch veneered by default. This is an affordable option in frameless cabinetry.
Sometimes, dark kitchen cabinetry keeps the focus on other interesting features of the kitchen. In this dark kitchen, Dura Supreme uses black painted cabinetry with wood-toned industrial shelving that shows off the brick walls of a transformed warehouse.
When designed well, dark kitchens can be incredibly sophisticated. They can give your kitchen design an edge while also making the space look more luxurious. When creating a dark kitchen, think about how you can make the most of natural light as well as how you will plan the lighting, making sure your kitchen doesn’t feel weighed down and heavy. Instead, try to make choices that play up the sense of mystery and elegance, while still keeping the kitchen design cheerful and comfortable.
We hope these 13 dark kitchens have been a treat, inspiring you to venture beyond the well-loved (and safe) all-white kitchen, and dive into deep colors that draw attention to your kitchen’s most unique features. A good designer will be able to help you find the balance between light and dark, bringing you the best of both. That’s something we help our clients with during our process, which is designed to take the guesswork out of your remodel and help you identify and achieve exactly what you want. Before we design, our team of designers will work to understand your goals and vision, and help you plan the next steps accordingly.
Enchanted by the elegance of a dark kitchen? Ask our team if it’s the right design approach for your kitchen!