How to master a dark kitchen

Why you want a dark kitchen

For a kitchen with wow, come over to the dark side. Black cabinetry might seem a little risky to the uninitiated, but it’s the new neutral in kitchen design, serving as a chic and stylish base for other finishes. A dark palette works particularly well in the context of a contemporary kitchen design: the simple, streamlined shapes of a modern scheme paired with dark cabinetry make the kitchen recede into the background, ideal for an open-plan living space.

Material matches for a dark kitchen

Choose dark cabinetry in a matt finish to keep the look sophisticated and help it retreat into the background of an open-plan room – Kaboodle cabinetry in Molasses V captures the look, while the matt black handles used here are almost invisible against the dark cupboards. Timber flooring and cabinetry (try Kaboodle Wattleseed) combine to warm up a dark colour scheme. Capture more texture and contrast with marble-look finishes like the acrylic splashback and laminate benchtop used here. Lights are best kept warm and minimal, like these amber glass pendants, which are designed to cast a flattering glow over the space.

More dark kitchen options

Substituting black for charcoal grey puts a moody Scandinavian-style twist on the dark kitchen trend. Depending on the undertones, deep grey can be a colder colour to work with, but you can bring in the necessary warmth with timber, or by introducing warm metals – think beyond taps with a gold sink and brushed gold cabinet knobs.

If light and bright is your go-to colour palette… 

We’ve got the perfect kitchen to match your style: check out our pale and interesting Scandi kitchen. 

Photo Credit: Alejandro Sosa 3D