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poohpup

The Rise of the Black Kitchen

poohpup
9 years ago

Apparently the trend is swinging from white all the way to black. Am I the only one who finds these articles amusing?

I'm still blissfully happy with my two year old stained wood kitchen that is neither white or black or trendy. It's just what I've always liked.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Rise of the Black Kitchen

Comments (63)

  • greenhaven
    9 years ago

    Nope, no way. Not for me. All black is just a trend, I predict. While white may be ubiquitous it is classic.

  • autumn.4
    9 years ago

    lwo-Nooooooooooooooooooooo. Ee gads, please NO! I just moved on from the honey oak and I am not ready to go back. I am usually so far behind the curve that it wouldn't surprise me if it came back just as I was rid of it.

  • suzanne_sl
    9 years ago

    That black kitchen undoubtedly belongs to a vampire. Just sayin'.

  • taggie
    9 years ago

    I guess it depends where you live.

    In Toronto most of the cabinets in the homes in our new build subdivision in 2010 were either ebony or espresso. To me, black screams 2010 and I personally think it will date homes around here a couple decades from now, just like the honey oak of the 80s did. Not because it isn't beautiful, because it is! But simply because 4 out of 5 new build homes seem to have it in our area.

    I think cabinet and decorating trends are very local.

  • Gooster
    9 years ago

    lwo -lol at the orange --- I guess our aging loft's orangey maple cabinets and black countertops are now at the height of fashion.

    Seriously, though, all black is very hard to live with and to clean -- just as much if not more so than white. Our neighbor has the same original kitchen and has black cabinets, black counters, black appliances and grey walls. It's dramatic but also a very niche look.

  • cluelessincolorado
    9 years ago

    Have always loved this black kitchen from Crown Point Cabinetry

    Kitchen #9
    http://www.crown-point.com/early-american/page2.html

    Here is a link that might be useful: black cabinets Crown Point

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago

    Mid-century is on the ascendance. Not black, but color, lots of color.....bright color.

  • threegraces
    9 years ago

    Changing trends is how the Christopher Peacocks of the world make a living. No big deal.

  • Imhappy&Iknowit IOWA zone 4b
    9 years ago

    My bathroom reads black but I would never function in a black kitchen. My kitchen can be lit up like an operating room. Winter in the Midwest comes early and stays late. I have no motivation when it gets dark. When I turn on all the kitchen lights I will work into the evening just as if it were summer. And I should be canning pears right now.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago

    I was expecting something more interesting than the picture they had in their article. It's the exact same style of cabinets I normally see painted white, only painted a charcoal shade of dark gray instead. Like most everyone else here, not a big fan.

  • raenjapan
    9 years ago

    Hmm. The cleaning would drive me crazy.

    Basically the black reads as a kind of absence of cabinetry, leaving you with the striking reflections of all the shiny surfaces. It's an interesting look, and a pretty photo, but not something I'd want in my own home.

    I'd like to see more colored cabinets. I know they're a challenge from a re-sale perspective, but I love them.

  • bicyclegirl1
    9 years ago

    I think it's a really cool looking kitchen. Would I have a black kitchen....not just no but heck no! My house is really small & I can get depressed if it rains too many days in a row, so a black kitchen, well, it wouldn't be pretty for me. I need light & bright all the way. I can't see this being a huge trend. Black shows dust & debris a lot more than a lighter color. I have a black bathroom floor & I can't rip it out fast enough.

  • Kiwigem
    9 years ago

    I think like everything else, it depends on context and execution. My friend painted her 80's oak cabinets black and it looks smashing. Oddly enough, in some applications black cabinets or furniture makes a room seem lighter to me in the sense that they give white walls or furniture some real contrast ("This isn't a mere absence of color on my walls; this is WHITE and I did it on purpose!")

    I'm very likely going to have a section of black cabinetry in my kitchen. I'm not aware of a trend, but then we're in the midwest so we're 3 years behind all trends! What made me decide to make my cabinets black is that I want soapstone there, and I wanted the cabinets and counters to look like one unit.

    Ultimately it's hard to think of anything black (or white for that matter) as a trend. Aren't black and white the denim of home decor?

  • kitchendetective
    9 years ago

    I think it's funny that the Wearstler kitchen for Cameron Diaz was referenced. I would call it a Pantone Color of the Year Emerald kitchen with brass highlights. The floor was the element that I questioned in that kitchen. Very prominently grained oak that looked like it was somewhat unsuccessfully stained black. Ignorant me--it was ebonized. ;Note that the ceiling is white and there are many reflective elements.

    I love dark cabinets, as long as there are reflective and contrasting surfaces and excellent light sources. This isn't new, though. There were kitchens in the late 80s with medium to deep gray cabinets and Absolute Black granite counter tops, at least in California.

  • ReBe231
    9 years ago

    I don't care for the black kitchen as described in the article, but that doesn't mean I don't like black cabinets. I have seen many kitchens with black cabinets but they don't make you think "black kitchen" and are beautiful. The one pictured in the article is just a dark hole and definitely not for me.

    My kitchen is small and on the north side of the house and we get a lot of fog living in a coastal town, so I wanted to liven it up. I didn't pay attention to what was popular, I just always wanted white cabinets. I thought I wanted black countertops until I brought in a sample and it just sucked all the life out of the room. Ended up with what I think is a light and happy space.

  • romy718
    9 years ago

    Could it be that we'll have long threads searching for the perfect shade of black?

  • kitchendetective
    9 years ago

    We have already had those, but they were on the decorating forum! Mostly in re: dining rooms.

  • glitter_and_guns
    9 years ago

    I guess everything comes back. I would have chopped my mall bangs off back in 1980something in order to have had a kitchen like this one. Now it isn't my thing. They all scream "S & L scandal" to me. I had a good friend who had one very similar to this jewel.

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    Hi Poohpup and A2, great to see you both! I don't think anyone would get us to give up our new kitchens! A2 how is the new faucet. I remember that WS sent you a new one?

    I love to wear black but wouldn't want black cabinets though I think they would be striking and elegant if done correctly.

  • plllog
    9 years ago

    There were kitchens in the late 80s with medium to deep gray cabinets and Absolute Black granite counter tops, at least in California.

    Too true!!! We called them "New York", of course. :)

    One thing to keep in mind is that white and black are actually the same color. Not so much in fabric, where black is oven what's overdyed over another color and a true black is hard to find, but in general it's true. Take a true white light and shine it on a black surface, in a dim room, and you'll see white reflected back to you. Black is white. I've seen the same kind of Italian gloss kitchen done in navy--light enough that it's unquestionably blue but dark as dark. Ugh.

    Not for people who cook and bake. We want light to see by!

    If it's just black cabinets instead of coffee or ebony stain, in an otherwise light room, I have no issues. :)

  • mrspete
    9 years ago

    I don't like the picture in that article at all. Much too much black. To pull this off, you'd need loads and loads more natural light than this house offers -- and few kitchens have enough to make it work. Also, black is hard to keep clean. It shows every fingerprint, every speck of dust.

    I do agree that it's a reaction to the all-white that's been king for so long -- but I don't see this trend having much staying power. I do think something else will replace all-white, but it won't be this.

    As for the comments in the article, I do agree with the designer who says this says "city" more than a white kitchen -- white does lend itself to country, coastal, or cottage. And, as they say, white leans a bit towards feminine.

  • palimpsest
    9 years ago

    1984

    1960s/1980s

  • RocksAndRoses
    9 years ago

    Pantone is a paint company in Jersey! i know I have been there.

    Unless you are a decorator or planning to sell your home in the near future, I think you should decorate as you wish!

    At this point, i am jealous with anyone with a kitchen with matching cabinets and a countertop other than aging, warped laminate. Doesn't my kitchen sound pretty? I am going to fix it up as affordably as possibly by staining the cabinets and doing something creative with the countertop. It is a u-shaped counter, so there aren't off the shelf solutions - hence the seam under the sink-arghh. I am renting an otherwise adorable (kitchen nonwithstanding) cottage.

    I have a few pieces of furniture to finish first, before conquering the kitchen. I have a island table to refinish and top with marble tiles for extra workspace. I am also checking craigslist , garage sales, etc for a tall pantry cabinet and a small top and botton kitchen cabinet (preferably from a remodel). Then, I will be here asking for advice how to make everything match/blend. My cabinets may end up black if I can't get the stains to match - good thing it is a trend. They are currently mostly brown walnut with one light pine cabinet under the sink. At least they are real wood.

    I am thinking of near black wood stain - General Finishes Java or Old Masters Spanish Oak (just got a half pint to try on a bookcase) with faux marble countertops. The floor is light maple laminate.

    My previous place had painted kitchen cabinets. I got tired of repainting them. I prefer any colored wood, even two colors of wood, to my old painted and repainted cabinets.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago

    Hi holly
    WS is doing fine with the new head. No more drooling. I still ogle the faucet but wish I had gone for the extended reach so DH wouldn't reach so far.
    How about your cab? Are they fixed.
    Pooh - sorry for the hijack but the WS faucets need to stick together.
    To pull it back to topic~ how about a black finish on a waterstone faucet in the kitchen....

  • robo (z6a)
    9 years ago

    I have black lowers and white uppers and really like the combination. The black warms up the space but the white keeps it fairly light. I also added enough lighting to do surgery.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago

    Robo
    If my DH designed a kitchen it would match yours.
    My DH also says you can't have too much lighting
    And so glad we put in lots of lights.
    He also said - light should be white and not yellow, so out LED lights are 3000K
    I did put in some normal incandescent lights for ambience as well and lots of dimmers.

  • robo (z6a)
    9 years ago

    I love yellow light, so we picked all warm LEDs 2700 to 3000. We had a lighting designer come in and try to sell us on very cool light, like 7000k!! (I asked). No oh thank you. It's a kitchen, not a morgue!

  • poohpup
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    A2, I believe it is always okay to hijack a thread to discuss WS faucets. lol

  • mrspete
    9 years ago

    Palimpsest, that is a horrible looking kitchen. The cabinets blend into the wall. Dark, dark, dark.

  • nosoccermom
    9 years ago

    In my area, new condo kitchens are either glossy white or espresso wood. Some shaker, but mainly slab front.

    Interestingly, my son, early 20s, who's not particularly into design, said he'd like a black kitchen. Of course, he has no clue about the cleaning that's involved. Maybe he thinks it's easier to keep clean than his white kitchen. I'm watching how he'll handle his all-black furniture :)

  • bicyclegirl1
    9 years ago

    Well Poohpup, you hit the nail on the head......House Beautiful 2014 Kitchen of the Year...I guess Black is it these days.

    Ck it out:
    http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/dream/2014-kitchen-of-the-year?src=nl&mag=hbu&list=nl_hbn_news&date=091814#slide-1

  • rococogurl
    9 years ago

    The most beautiful black kitchen I've ever seen is one I found over a year ago. Cabinets are from Urban Archaeology and the backsplash is dimensional tile -- pretty amazing.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Custom Black Kitchen with Black Lacanche

  • peony4
    9 years ago

    That is a beautiful kitchen, Rococogurl. I wouldn't call it a "mostly black kitchen," though, as the article claims. Some of its most interesting architectural elements aren't black, including the tall, white walls, beamed ceiling, wide plank floors, and windows and bs (although these last 2 include black features). I'd coin this a kitchen that incorporates black--and rather well.

  • raenjapan
    9 years ago

    " Well Poohpup, you hit the nail on the head......House Beautiful 2014 Kitchen of the Year...I guess Black is it these days.
    Ck it out:
    http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/dream/2014-kitchen-of-the-year?src=nl&mag=hbu&list=nl_hbn_news&date=091814#slide-1";

    Wow, there are so many things I hate about that kitchen! Layout, cabinets, weird, impossible to clean cheesecloth art by the bar... Yuck.

  • Hydragea
    9 years ago

    -that 1984 kitchen that Pal posted -- it's kind of fun, isn't it? With the heavily-buttoned microwave and the octagonal sink and mirrored ceiling.

    I bet it is 'in keeping with the original 1980's flair' of the building :-)

  • lisa_a
    9 years ago

    I could handle a black kitchen provided that the balance is right, more like the kitchen rococogurl posted and less - much less - like the kitchens palimpsest and glitter_and_guns posted.

    I remember rtpaisley's very lovely, black kitchen. She painted her honey oak cabs black and added marble counters. It went from humdrum and dated to tres chic. Many GWers oohed and aahed over her kitchen and its transformation. In her case, black is the new orange (ha, I couldn't resist).

    I think this Tommy Smyth designed black kitchen is very striking.

    [Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_709)

    But this Tomas Frenes kitchen would depress the hell out of me.

    [Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Miami Architects & Building Designers Tomas Frenes Design Studio

    Here is a link that might be useful: rtpaisley's blog w/ kitchen before and after pics

  • vdinli
    9 years ago

    I don't like the ones with not enough contrast-can see myself getting lost reaching for a coffee mug on a cold winter morning!
    I think the ones that work best have lots of sunlight or the black is not overpowering. Love the one roccogirl posted..ooh..la.la. I wouldn't want the maintenance but very pretty.

  • friedajune
    9 years ago

    I too live in the midwest, and my kitchen faces north, which is why I chose white cabinets. My choice had nothing to do with what's in or what's out; I could not have black cabinets in this kitchen, it would be too dark. I love that Ikea kitchen that nosoccermom posted - it is beautiful. With its white walls, counters, light floors, and large size it is much more airy and light than the other black kitchens shown on this thread.

    Did someone say Christopher Peacock? :) Here's one of his that isn't quite black, but very dark. The wall of windows helps. The kitchen looks like it cost a fortune.

  • zeebee
    9 years ago

    Quite the dramatic look for the right house/space. I'm a fan of big color - our new kitchen cabs are cobalt blue - so most of these black kitchens leave me a little unsatisfied. I'm more drawn to the ones that use black as one strong element but modify it with other colors, like the Tommy Smyth and Lacanche-range kitchens.

    I was soooooo disappointed when I got my October issue of HB and saw the black "kitchen of the year." The only thing mildly interesting about it is the color.

  • bicyclegirl1
    9 years ago

    I just saw the kitchen you posted on houzz, nosoccermom. This is about the only way I could do black in my kitchen. I also like lisa_a's 1st picture too. Both of those are very nice. Most of the other ones on here are so dark, tho, that, I believe it was linelle that said, "If my kitchen were black, you'd have to hide all the knives." They're just too depressing. I can't see black, or at least the ALL black kitchen, trending too long.

  • kitchendetective
    9 years ago

    That Wearstler kitchen, BTW:

  • deedles
    9 years ago

    Love touches of black but those all black kitchens... would have to put my glasses on to find the fridge!

  • ChristyMcK
    9 years ago

    The kitchens with the white uppers and lower blacks cabs and black accents look great (Tommy Smyth, Austin Farmhouse Kitchens). The other black kitchens make me feel a little ill. Apparently, there's something viscerally wrong to me about an all black kitchen. I would not complain if I had Cameron Diaz' emerald green kitchen (nor feel nauseated)!

  • susanlynn2012
    9 years ago

    2014 House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year clickable Link I am providing to make it easier to look at.

    Here is a link that might be useful: 2014 House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year

  • susanlynn2012
    9 years ago

    Now since I was able to click the link I set up with a copy and paste, I am not crazy about the kitchen as to me, it is too dark.

  • gr8daygw
    9 years ago

    [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Bethesda Photographers Maxine Schnitzer Photography
    This is my favorite dark cabinet kitchen. It has a "dressy" tailored look that I love. To me what makes this work is that everything else is light and bright. I happened to see the house in it's entirety, it had so many windows and was very open letting in lots of light. It's the only way I could do black or near black cabinets. I do love open and airy and prefer a lighter look but could definitely live with this.

  • threegraces
    9 years ago

    I like the 2-tone kitchens and would not consider them black kitchens in this sense at all.

    I don't care if white kitchens become the "mom jeans" of kitchens; I still love them. Incidentally, I guess higher rise jeans are back in style....

  • glitter_and_guns
    9 years ago

    Gr8day that is LOVELY! I could totally live with that. Totally.

  • raenjapan
    9 years ago

    Love the Ikea kitchen.

    With that Wearstler kitchen, what's going on with the stove? It looks like it's sticking out into the room about two feet.