Dark kitchens have been all the rage this year and everyone and their mother has been painting their cabinets a dark rich color!
Previously, we’ve used lighter colors to let in brightness and light, but nowadays we use darker hues to create a mysterious and dramatic effect!
You shouldn’t be afraid of dark colors because they won’t make your room smaller, contrary to popular belief!
However, if you’re not ready for an all-black kitchen, we have a couple of examples that balance darker and lighter tones!
These 20 ideas and examples of dark kitchens will make you join the dark side!
1. Green Is All the Rage
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Green-colored cabinets have taken the world by storm, so why not opt for dark green cabinets that go great with wooden countertops and vintage details?
2. Sleek Modern Black
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You can never go wrong with a sleek modern look, plus black cabinets. This will instantly elevate your space and make it look more elegant!
3. Incorporate Marble
Marble always looks chic and expensive, plus it will balance out the dark tones of your kitchen cabinets and break the darkness up!
4. Dark Marble
However, if you don’t want to break up the color, you can always go for a dark marble! The one in the picture also has a matte finish!
5. Let There Be Light!
If you don’t want your dark kitchen to appear too dark, make sure you’re letting in lots of natural light and if that isn’t a possibility then opt for warm light fixtures that will make the space more romantic!
6. Gallery Walls
We often forget to put decorations into our kitchens since it’s a very functional and practical space!
However, it still deserves some love! A gallery wall will look great in your dark kitchen since it will really accentuate your style and it will bring more character into your kitchen!
7. Lighter Dark Kitchen
Here we have a perfect blend of darker kitchen cabinets with a beautiful cream stone and cream island!
8. Dark NYC Apartment Kitchen
A staple of any NYC apartment, the brick wall, goes amazingly with a dark kitchen! The high ceilings allow for more storage and this kitchen perfectly fits the industrial vibe!
9. Brown Beauty
Not many people opt for a brown kitchen and I say that is a disgrace! This brown beauty perfectly balances dark and light hues, plus we have a mix of materials as well!
10. Mismatched Cabinets
If you’re afraid of going full black, another way you can tone down the darkness is by adding a different color for the upper cabinets! These ones aren’t too bright but they still break up the black!
11. Gold or Brass Accents
If you want the space to appear richer and more elegant, add gold or brass details! This includes things like cabinet handles, light fixtures, and hardware in general!
You can incorporate it with any dark color and it will look very sophisticated!
12. Dark Cottage
Cottagecore kitchens are usually very bright, light wood and pastel colors! Today I’m presenting you with a dark cottage kitchen that will suit your taste!
13. The Classic
Dark wood in kitchens is a classic! You’ll see people tearing or recoloring these gorgeous dark wood cabinets to turn them into simple white cabinets that don’t look any different from IKEA’s cabinets!
14. Burgundy and Marble
This is a color that’s only recently been fairly popularized and it’s a shame because why haven’t we discovered it sooner?!
15. Mix Dark Hues
This kitchen incorporates two different dark hues that work swimmingly together!
16. Minimalist Black
You don’t have to over-decorate to make a dark kitchen interesting! It’s a show-stopper on its own, so you can leave it clutter-free and let it speak for itself!
17. Add Texture
In order to not have your dark kitchen blend with the background, I would suggest adding texture to any surface you feel like!
In this instance, the texture is added to the wall behind the counters and it perfectly outlines the kitchen cabinets!
18. Contrasting Island
Incorporate an island that will contrast your kitchen cabinets and make the space cohesive!
19. Open Shelving
Open shelving will make the space feel more open and the dark colors won’t overwhelm anyone who steps into the kitchen!
If you’re looking for more inspiration on open and floating shelves look here and here!
20. Industrial Dark Kitchen
Last, but not least, a dark kitchen is the only way to go about an industrial style!
Brass or copper details with the cold metal create a perfect harmony between hues and the dark colors tie it all together!