How To Design A Kitchen With A Black Countertop

A request post today to address a question that I face myself very often. How do you design a kitchen with a black countertop?

Many of the homes I design are new builds, just handed over by the builder to the client. These normally come with all the civil work complete, including the kitchen counters. And the most common stone used for kitchen counters is black granite. So more often than not, I have to design a kitchen with a black countertop.

How To Design A Kitchen With A Black Countertop

As you will see with most of my posts, I believe there is always more than one way to design or create anything. It isn’t about doing it the ‘right’ way or the wrong’ way. It is about finding your way. You might like it dark, you might like it light. Colour might be your thing.. or not. You could be a minimalist, or a maximalist. Any and all of these are great ways to design your kitchen, or your home.

Today, we’ll go through all the various ways you can design a kitchen with a black countertop. And I’m sure you’ll find a way that’s ‘yours’.

1 – Black and White

The most obvious, and safest colour choice with a black countertop would be white.

Source

All white everything is always subtle and classy, whether you do it in a sleek, modern style or a more warm, traditional way.

Source

But if you take a look at all the photographs I’ve selected here, you’ll get a hint of my personal preference. I wouldn’t go sleek and modern with all white. Make sure to add texture in little ways, whether it is the wooden flooring, the handles and knobs or a rug.

I love the brass accents in this kitchen.

Source

And the lovely brick texture in this.

These go a long way in making your space personal and adding a healthy dose of interest.

Source

You can also use your backsplash to add a little pattern to your otherwise black and white kitchen.

Source (I could only trace this pic to Pinterest. Any help to credit the rightful owner will be welcome)

Patterned tiles can completely turn around the look and feel of a monochromatic kitchen.

Source

2 – A Little Bit of Wood

Personally, I feel there’s nothing like a bit of wood to add warmth to any space. If you have a builder kitchen, most likely you don’t have wooden floors. Add hints of wood in your cabinetry.

Source

This can be done by adding a few wooden shelves as in the kitchens above and below.

Source

Or a few drawers to break the monotony of the black and white, as we had done in this kitchen.

Source

3 – A Whole Lot Of Wood

You can’t go with wooden vibes for any space, least of all a kitchen. Take this kitchen for example, where we used wooden cabinetry on the entire lower half, balanced by white everywhere else.

Source

Or this kitchen, where they’ve used wood cabinets right at the top and bottom, leaving a light colour at eye level.

Source

Finally, the warm vibes of an all wood kitchen always look beautiful.

Source

4 – Use Light Neutrals

If you think white is too boring, but love the light look, swap the white for any other light neutral.

Source

Light shades of linen, chiffon, lace or greys make great substitutes for white.

Source

And yet, they add the hint of colour that is missing in an all white space.

Source

Just as with white, I would use hardware, tiles, lamps and accessories to add colours and textures.

Source

5 – Combine With Soft Colours

Now we all know that black is a neutral. Which means we can combine it whichever way with whatever colour we like. So let’s see all the options we have.

In a small kitchen where there isn’t too much natural light, I’d want to keep the space looking light. Which means sticking to light pastels.

You could go with blues…

Source

greens…

Source

or even pinks! (Seriously.. I never thought I’d see a pink kitchen. But there are yet more to come!)

Source

As always, remember to break the monotony of any one colour by mixing it up with different textures and finishes all around.

6 – Use Brighter Shades

You can use the same blues..

Source

and greens…

Source

in stronger shades that you like.

Source

And yet, no matter what colour I choose, I wouldn’t use it uniformly all across the kitchen. Remember to add variation using wooden accents, textured walls..

Source

hardware options and light fittings.

Source

7 – Go Bold With Your Colours

And then I came across these kitchens which looked almost like a piece of art on a canvas.

Pink and green done two ways – soft and bright.

Source: Left | Right

Blue and red made as bold as possible.

Source: Left | Right

And this kitchen which is a celebration of shapes, patterns and colours in every way.

Source

The idea is this. Whether simple, subtle and minimalist or bold, bright and vibrant… or somewhere in between, a black countertop offers you unlimited options, so don’t feel limited by it.

8 – Go Black

We started with all white kitchens and are now going to the other end of the spectrum, with all black ones. Just as with the whites, you have similar options with the black too.

You could use black just below the counters to leave your kitchen yet feeling open and airy.

Source

Add an interesting backsplash to make the space more exciting.

Source

And some wood accents to break the monotony.

Source

Textured wall finishes and metal accents work just as well here too.

Source

A cement texture works really well with the all black look too.

Source

Add on a black backsplash and cabinets for a a darker vibe.

Source

Or go all black for a moody aura.

Source

Now scroll back up and notice one major element in all these black kitchens. Wherever you can see the windows, they are extremely large, letting in a whole lot of natural light. I somehow can’t see this working in small apartments with a little kitchen window to one corner. But these black kitchens are a great option for larger apartments and homes where the kitchens have access to large windows.

9 – Metallic Finishes

Metallic finishes, I think, look quite amazing with black. You can add them as a backsplash. (There are more pics here on this post on kitchen backsplash ideas)

Source

Metallic finishes on cabinet surfaces are a great idea too.

Source

.

 There are infinite possibilities and the one you pick will depend on which of these makes your heart sing.

Remember to look up this post for loads of kitchen backsplash ideas and this one for colour options for your kitchen. By the time you’re done I think you’ll have a much clearer idea of what rings true with you and what look and feel you want for your kitchen.

Let me know what you pick for yourself, and remember to send in your post requests.

Until next time,