21 Captivating Kitchens With Dark Cabinets

Cabinet color can really have an effect on the mood of your kitchen space. There is no denying dark cabinets create a much more dramatic statement than simple white. If you are deciding on a dark cabinet color, you will want to take into consideration the amount of light coming into your space and the mood you would like to create. You don't want everything to be dark on dark with no natural light coming in, creating a dark, drab space.

Some of the benefits of dark-colored cabinetry are the ability to hide spillage marks, stains, and knicks. It also creates a more welcoming space, as many people find white to be stark and sterile. If you have an already white kitchen, darker cabinets can add a lot of personality to your kitchen space.

On the other hand, especially with black cabinets, they can show dust quickly and require frequent cleaning. Any lighter-colored food spills show up immediately. If they're not cleaned up, it will look unsightly.

An up-and-coming trend for kitchen cabinetry is the use of blues. Lighter blues will give your space a nice dose of subtle color. You'll want to err on the side of caution with darker blues as they run the risk of making your space look busy or dark. Blacks will give your space contrast when paired with lighter colors.

Another popular design trend is two-tone cabinetry in the kitchen. This creates visual interest in the space. One of the biggest trends in regard to two-tone design is using one color on the island cabinetry or the upper cabinetry while having the rest of the kitchen a contrasting or complementing color. Design experts recommend using darker colors for the bottom cabinetry.

If you have an open concept designed home, the two-tone design can really help define the kitchen as its own space. To help inspire you, we put together 21 photo examples of captivating kitchens with dark cabinets. Let's check them out!

Large kitchen in luxury home with dark wooden cabinets. 21 Captivating Kitchens With Dark Cabinets

1. Dark & Light

Here the rich dark brown wood gives the space a bold statement along with some depth. The white backsplash and counters give contrast to the dark wood and keep the space bright.

Modern luxury new dark brown and white kitchen, dark and light concept

2. Dramatic Black

Here they've chosen black cabinetry to make a dramatic, bold statement. They've balanced it out with warm brown flooring, a brown and black backsplash to tie in, contrasting grey counters on the island, and white for the rest of the kitchen. They've maintained enough light in the room with oversized pendant lighting, recessed lights in the ceiling, and an uncurtained window.

Kitchen with dark wood cabinetry. dramatic black concept

3. Black & Red

This kitchen has red-toned dark cabinetry, black counters, and stainless steel accents. They're able to pull off so much darkness yet still bring in warmth by leaving the walls white and having all that natural light coming in from several angles in the kitchen. If not for the natural light, this look would be very hard to pull off.

Modern kitchen with dark gray granite counters. black and red concept

4. Two-Tone Farmhouse

This kitchen has that farmhouse country chic vibe going. They have black counters, warm dark brown cabinetry with cream flooring, and a rustic cream-colored island making this mostly dark kitchen still feel warm and inviting.

two tone farmhouse kitchen with island, granite countertops, wooden cabinets

5. Modern Lines

Here they have utilized dark cabinetry and dark counters. Then they've chosen to have part of the upper cabinetry white to introduce more light, break up the dark colors and add some interest. The stainless appliances give a lighter accent and the window and recessed lighting add even more light into the space, warming it up.

Modern luxurious dark brown, gray and black kitchen interior. modern lines concept.

6. Blue Warmth

Here they've painted all the cabinetry in a darker blue. To balance out all the blue and create a space with a lot of visual interest, they have used warm woods on the island, window frame, and vent hood. Then they chose white for the counters and backsplash. This creates a contemporary yet warm space with a lot of interest.

A contemporary kitchen renovation remodeling featuring a center island, hardwood floor and quartz counter.

7. Navy Luxury

Here they have all-white cabinetry and counters with a sudden visual pop behind the stove with a patterned backsplash featuring gold and navy. Then for the center island, they've incorporated navy cabinets with gold pendant lighting and gold hardware to really pop in contrast with the navy of the island.

Beautiful luxury estate home kitchen with white cabinets. navy luxury concept

8. White & Black

Here's another white and black example with the counters having both white and black in the granite pattern, tying it all together. The kitchen is still very bright and has lots of light with the black island adding a pop of contrast and interest.

New Luxury Home Kitchen and breakfast room. white and black concept

9. Country Gourmet

Here they've chosen the bulk of the cabinetry color to be green and accessorized the space with some stunning copper items. Then they've added both some interest and contrast with a dark brown island and bar area. The island brightens the space a bit more with a white counter.

Country style gourmet kitchen in a residential home with painted custom cabinets, marble topped center island, soapstone counter tops and tin ceiling inlay.

10. Two-Tone Contemporary

This is a wonderful example of a modern contemporary kitchen. They've got lots of rich tones and contrast, creating visual interest in the space. The warm rich wood flooring, deep blue cabinetry, and white on the top half of the kitchen create a bold yet clean and crisp kitchen.

11. Gray Elegance

They've created a very elegant look here with this kitchen, using dark gray cabinets and white counters for contrast. This look is totally on-trend with its smoky cabinet colors accompanied by polished gold accents and hardware throughout the kitchen.

12. Bright Black

Elegant kitchen room with black wood storage combination accopmlished with stoned backsplash and decorative wall shelf

Black cabinetry is used almost exclusively in this kitchen. The cabinetry closest to the window is white to break up the darkness. The rectangular window adds even more interest and lots of natural light. Keeping the walls a neutral lighter color balances it all out.

13. Light & Dark Woods

Slightly darker wood is used on the island cabinetry. Lighter flooring and backsplash create necessary contrast. Even with the dark woods and counters, this kitchen doesn't feel dark at all due to the natural light from the two windows on the side wall.

light and dark wood cabinets in a bright kitchen

14. Wood & Very Subtle Pinks

This kitchen has lots of rich dark wood cabinetry and matching flooring. They've lightened the space by choosing a counter that is much lighter with movement in it and then a backsplash that is very light with hints of pink playing to the tones in the wood, brightening it all up.

wood and subtle pinks on kitchen cabinets

15. Dark Cream

Very dark wood cabinets offset the light cream counters. They've incorporated a matching backsplash with creams, whites, and blacks then chosen to change from a horizontal position to vertical behind the stove adding a lot of interest into the space. They've lightened the space by using light-colored flooring, lots of recessed lighting, and a skylight.

Modern kitchen with island and dark cabinets.

16. Rustic Gray

This kitchen incorporates dark gray cabinetry and almost looks neutral! A distressing technique on the cabinets incorporates a lot of white into them, making them seem brighter. Then they have further brightened the space with light counters and walls.

Modern Farm House Kitchen in rustic gray color scheme

17. Taupe Balance

This kitchen has tons of natural light so it has no problem pulling off dark cabinetry. They've chosen counters and a backsplash with hints of taupe to tie into the dark cabinets. The stainless steel appliances also help to reflect all that natural light in the space, making it appear both lighter and larger.

Luxury kitchen accented with large granite kitchen island, taupe tile backsplash, natural brown wood cabinets and lots of natural light

18. Black & Brick

This kitchen has jet black cabinetry that is broken up by natural brick walls, distressed flooring, and light wood counters. To add some extra light to the island area, contemporary, oversized light fixtures have been incorporated. This look creates lots of depth and interest in the space.

19. Statement Kitchen

This kitchen has lots of black in it: black cabinetry, a black window frame, and black lighting fixtures. They've created a focal point with the backsplash behind the stove, changing from white to gray then finally to black. However, the space still feels bright! They've accomplished this by using white counters, light flooring, and bright white walls. It packs a bold statement.

20. Gray Tones

Here they've used a lot of varying gray tones. The look is balanced out with a light-colored backsplash, white and gray counters, and lots of natural and artificial light. They added a bit of interest and pop with a natural wood-colored vent hood over the stove.

Dark grey cabinetry in large enclosed kitchen. gray tones concept

21. Dark & Steel

This kitchen utilizes dark cabinetry along with dark flooring. They've broken the darkness up by painting the walls a lighter color, using stainless steel appliances, and using a lighter counter and backsplash. It makes for a wonderfully contrasted kitchen, really showcasing the natural wood of the cabinets.

A modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. dark and steel concept

Summary

We hope these 21 examples of kitchens with dark cabinetry have really inspired you to create the kitchen of your dreams! Dark cabinetry absolutely does not mean a kitchen has to be a dark and drab place. With the right combinations, dark cabinetry can really make your kitchen stand out and make a statement while still maintaining a warm inviting atmosphere.

If you've enjoyed this article, consider these for further reading:

Should Kitchen Floor Match Worktop Or Cabinets?

Kitchen Island Vs Kitchen Peninsula – What Are The Differences?

Should The Kitchen Floor Be Darker Than The Cabinets?

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