Why go for a black kitchen?

Striking, sleek and sophisticated, black is a chic and unexpected choice for a kitchen, although it has been an increasingly popular colour choice over the last few years. It doesn’t have to be scary, as whether you go for black walls and black cabinets, or decide to stick with splashes of black here and there, there are ways to make it work with every kitchen - and we promise, you’ll never look back!

All black kitchen design

Let’s address the potentially most overwhelming aspect of black kitchen design first: the all-black kitchen. It might go against everything you’ve ever learned about traditional kitchen styling, but a bold can actually be a great choice for this important room of your home.

The floor-to-ceiling black look works best in a large space with lots of natural light to brighten everything up. But even in a smaller space, all-black can look great - all you need to do is to add a few accessories to break things up and add warmth to the space. Black and silver work really well together, and natural wood accessories look great against a black backdrop - why not have a knife block, chopping boards and wooden accessories out on display?

Black kitchen walls

Not ready to take the plunge with an all-black kitchen? Simply opting for black walls can still make a statement and it means that you can add additional elements like black kitchen cabinets or a black island at a later date if you feel like upping the ante on your colour scheme.

There’s also the option to create a striking feature wall. Paint the main wall behind the cooking area black and tie the colour scheme together with black appliances and accessories.

If you have exposed brickwork in your kitchen, you could add a new spin to the industrial look by painting the bricks black. This also adds a different element to your kitchen’s aesthetic with the texture of brickwork helping to break up the colour scheme.

And remember that there’s not just one shade of black - you can paint your walls true black, or go for something like blue-black for added depth. Be sure to pick up some tester pots of paint and hold them up against the wall in natural light if possible to see which one you like best.

All-black kitchen cabinets

Whether you go for a traditional kitchen style or modern fittings, going for all-black kitchen cabinets can be a great idea. For a sleek and streamlined look, pair with black walls.

• Related: Kitchen colour ideas to bring your space to life

If you don’t feel like black cabinets and black walls would work in your kitchen - if you have a small space perhaps - opt instead to open up your room with lighter-coloured walls. White and black is a classic colour combination that will never go out of style.

Open shelving is a nice way to open up a black kitchen - choose a mixture of black cabinets and black shelves to keep a cohesiveness throughout the room whilst opening up the space and letting the colour do the talking. It’s also a great way to show off your favourite crockery and cookery books.

Black base cabinets

Another way to try out the black kitchen trend without going all-in is to stick with lower black cabinets only. Keep your space feeling light and airy with lighter coloured walls and upper units, whilst the base units and island, if you have one, are black. It still looks striking but won’t dwarf your space.

Add texture to your black kitchen

Particularly in a small space, mixing up the textures can make your kitchen feel bigger. A black marble worktop looks luxurious (and has the added benefit of being easy to clean!) on shaker-style cabinets, whilst black tiles are a beautiful way of adding depth and intrigue to your kitchen.

Black and gold

Whether you decide to go for all-black cabinets or stick to black on the lower half of your kitchen only, brass and gold fixtures will look fantastic. They contrast perfectly with black as well as adding warmth to a black kitchen. Door handles and taps in these metals will add a pop of colour to your room and you can keep the thread running through the entire space with metallic lighting as well.

Black and silver kitchen

Not a gold person? That’s okay - silver works against black too! Silver appliances and accessories will pop against a black background. If you have a kitchen island, breakfast bar or dining table in your kitchen, then silver chairs or bar stools will also add a modern edge - perfect if you have a contemporary-style kitchen.

Make a splash with black kitchen decor

Accessories, appliances, fixtures and lighting in black are a great way of nodding to the trend of black kitchens, either if you want to stick with lighter cabinets, or if you’re unsure about black kitchen decor and want to try a few things out before you go ahead with bigger changes.

Because we’re so used to seeing fridges and washing machines in white and silver, opting instead for black appliances can make a bigger statement than you might think.

Gloss or matte black kitchen?

The finish you choose can have a big impact on the end result. This really comes down to personal preference as they can both look great. One way to approach it could be to consider what the other elements of your kitchen are like. If your fridge is shiny, for example, matte black could provide the perfect balance. On the other hand, if your appliances and accessories are matte, you might want to opt for a glossy finish on your cabinets to make them pop.

Feeling inspired to go for a black kitchen? Take a look at our range of kitchen brands, and start planning your dream black kitchen now, from the cabinets and walls, right down to the fine details of appliances, accessories and handles.