Say goodbye to the all-white kitchen, and embrace your dark side. White kitchen cabinetry is phasing out as dark greys, blues and greens are phasing in. Check out these stunning dark kitchen cabinet ideas.
13 Stunning Dark Kitchen Cabinet Ideas
Updated on Nov. 21, 2024
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Moody Dark Tones and Hues Are In
The pendulum has officially swung from light cabinets to darker ones. Hues as deep as black are becoming more popular in kitchens because they provide more depth than an all-white kitchen. Without contrast from other colors, white kitchens can feel lifeless. Enter: darker tones to bring vitality and energy. The jury is still out if darker cabinets are easier to clean, but as anyone with white cabinets can tell you: They aren’t so easy to keep spotless, either.
Maximize the natural light in your kitchen when choosing dark cabinets, or it could start to feel like a dungeon! Look to your current doors and windows as opportunities to bring in more natural light.
Warm Brown
Brown-painted cabinets are definitely “in,” according to Scheck. “We personally love Broccoli Brown by Farrow and Ball for a moody brown tone,” which pairs beautifully with light-hued countertops, backsplashes and floors. “To incorporate darker cabinets into your kitchen design, simply balance the rich tones with lighter elements,” Scheck says.
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Feeling Blues
Blue is another great cabinet color choice from the darker side of the paint palette. Depending on what you’re going for, your kitchen can have a soothing Southwestern, French or seaside feel without the nautical craze of years past. This particular shade draws an intense richness from the copper backsplash tile.
Want to paint your own blue cabinets? We’ve got 24 great cabinet painting tips to help.
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It’s Easy Being Green
Green is another dark cabinet color Scheck’s seeing a lot of lately, and she really loves the “deep, earthy green” of Studio Clay by Sherwin Williams. Emerald tones are popular in new and remodeled kitchens everywhere, which provides a beautiful opportunity to get the bright copper or gold kitchen cabinet hardware you’ve always wanted.
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Dark and Stormy
Gray has become the new neutral in recent years, with lighter, silvery tones often showing up in kitchens. Now, stormier and ashier grays are being favored. They’re a perfect combination: they have the calm of a neutral tone but the liveliness of a bold one. And it’s easy to put your DIY skills to work by adding fun decor in a complementary accent color.
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Mix and Match
It’s definitely on trend to mix and match paint colors, materials and finishes, especially in the kitchen. The different styles of cabinets pictured here come across as sophisticated, clean and elegant. If sophistication isn’t your taste in the kitchen, then change it up. For example, you could combine a cobalt blue with a deep wood tone to create a rustic yet modern vibe.
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Draw Attention to Open Shelves
Nothing opens up a space quite like open shelving. Over the past few years, open shelves have become a popular way to increase ease in the kitchen and display dishware or mason jars filled with an array of cooking staples. Dark cabinets, paired here with a clean white countertop, do an excellent job showcasing the quality of the shelf and the items that adorn it.
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The New Perfect Match for Butcher Block
Butcher block countertops look beautiful against any shade of cabinet, especially these smoky gray ones. The combination of warm and cool tones makes for a perfectly balanced spot to cook your perfectly balanced meals! While butcher block countertops are staying around, granite is making its way out, so check out these amazing countertop ideas that aren’t granite.
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Sleek and Modern
While minimalism might be phasing out on a large scale in home interior design, you can’t deny the sleek effect of these black cabinets. In a way, this kitchen design turns the dial up on the dark cabinetry trend by adding darker walls. For those who love the modern look, don’t worry; your favorite style isn’t completely going away!
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Pantone Radiant
Countless combinations exist for color matching, and where better to exemplify that truth than in your cabinets themselves? This kitchen takes the basic two-toned mix-and-match to a whole new level. Very subtly, a unique rainbow of cabinet colors can become a conversation piece. It’s quite a creative way to sneak more color into your home.
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Dark Wood for the Paint-Averse
Sure, painted cabinets may look nice, but if you’re one of those people who can’t part with a natural wood tone, you’re not alone. Plenty of folks want to stick with the wooden aesthetic of traditional cabinets. Steer clear of the golden and honey oaks of yore and you should be all set!
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Get Artistic by Going Custom
As more young homeowners either build or remodel kitchens, they’re looking to do what they’ve done their whole lives: customize. By choosing multiple shades of the same color paint for their cabinets, they can create a kitchen they know will be entirely different from everyone else, and it will reflect their personal style. These multi-toned green cabinets, paired with a beautiful and bold stone backsplash, showcase the homeowner’s artistic taste.
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Draw Focus to the Island
Color popping kitchen islands are a great way to test if you truly like a dark cabinet color—although our guess is that you’ll love it so much, you might go to bed dreaming of a kitchen done entirely in darker colors. Build one of our DIY kitchen islands and don’t be afraid to be bold!
About the Expert
Audrey Scheck is the founder and principal designer at Audrey Scheck Design in Austin, Texas. After a lifetime of interest in interior design, Scheck started her own design firm after remodeling her own home. Now one of the top designers in Austin, Scheck’s designs can be found across the country in a range of styles, scope and budgets.
