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Do you have black appliances? Did you know there are only two countertops you should consider for the best possible kitchen design?

Oh, but there is an exception to this guideline so keep reading for the best colour advice for choosing the right countertops to go with black appliances.

Architectural Digest

So, let’s start with the most obvious choice, shall we?

Choose black countertops with black appliances

Black appliances need black countertops to make them look like an intentional choice. That’s why black countertops are the best choice to coordinate with black appliances.

Source


Source

OR, choose countertops with some black in them or dark colours that visually relate 

Here’s the exception: If you have white countertops and black appliances, you could also opt for a more dramatic colour on your cabinets to marry this look (as in the photo below).

BHG

Black and cheerful pops of blue like this kitchen (below) look good as well. This kitchen doesn’t have a black range but it could.

Wellborn

What if I have black appliances and no black in my countertops?

This is what your kitchen would look like without any black in your countertops. It’s the darkest colour on the planet so you have to be careful how you incorporate it into your hard finishes.

What not to do |  Decorpad

Most of us remember expressions like:

“Every room needs a touch of black”
“Go black and you can’t go wrong”

But you can go wrong. And quickly, if you just keep choosing black for every choice. Black is EVERYWHERE and it may feel like going against the grain not to make black the default choice for everything. Remember, every decision is a colour decision. 

Read more: The Perils of Decorating with Too Much Black

What not to do |  HGTV

More advice for decorating with black

Don’t miss last week’s post about how to incorporate black with your finishes in small, medium and large gradations for even more tips on decorating with black.

Beautiful kitchens and bathrooms are all about the details. That’s why it’s hard to copy that kitchen from the front page of House Beautiful and end up with the same result. 

Are you watching my new series on Instagram? It’s called 10 ways to immediately date your new build…  See them here.

And if you are a longtime reader of my blog and not on Instagram, you will know them all already. 😉

See you over there!

Here’s a shot of my backyard. Summer has arrived finally!

 

Related posts:

What Everyone Should Know About Black

Two Best Ways to Incorporate Black into your Bathroom

The Perils of Decorating with Too Much Black

 

16 Comments

  • Bette says:

    Is the photo toward the bottom called “Don’t HGTV” an example of what not to do? I hope so. To my eye, the brown cabinets, different brown floors, the addition of gray hard finishes, and then the black stove completely clash with each other.

    3
  • Judy says:

    I have never been a fan of stainless appliances…sorry, all of the millions of folks with stainless. I have always loved high quality black appliances. They just always seem to have a warmth that stainless doesn’t have. I have a large kitchen…16′ x 25′ long with white cabinets. One wall is almost a full floor to ceiling pantry cabinet wall. The perimeter counters are white quartz. This could be all too sterile, except there is also a 4′ x 12′ center island, topped with Brazilian Verdi granite and it has a black granite bar sink. Even though it’s called Verdi, it reads as black and it’s GORGEOUS! This granite, with all black appliances, make this kitchen a show-stopper. I get compliments from friends who have often been in this kitchen and they comment every time, saying how it’s their favorite.

    1
  • Hannah says:

    I recently moved into a house with mixed appliances. Not a big deal, we’ll upgrade as we can (and I’m straight up removing the avocado green trash compactor and will replace with a cute curtain). The toughest one to deal with is the electric stove in the middle of the island. Although I would *love* soapstone countertops, I’ve determined they won’t go with the flooring. So eventually we will upgrade to white/cream countertops but that dang black square of a stove in the middle of the island would look like my kitchen lost a tooth! So I’m thinking butcher block for the island, quartz for the perimeter countertops.

    • Lorri says:

      I have an answer for you!

      GE Monogram makes a soft gray induction cooktop to two sizes.

      It has great reviews.

    • Jessica g says:

      Ugh this is my dilemma too. Induction is the future but sometimes a black dark countertop makes no sense

  • Kay says:

    In my opinion, The Decorpad photo is really sad. The back splash makes such a strong design statement. But the rest of the elements don’t really support it or continue the design theme. In addition to the choppy look that the black appliances create, the floor is such a sour note. It looks to me like a perfect example of Maria’s caution of combining old and new. Maybe a black and white flat weave rug would help?

  • Sharon says:

    Forgive me if I’m wrong but I’m positive you’ve mentioned that the counters need to relate to the floor? Should we think now that it’s counter, floor, AND appliances? Does a black counter mean there should be a dark floor??

    • Maria Killam says:

      Yes that’s correct, however in the images I’ve shown they have hardwood, in that case it doesn’t need to relate. Maria

      1
  • Susie says:

    Great article Maria! Would love to see a similar post from you regarding white appliances.

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  • Patti says:

    Thanks Maria – this is timely advice for me.

    I have one question – If the plan is to have a black “statement” range, similar to the LaCornue in your first example, with all other appliances paneled, would the rule still apply? Obviously, the black would need to be repeated, but would black countertops be necessary?

  • Robin Mansfield says:

    How can black appliances relate to copper sinks? Would the cabinets be prettier stained or painted? And the counter?

  • Verlin says:

    Maria, If you have black appliances and solid black tile floor what could be a good option for countertops?

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