The Matte Cabinet Color That Will Add Dramatic Contrast To Your Bathroom. But Is It A Good Idea?

You decide it's finally time to give your vanity a makeover. Or maybe you're designing your bathroom from scratch and mulling over the best bathroom vanity colors. Regardless, there's no place like the bathroom to go bold, and luckily, those cabinets provide the perfect canvas to do just that. In this case, by bold, we mean matte black.

"Matte black is currently a very trendy and dramatic option for cabinetry," design historian Sarah Bilotta shares in an exclusive interview with House Digest. It's eye-catching but not too in-your-face, modern yet equally timeless, and more importantly, flows with a variety of design aesthetics. "Black is a neutral, so you don't necessarily have to be going for a moody look to use matte black cabinets in your bathroom," Bilotta explains. While they're fun to pair with matching bathroom hardware (think shower heads and door knobs), you could also let your black cabinetry take center stage in the space. All it takes is light flooring and walls, plus bright gold or brass fixtures to create a dramatic contrast.

So what's the catch? "I love the look of matte black cabinets, even though I am not a fan of their practicality," Bilotta tells us. Fingerprints showing more easily is but one of them. Other than that, she believes this finish will continue to reign supreme in 2025 since a lot of people love the drama and impact it brings to small spaces like bathrooms. With that out of the way, let's dive into the downsides in question to see if this bathroom trend is for you.

It probably comes as no surprise that the first concern is maintenance. Speaking exclusively to House Digest, Sarah Bilotta noted that steam will build up on the dark matte surface and become more obvious than it would on a lighter, less matte material. Another downside to the increasingly popular matte black cabinet trend? Dirt and imperfections are ten times more visible, especially if the black color is just a veneer. This equals more cleaning to keep them looking their best.

You also have to take your existing bathroom design scheme into account. Yes, matte black cabinetry can suit any bathroom style, from a rustic privy to an elaborate, spa-like contemporary bathroom. This doesn't mean they can't be tricky to use cohesively and effectively, though. "Up until very recently, the trend has been light and airy bathrooms, so you may have a lot of work to do, changing paint, flooring, and other fixtures, before you can integrate black cabinets," Bilotta reveals. "The bathroom is one of the most expensive rooms in the home to remodel, so implementing such dramatic cabinets may cost you in the future if you decide to change them." Her verdict was clear: She doesn't recommend matte black cabinetry for bathrooms — unless these don't bother you and you're drawn to dramatic color choices but don't necessarily want to choose a warm or bright color palette.

Big changes came to bathroom vanities in 2024 (like matte black finishes), so we had to ask Sarah Bilotta about her predictions for 2025. "In the past few years, light neutrals have been very popular in bathrooms, and they likely will continue to be," the decor expert shared exclusively while speaking to House Digest. "Because this is often a small, windowless space and it needs to be easy to clean, homeowners often prefer a light, earthy color palette in the bathroom."

There may be a slight deviation from this in 2025, however. According to Bilotta, rosy pinks, sage greens, and dusty blues could become popular cabinet colors for those willing to begin experimenting with the double-drenched color trend in their bathrooms. She also thinks alternative cabinet materials are going to become more popular in luxury properties. "Natural stone cabinets in earthy shades are offering an elegant twist on tradition for a high-end design clientele," Bilotta points out as an example.