The Color Palette That Gives Black Kitchen Cabinets An Elegant Look

Bold, luxe, timeless, and chic — these are but a few words to describe black cabinetry. Ironically, choosing the right black cabinets isn't the tricky part; it's finding the right color palette to pair them with. We all know black goes with everything. However, you'll want to be extra mindful of your color choices when swathing this moody finish on a surface as prominent as cabinet doors. We're not just talking about wall paint; we mean everything from the color of your range hood to your kitchen island stools. Too many dark tones can give the kitchen a cave-like feel. Meanwhile, overly bright accents can create a jarring effect on the eye. Tricky, right?

Luckily, we picked the brains of interior designer Erika Dale, founder of Erika Dale Interior Design, to find out the best complementing hues for black kitchen cabinets. "I love to pair black cabinets with off-white, other warm neutrals, and organic wood tones to prevent the space from feeling too stark or heavy," Dale reveals in her exclusive interview with House Digest. With these choices, you're guaranteed to achieve a designer-worthy look in your kitchen. But that's just the beginning. The next stop is bringing this color palette to life so the black cabinets can shine.

First things first, if you haven't already painted your cabinets, Erika Dale recommends Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black — a true black without any pesky undertones. "For an extra ritzy touch, consider a glossy lacquer finish on your cabinets that brings to mind grand pianos and tuxedos," the design expert added during her exclusive interview with House Digest. On the other hand, you can't beat matte black for a modern makeover.

With that out of the way, Dale shared her go-to materials and elements that help make black cabinets look even more sophisticated. "Off-white marble with dramatic warm or dark veining is my favorite thing to pair with black countertops," she told us. "[That's] because it simultaneously creates a stunning, elevated juxtaposition and also softens the black to blend nicely with the stone's natural hues." Fortunately, you don't have to wipe out your bank account to introduce marbled details in your cooking space. Because it's relatively easy to breathe new life into a kitchen with peel-and-stick, you could perhaps refresh your backsplash with something like the VAOVI Peel-and-Stick Subway Marble Tiles for under $6 per square foot.

"Black cabinets also look fantastic with a walnut range hood or light natural wood toned accents, such as bar stools, woven light fixtures, and open decorative shelving," Dale continues. Don't forget that little touches, such as plumbing fixtures and hardware, can elevate your black cabinetry as well. In this case, the designer suggests warm metallics for the win. Think brass cabinet pulls, a copper farmhouse sink, or a rose gold faucet. The theme here? Dramatic elegance.

As Erika Dale exclusively told House Digest, the biggest mistake people make when styling black cabinets is pairing them with "anything [too] stark white." She explained that "black can easily look severe or heavy if you aren't careful with the balance in the space." The last thing you want is for your kitchen scheme to look disjointed. So, if you're stuck with, say, bright white walls, you'll definitely need to pepper in softer, muted elements. Again, wood never disappoints.

Another thing to keep in mind: "Pulling off the all-black cabinet aesthetic in a kitchen requires plenty of great lighting to ensure the space doesn't feel heavy or overpowering," the interior designer tells us. This means you probably need to think twice before installing black kitchen cabinets or grabbing your painting equipment if natural light is scarce in your kitchen. And even if that's not the case, Dale says you'll still need to include various light fixtures into the mix to keep the dark cabinetry from swallowing up the room. These could be a set of pendant lights over the kitchen island, a small lamp tucked in the corner of the counter, and why not some under-cabinet LED strips?