How to Use More Dark Finishes in Your Kitchen

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Dark kitchens sound intimidating, but it’s a great room for adding darker finishes. This room already needs ample natural and artificial light to keep the work surfaces well-lit for safe work. If all white and reflective finishes are used in the room, the effect can soon become blinding. Adding at least a few splashes of a dark finish here and there absorbs some of that light to add contrast and drama to the room. Try these four ways to work more dark finishes into any kitchen design.

Focus on Big Impact Areas

Instead of covering large areas of the kitchen surfaces like countertops or floors with dark finishes, try confining them to the places where the eye is naturally drawn. Matte black and oil-rubbed faucets make the biggest impact when surrounded by lighter colors that help them pop. Whether this is a low-hanging light fixture, a sink in the center of everything, or accessories like towel rings, consider where the eye goes first when someone enters the room.

Add Extra Features for New Finishes

If a kitchen already has other finishes and fixtures that won’t be replaced during a remodel, it’s still easy enough to add more dark finishes. Simply add new features like water filtration faucets or pot fillers to introduce a new finish without it clashing with the rest of the fixtures. Since these additions are often made away from the existing faucets and other details, it’s easy to create a whole new look. For a contrast right next to the current faucet, try a built-in soap dispenser in a dark finish.

Switch to Dark Appliances

Dark cabinetry may make a big impact on the look of the room, but it also makes a bigger impact on the total cost of the remodel. A far more manageable swap for dark finishes in the kitchen involves replacing appliances. Refrigerators and stoves, in particular, are often replaced during remodels since they tend to run less efficiently after 10 years or so. These large appliances make a big impact when they’re both switched to a black or dark finish at the same time. Other appliances can be replaced as needed to slowly convert to a completely dark palette for kitchen equipment.

Try a Rubbed Finish

If a matte black finish is just too dark for the kitchen, try oil-rubbed bronze instead. While it’s still dark and helps absorb light to add elegance, it’s slightly lighter and warmer. This makes it a good transitional finish for rooms where other dark colors are already contributing to the palette.

Kitchens don’t need to be gleaming and bright white to look clean and welcoming. In fact, a few dark finishes can go a long way in adding elegance and coziness to the room. Give the kitchen a whole new look with kitchen faucets and more in trendy dark finishes from Kingston Brass.