Why Kiwis are falling in love with black kitchens
New Zealand’s kitchens have long been awash with bright white cabinetry and shiny stainless-steel appliances, however, black interiors have steadily become more prominent in these spaces in recent years – and for good reason.
Black makes for a versatile colour scheme in kitchens, lending itself especially well to minimal, rustic, or industrial designs. Black is capable of delivering both a bold, modern kitchen with a hint of drama and sophistication, as well as creating a cosier atmosphere, especially when compared to a stark, more sterile-looking white kitchen.
While this more dramatic colour scheme initially found its way into New Zealand kitchens via appliances, tapware, and other accessories, people are also now looking at incorporating black countertops or black walls to bring a little sleek luxury to their cooking spaces. Black cabinetry is also becoming a more popular way of adding depth and texture to a kitchen.
Award-winner Kitchen Designer, Damian Hannah, has paid close attention to this growing trend.
“I think with everything going on in the world lately people are looking for comfort and moving away from the whiter and brighter colours. Enigmatic hues like Black, Navy or even Deep Forest Green are luxurious, inviting and comforting. Darker colours also blur the lines of where angles, corners and joins start and end, with less shadows giving your kitchen a seamless style and can in some cases, make the space appear much larger. Darker kitchen cabinets were combined with white walls or warm timber floors but now we are seeing the adjacent accents also becoming darker. This is leading into kitchens that are becoming sophisticated, warm and enclosed which is suiting our current mood in our homes.”
When choosing a darker colour palette for your kitchen, be sure to stick with more matte finishes. As well as complementing other architectural features and appliances, it also softly reflects light to create a sense of calm in your kitchen space.
