Small Kitchens with Dark Cabinets (27 Design Ideas & Color Matching Tips)

Welcome to our design gallery of small kitchens with dark cabinets. Small kitchen designs offer unique challenges for combining style and function. Below are a variety of small kitchen ideas that match dark cabinets with countertops, backsplash, and flooring to create a beautiful cooking and dining space. A small kitchen may prove to be a design challenge, such as lacking enough counter space, not enough space for the appliances, and a restricted working area. But having a small area for a kitchen doesn’t mean you can’t turn it into your dream kitchen. 

Designing a Kitchen With Dark Cabinets

The secret to creating a fabulous cuisine corner in a small or limited space is to establish an illusion of making it look larger with a few design techniques. Usually, an open floor plan would make a small culinary space appear and feel larger by allowing the cooking space to flow into the living or dining area. It is also important to remember that in creating an efficient kitchen design, you have to consider storage, lighting, and the appliances you need to incorporate in such a small area.

Storage – Don’t be restricted to just the walls of your culinary space; make use of the space in the center as well. By incorporating an island or peninsula in the center of the kitchen, you are actually creating an extra counter and storage space that is also accessible from any point in the culinary space. Adding an island or peninsula can be a challenge for a small space. Portable kitchen islands are available in a variety of sizes for those with limited floor space.

Storage is very essential in the culinary space. Maximize your storage capacity as well as work space by installing deeper counters which can be spacious enough for more appliances to be stored or fitted in. Extra-deep drawers provide more storage and can be easily integrated with the base cabinetry; plus, they are more accessible. Make best use of high ceiling for additional storage up top by installing ceiling-height cabinets. Eliminate wasted space and take advantage of extra wall space by incorporating open shelves or built-in hutch’s.

Appliances and Furniture – In small cooking space, limited counter space is always a challenge. Incorporate a functional counter space by using a butcher block countertop which could make the most of your preparation area. Take full advantage of adding a island to achieve more counter space and have the option of having the base open or have some open shelves for additional storage. If you wish to have a seating area by the kitchen island, try incorporating movable seating such as benches that roll out of the way when not in use. This way, you could maximize the functionality of the space by making room for food preparation and having a dining area as well. You could also incorporate appliances such as the oven and stove with the island.

Downsizing appliances are the best option when choosing cooking accessories and devices. Removing small appliances keeps the cooking space from feeling too cramped and provides more counter space. Downsizing is fast becoming a trend and applied to universal design principles in order to keep the culinary space looking attractive. Another way of making a small cooking space look more spacious is to use see-through chairs or bar stools that don’t block the view.

Lighting – Proper lighting sets the overall feel of any room and area; small kitchens are no exception. Pendant lights and lighting below the cabinets will cast light away from the countertop and backsplash, thus expanding the space and mood of the cooking hub. It also helps spotlight the work zones and important areas of the culinary space. Make sure that the lighting are installed where it is needed most. Incorporate a lighting fixture that adds drama and a decorative element.

Colors – Light color palette could make a small culinary space feel spacious. Adding a pop of color could also make the kitchen look brighter and fun. You may also add color through window treatments such as fabric curtains, shades and blinds. Most of the time, white is right. White kitchen will never be outdated or be out of style. Accentuate white kitchen design scheme with the kitchen flooring, backsplash, countertop and accessories.

Explore more small kitchens with dark cabinets designs and decorating ideas with our collections below. Don’t be afraid to dream big with your small kitchen ideas. Always remember, “Good food, beautiful, welcoming and warm kitchen are what makes a house a home.”

This gorgeous kitchen features an open layout and using medium toned wood flooring which extends throughout the floor area. This maple wood flooring and the wooden breakfast bar island create a warm and welcoming feel. Neutral colored kitchen cabinets made full use of the ceiling height and added more accessible storage by incorporating a lot of deep drawers. For additional space, the designer incorporates a special storage for a refrigerator under counter for chilling wines.

Wall Colors That Work With Dark Cabinetry in a Smaller Kitchen

Dark cabinets in a small kitchen aren’t the problem, its what’s around them that usually is. Get the wall color right and the cabinets read as a choice instead of a heavy weight. One number does most of the work here. LRV, or light reflectance value, runs from 0 to 100 and tells you how much light a color bounces back into the room. Walls in the 80s keep a small kitchen feeling open. Drop under 60 and the room starts closing in, which can look incredible, but you need windows to pull it off.

Wall Color	LRV	Sheen	Best Room Orientation	What It Does Next to Dark Cabinets
Chantilly Lace Benjamin Moore OC-65	90	Satin	South or west	Maximum bounce and the crispest edge against dark wood. On its own it can read a little clinical, so let the cabinets carry the warmth.
Pure White Sherwin Williams SW 7005	84	Satin	Any, leans south	The safe bright white when cabinets are warm brown. Enough softness to avoid glare, enough punch to lift a galley.
White Dove Benjamin Moore OC-17	83	Satin	North or east	Soft enough to blur where the wall stops and the ceiling starts, which makes a low kitchen feel taller than it is.
Alabaster Sherwin Williams SW 7008	82	Satin	North facing	Creamy without going yellow. Pulls the red and orange out of espresso and mahogany fronts instead of fighting them.
Sea Salt Sherwin Williams SW 6204	63	Eggshell	East, soft morning light	A quiet green gray that adds actual color without competing. Good when white walls feel too much like a rental.
Repose Gray Sherwin Williams SW 7015	58	Eggshell	South facing	Cools down warm wood so the room doesn’t go orange. In weak light it flattens, so this one needs a real window.
Accessible Beige Sherwin Williams SW 7036	58	Eggshell	North or east	The bridge color. If you’ve got dark cabinets and light stone counters, this keeps the two from looking like separate projects.
Revere Pewter Benjamin Moore HC-172	55	Eggshell	South with big windows	The deepest option here and the moodiest. Stunning with bright trim and a light counter. Risky in a windowless galley.

How to Read the Sheen Column: Sheen matters more than people expect. Benjamin Moore points you toward satin or semi-gloss in kitchens because satin wipes clean and shrugs off splatter. The catch is that satin reflects light and shows every drywall seam and roller mark underneath it. That’s why the bright whites above get satin and the deeper colors get eggshell. On a light wall the sheen mostly disappears. On a mid-tone gray or greige it turns into glare. Eggshell hides flaws better, but it burnishes if you scrub one spot too hard, so keep the splashiest wall behind the range in satin regardless of color.

Orientation Changes Everything: North-facing kitchens get cool, flat light all day. Warm whites like Alabaster and White Dove keep the room from drifting gray. South-facing kitchens get the opposite problem, where warm light pushes a creamy white toward yellow. Pure White and Chantilly Lace hold their nerve there. Small kitchens make this worse, not better. Less wall area means fewer chances for your eye to average things out, so an undertone you’d never notice in a living room shows up loudly over the sink. Buy samples, and paint a big square of poster board, hold it flat against a cabinet door, and look at it in the morning and again at night with the lights on. A chip under store fluorescents doesn’t give you the same result as it would art home in the conditions you have.

Dark Cabinet Kitchen Design Ideas

The contemporary kitchen in the picture above features stainless steel appliances which can easily be integrated with the neutral dark brown cabinets and white quartz counter. Top cabinet with smoked glass front provides a perfect mix of extra hidden storage and create bright and dramatic feel. The large window allows natural light to shine through during daytime; at night, the lighting fixture under the wall hanging cabinetry provides ample lighting in the work zone. The exposed brick wall gives this kitchen style added rustic character.

The dark cabinetry of this contemporary culinary space incorporates a lot of storage area from drawers to extra cabinets which takes full use of the ceiling height. Top cabinets use glass front panel which reflects general lighting from pendant globe lights across the room. Arctic white counter and antique white walls gives balance to the dark cabinets and medium tone wood flooring.

Backsplash protect the walls and at the same time adds style to the design scheme. This glass, black and white graphic mosaic tiles pattern adds accent and a gentle focal point to this compact contemporary kitchen. Balanced by deep-toned cabinetry, white marble countertop and classic white wall.

Sleek and simple lines of this contemporary kitchen feature a medium brown toned cabinetry with white Corian countertop balance by light toned flooring and walls creating a feeling of spaciousness. An open floor plan allows this small kitchen to flow into the breakfast nook/dining area. Large paneled picture window and glass door let in adequate natural light into the room. A neutral color two-tone backsplash make a stunning focal point.

This contemporary J-shaped kitchen incorporates dark cabinets with light gray granite countertop, neutral stone color backsplash and light natural stone flooring. Stainless steel appliances with its durable, supreme qualities and trendy designs are easily integrated into this kitchen style. Using soft neutral colors for the walls and ceiling, makes this small kitchen feel open and light.

This U-shape kitchen features clean and light hues, making this contemporary kitchen very stylish. Frosted glass front cabinetry creates a trendy style, perfect with the simple and clean lines of the flat panel cabinet doors and the light gray quartz countertop.

An open floor plan could make a small kitchen feel larger because it allows the space to be free-flowing. A granite-top breakfast bar island functions as an informal dining, extra work space and at the same time separates the kitchen from the other parts of the house. Hickory floors extends through the hallway and common areas. Craftsman cabinetry features a Shaker design for the door panels.

This contemporary L-shape kitchen features black kitchen cabinets balanced by wall hanging cabinets with glass front panel. Lights inside these glass front panel cabinets helps uplifts and make this small kitchen brighter. Light tone matchstick glass mosaic backsplash, cool neutral tone countertop and stainless steel appliances creates a perfectly elegant kitchen scheme.

This studio-type contemporary one-line kitchen features dark cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The big picture window allows plenty of natural light to shine through the room. The drop ceiling allows more drop lights to be installed for ample lighting in the absence of natural light. Medium tone wooden flooring provides balance to the design and color scheme.

This Craftsman kitchen features a sliding barn door and a customized portable wooden island. Simple and dynamic open shelves replaced the wall hanging cabinetry. Cool neutral color hues and an open floor plan make this small kitchen look and feel more spacious. The whole design scheme gives a warm and welcoming feeling.

Another L-shape open floor plan idea incorporates custom made cabinetry in dark wood finish and light tone backsplash and flooring. Stainless steel appliances offsets and balances the color scheme. Different heights for the hanging wall cabinetry gives this kitchen some added design style.

This L-shape small kitchen design flows and opens up to the dining area and combined with a peninsula which separates the kitchen from the living room area and adds more working space. Glass panel wall cabinetry breaks up the cabinet blocks and mosaic multi-colored backsplash adds some design interest. Stainless steel appliances which are properly laid out are accessible to all and eliminates wasted steps.

This luxurious culinary space features dark raised panel cabinetry which blends well with the patterned flooring. White Calacatta marble counter and neutral color walls balances the color scheme, giving this small cooking hub an elegant design scheme. By incorporating a built-in cooktop on a peninsula provides accessibility to both kitchen and dining room and functions as a division to both areas at the same time.

This free-flowing open layout design scheme incorporates an island counter for added storage and functions as an informal dining area providing additional counter space and seating area. The mustard-colored painted walls blend well with the dark-tone cabinetry and light-tone furniture upholstery. The hickory flooring adds a rich character to this stylish home.

This traditional culinary space incorporates dark raised panel cabinetry combined with stainless steel appliances and light-tone flooring. Make use of the extra wall space that can be easily transformed into a one-person dining peninsula, which doubles as a duty workstation for meal planning or a study area.

A splash of red color gives this traditional culinary space a vibrant feel. An island divides the cooking hub from the main dining area and at the same time provides additional seating, storage, and counter space. The dark-tone cabinetry blends well with the dark flooring. Light granite counter, white subway tiles backsplash, cream-painted walls, and stainless steel appliances balance the color scheme making the room feel more spacious. This image is a good example of how small kitchens with dark cabinets can utilize decor to brighten up a space and add your own personal touch to the design.

This traditional style cooking hub features dark red raised panel cabinetry with light marble countertop, neutral tone stone backsplash and light ceramic tile flooring give an overall warm and open feel. The large window allows ample natural light to come in and breaks the cabinet blocks creating more design style.

This traditional style small galley kitchen has raised panel custom wood cabinetry provide lots of storage space. Glass front panel wall hanging cabinets create an open feeling to this narrow culinary space. Cream granite countertop combined with light-tone travertine floors offsets the tapered cooking area walkway. Pendant light fixtures serve as a decorative element in this design style. Farmhouse sink gives this kitchen an iconic appeal and features a focal point adding more drama to the design scheme.

A traditional culinary space showcases a dark craftsman style cabinetry, light quartz countertop and dark tone wood flooring. The lines and design style of the cabinets directs the eye upward giving an impression of a higher ceiling.

An elegant traditional culinary space showcasing dark wood flat panel cabinets and dining furniture set. Medium-tone wooden floor complement the soft hues of the walls and upholstery. One-level island provides more storage space without blocking any view of this open layout design scheme. Multi-level and different depth of the wall cabinets adds style and personal appeal to the design.

If you want a bold color in your culinary space, let us suggest that the best way to go is opt for a dark tone cabinetry and balance it off with neutral painted walls, light tone countertop and flooring. This U-shape kitchen is a good example – Shaker style cabinets in dark mahogany finish with light neutral granite countertop, classic white painted walls and light tone ceramic tile flooring. A window by the kitchen sink allows natural light to come in and at the same time breaks the block cabinetry. Stainless steel appliances are incorporated to cut into the monotony of the base cabinets.

Small kitchens with dark cabinets are often paired with white countertops to lighten things up. The clean lines of this contemporary U-shaped cooking layout prevent the space from appearing small. Neutral color painted walls, glazed white tiles backsplash and arctic white countertop and waterfall peninsula balance the deep-toned cabinetry and flooring. Stainless steel appliances and chrome finish bar chairs gives a touch of modernism in this design scheme. Visit this page for more small kitchens with white cabinets.

Black Kitchen Cabinets in Small Culinary Spaces

As a general rule of thumb using black cabinets in a small cooking space is not advised since it can make the space appear even smaller. However, with that said there are some creative ways to use black cabinetry and still get the beautiful culinary space you want.

For starters, with a small cooking area, its important to maximize lighting. This includes the use of natural light such as from windows and skylights to help keep the space as bright as possible. It is also a good idea when using black cabinets to create contrast. This can be achieved in a variety of ways such as using a light color countertop, backsplash tiles, wall color or flooring.

Black is beautiful, even in a small cooking area like this. Black Shaker front panel cabinetry combined with artic white countertop and blue glass backsplash light flooring and stainless steel appliances are seamless, simple and perfect combination.

There are different ideas incorporated in this small transitional culinary style such as installing open shelves instead of wall hanging cabinets making way for more windows which allows natural light to come in from any direction and provides more ventilation. Butcher block countertop is a timeless design element which adds natural warmth to this culinary area. It is durable, functional and easy to maintain. Pendant lights above the island adds drama to the overall design scheme.

Dark cabinetry looks so classy and elegant for this transitional kitchen style. Cream granite counters and backsplash, open glass shelves and medium tone flooring balanced off the colors used in this culinary space. Track lights enables the different working areas to be well illuminated.

This stylish space features a small modern kitchen with dark cabinets that is contrasted by arctic white quartz countertops and honed marble tile backsplash. The cabinets themselves are stained white oak that is available in an assortment of shades to match your design plan.

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