Kitchens: Dark or Light?

When I was designing my current kitchen, I had viewed several model homes.  Most included kitchens with white or light cabinetry.  Some even matched the white cabinets with light counters, which gave off a vibrant glare.

As I was considering counters, cabinets, and all of the other things involved when planning a kitchen--I also considered the style of the house we were building.  I poured over American Bungalow magazines and visited many houses on the Parade of Homes that were being held in the vicinity.

I pondered...bright kitchen or dark kitchen...that was the question!  The next two pictures are examples, the third is my kitchen!

Our last house had a rather small kitchen.  The counters were dark green and the cabinets were cherry with brass hardware.  The kitchen, though small, gave off a pub-like atmosphere and was cozy and inviting.

After much thought (but not enough in terms of lighting), I decided to stay dark and in the true bungalow style.

I began with Corian counters in a pattern called, Midnight.   ... YES, it is gray with white, cream, and black specks.

For the backsplash, tumbled marble in "off black."

Here you can see the counters and backsplash with wheel thrown pottery that my husband and I made.

I painted the little wall space within the actual kitchen a deep red (after four attempts with red--too light, too pink, too orange, etc.).

The cabinets I selected were an upgrade (although they look pretty plain) in a Mission style with simple polished, stainless knobs to match the stainless appliances.

The original appliances were black-faced, but we replaced all of them with upgrades about two years after the house was built.

The microwave is a convection/microwave combination and the range is also a convection--both bake evenly and quickly!

As you can see the entire effect is dark, cozy, and very "bungalow-like!"  The tile on the floor is called, African Slate, and has tones of gray, taupe, deep red, orange, and dark green.  To finish off the "darkness," we had a local carpenter install beadboard that I painted white under the bar-height counter.  The finishing touch was the two bar stools that are reproductions of 1930s chairs.  These were purchased at Restoration Hardware last fall.

If you conduct a search for "kitchen decorating," the search is sure to yield a bunch of hits describing how to decorate "dark kitchens" in order to brighten them up.

I say, go with your "kitchen style!"  Both light and dark can be cozy and can add to the aesthetic of your home.

The think I like most about my kitchen is the reaction I get every time someone new comes to visit.  The overall reaction is one of "WOW!" and then, I always get, "This is really a 'manly' kitchen...who would have thought?!"

I am still working on installing hanging bungalow lights over the center island... more to come!

Here one's great site about kitchens that you might want to check out:  Know Your Kitchen Style!