Kitchen upgrades and renovations: new item every Aussie wants
Technology upgrades and sleek fixtures are luring many to install a black kitchen - so will you dare?
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Dark, daring black kitchens - you either love the sophisticated look of them or you wonder will it make your space look small, if there’s enough light and what if it dates?
When it comes time to update or design your dream kitchen, ditching crisp white and opting for black is a dramatic move.
Words such as architectural, luxury, minimalist and modern, even Scandi get a run, from those who woo the stealthily dark style which has flooded Instagram and Pinterest feeds.
Taking inspiration from Europe, black is currently one of the ‘it’ colours for kitchens and extension spaces such as the pantry, mudroom and laundry. Vogue Living has noted the trend - matte black that is, just to be clear. None of that shiny gloss stuff that dates kitchens to the early 2000s.
Cabinets, benchtops, appliances, sinks, tiles and splashbacks, hardware, windows, even floors in black have become a chic choice, with kitchen designers and builders alike seeing in increase in the trend in the past year or two, as part of the Covid-induced renovation boom.
However kitchens aren’t spaces we overhaul too often - on average once every 11-20 years, spending between $17,000-$42,000, according to a Housing Industry Association (HIA) Kitchens and Bathrooms survey - and once it’s done, its permanent, so you’ve got to love it to do it.
“Black makes for a great colour to use in a kitchen, it is easy to pull off and done correctly, looks great,” says Hickinbotham Group design director Ruth Vagnarelli.
“It is really governed by aesthetics, people are liking to use combinations of adding elements of oaks, greys and off whites and marble style benchtops with black joinery which are all great combinations to add interest and provide a contemporary and sophisticated edge to an interior.”
DEMAND IS UP
Sydney-based Nobby Kitchens has seen an increase in demand for darker kitchens in the past year, from all-black kitchens to black islands providing a focal point to a wall of cabinetry in the matte finish with matching appliances.
“We are seeing it, but it’s either hints of black, little bits of black,” says Nobby Kitchens managing director John Hall. “When homeowners start the journey they think black kitchens are in, but it really depends on the type of client and home they have. Black kitchens are going to give them a certain mood, a more dramatic, sophisticated space if that’s what they are after.”
Of course, you have to love the dark look, and be prepared if it doesn’t quite work for your space. I always loved the look, and a year or so ago, we installed black Shaker Style cabinetry in our rather large kitchen. We added a black fridge and freestanding oven, black subway tiles with white grout, offset with timber benchtops and an island. With existing timber floorboards and windows on two sides, light was never an issue, and I’ve never thought it made the space look small. Today we still love it to bits, but if you’re on the fence it can be a big decision.
DARK INFLUENCES
While clean-cut, all-white kitchens and a bit of stainless steel, dominated the 2010s, the lure of the dark side wasn’t purely an accident, although Melbourne’s urban cafe culture is sure to have influenced the caffeine regulars whose daily trip to the moody black interiors of hole-in-the-wall coffee bars didn’t go unnoticed.
Nobby Kitchen’s managing director John Hall says in 2016, all-black kitchens started to emerge at EuroCucina, the world’s major kitchen trade show in Milan, Italy, that is held every two years. That year it was dubbed one of the hottest colours (technically, let’s call it a shade) and from there it’s taken a few years to work it’s way into Australian homes and the mainstream market.
John says the preference for colour in the kitchen will also always come down climate, location, and even the season can influence decisions.
“We have a different climate here (compared to Europe) and that needs to be considered, warmer areas will always want lighter tones, so there won’t be as many black kitchens in Queensland, but in Melbourne, because its colder, darker, moody black kitchens will be more popular,” he says.
THE COVID CONNECTION
A 2021 Houzz and Home survey, of those spending on homes during Covid, found kitchen renovations were the most popular and spending was up 15-25 per cent - understandable considering it’s one of the most used space in the home. With the popularity of open-plan living/dining/kitchens, it was also a space that was transforming, not just from a cooking zone, but to a part-living area that served double duty as a home office or a study zone thanks to island benches, and even entertaining when Covid allowed.
That move also allowed for contrasting colours to shift in, especially in larger open-plan zones with lighter colours elsewhere in the space.
Managing director of Houzz Australia and New Zealand, Tony Been, says the rise in furniture-style kitchen islands also signalled a defining of zones, and the change in colour with it.
“This feature provides more cooking and entertaining space in the heart of the home while blurring the lines between a functional work zone, dining space and piece of furniture – all while sitting comfortably within an open living area,’ he says.
MATERIAL UPGRADES
As gloss cabinetry effectively added light into the kitchen, it also showed up marks and fingerprints that added to the cleaning tasks. As a solution, absolute matte surfaces, many with a slight sheen but without the hard work, were born. Fingerprint resistant laminates from Laminex, Neolith, Polytec and Duropal, and engineered stone and virtually indestructible benchtops from Dekton, Siletsone and Caesarstone that can handle heat and a scratch resistant have revolutionised the choice of colours available to buyers.
Hickinbotham Group design director Ruth Vagnarelli says while in the past darker colours may have caused alarm of being harder to keep clean, that’s not the case now.
“They used to be but the new finishes have really assisted with cleanliness and maintenance,” she says.
“Black cabinetry is becoming increasingly popular because of the new matt finishes which reduce the fingerprint and marks. Black benchtops are decreasing in popularity but people are loving the dark cement-style benches.”
Cooking buyer for The Good Guys, Tania Grillinzoni agrees. “Fingerprints, sticky smears, sauce splatters - they may have the potential to show up on certain surfaces but not matte black, she says. “If you go black, it’s definitely worth choosing an appliance with matte black finish, like the Haier 623L Quad Door Refrigerator which has a fingerprint-resistant finish – it means fewer weekly wipe-downs.”
ADD A HINT
If you’re not ready to go all the way or have a smaller space, adding hint of black, on the splashback, the sink or just the island is the way to add the contrast.
“My advice is carefully consider using black joinery in small kitchens as they can close the space in. Also consider the position of lighting which can cast an atmospheric glow over the dark finishes,” says Ruth.
If that’s still too much, add black in accessories, where that’s small appliances or a gunmetal mixer tap and door handles.
“Black appliances are a great way to add a modern spin to your kitchen – they’re minimalistic yet dramatic enough to command attention in any kitchen,” says Tania Grillinzoni, cooking buyer for The Good Guys.
“If you’re wanting to enhance your style, dark appliances are great for adding bold contrast to the classic white-on-white kitchens.”
LIGHT IT RIGHT
John Hall says lighting is critical in a black kitchen, and advises cabinetry should have under cabinet lighting.
While some homes will suit the dark look, such as apartments and urban homes with plenty of light, John says going dark in smaller spaces can be a risk, unless you balance it with the correct lighting, such as strip lighting under above counter cupboards and task lights about prep areas.
That said, a recent renovation of the terrace on Selling In The City installed a black kitchen, where strip lighting gave the space the right amount glow for food prep and daily tasks.
TIME STAMP
While black kitchens have a trendy, architectural feel, kitchen designer and supplier John Hall says they still we tell people the truth about them.
“They are trendy right now but will they be trendy in five years time?, he says. “If you’re building a home that you want to stay in for 10-15 years, that’s fine, but if you’re looking at selling in the next five years then I wouldn’t be installing a black kitchen, unless you are in a high-rise apartment.”
FOLLOW THE RULES
If you choose black, there are a few vital things to consider:- “In terms of flooring, I would avoid anything too dark. Timber style floors and tiles work, colours that suit are oak timber colourings and also light grey tiles work really well with black kitchens.” says Ruth.
- Think seriously about using handles to avoid touching the cabinets.
- Look at the materials - absolute matte, finger resistant laminates are a good option.
- Make sure you accessories with a bit of light, that is critical.
- There’s a huge range of black benchtops now available, with black and white veins to inky blacks, Caesarstone’s Black Empira “is just beautiful”, says John Hall. Silestone also has a granite-look material with a 15-year warranty that won’t stain, while Black Beauty with a remarkable veining through it.
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