Kitchen cabinets. Dark or light?

Question

Hi All,

I need your suggestions. I have a very bright kitchen. I have a big sliding door and a window in kitchen which is in south direction so i get a lot of sun in my kitchen. I am renovating my kitchen. Should I go for dark color cabinets or light color?

Answer 1

Dark cabinets will show dust, while light cabinets will show dirt.  

I myself prefer dark wood, unless the cabinets are painted in which case I prefer a bright white.

Answer 2

I like the light. Keeps things looking fresh and airy. Go light.

Answer 3

What color is or do you want for your floor?  What about your countertops?  If you're planning on a light color for them I would go for cabinets in a dark wood for contrast.  I think dark cherry cabinets are classy and timeless.

Answer 4

I have a lot of light filtering into my kitchen as well and wanted something other than the stereotypical light-painted cabinets so we decided to paint them (spray paint is the best but extremely messy) black. And boy, are they stunning! I would maybe try one small cabinet first and test it out to see if you may like it. The results are truly one-of-a-kind modern and kinda vintagy. To complete the look, we sanded down the existing black k***s to let the pewter/silver base shine thru. Wish I had a picture but haven't gotten around to taking it.

Answer 5

light colors, it will compliment the bright colors and the sun

Answer 6

Since your kitchen is bright, you can choose either light or dark.  Most people ask me where to start their kitchen remodel selection; long rows of cabinet doors on display can be very confusing!  

I suggest starting with an element that you love.  For some clients, that's a particular granite that has caught their eye.  (I had one homeowner design her entire kitchen around Giallo Veneziano.)  For others, it's a great floor or backsplash tile.  

As it sounds like you're undecided on the cabinetry, why not start with a flooring or countertop choice that you adore and find cabinetry that coordinates With that selection?  Your flooring and countertops should always look good in the same space, as they're your two largest horizontal surfaces, so tying in the cabinet color that looks best with both will be fairly easy from that point forward.  

In general, you want your cabinetry to be about two shades darker or lighter than your flooring, so that they don't blur together.  

A professional kitchen designer can help you pull all those elements into a coordinated room.  You can find one in your area by going to nkba.org.