White kitchens with black stainless steel appliances

Remember when stainless steel appliances were only for restaurants? Or when “stainless” meant the sleek, gray appliances in upscale kitchens? Now black stainless steel is the trend, gracing stylish kitchens across the nation.

This sleek, eye-catching look is more easily incorporated than you may think. Here are a few ideas on how to prepare your kitchen for the trendy new products.

Black stainless steel is surprisingly versatile. It goes with just about every color of cabinet and wood you can imagine. For example, this black stainless sink gives a sleek and streamlined look to a butcher block countertop.

Black appliances may seem bold, however, these appliances and countertops add just the right pop of elegance to a neutral kitchen. Don’t be afraid of the strong contrast.

Black stainless appliances look sleek and elegant in an all-white kitchen, adding an extra level of style and sophistication.

Don’t be afraid to mix colors with black stainless. Nice contrast with the soft turquoise and black refrigerator. The medium gray cabinets and black appliances make for a sophisticated look and the warm wood floor warms up the space.

Looking for more decorating inspiration? Stop by the nearest Hirshfield’s location in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. We love to discuss the latest color and decorating trends.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.

So your kitchen features black stainless steel appliances—how sleek! The color black is becoming more and more popular in the kitchen as all-white rooms begin to fade away. That said, you may be wondering what color to paint your cabinets to best complement the black hue present.

As it turns out, there are a number of directions in which you can go, according to designers. If you love color, great—by all means, pick a bold hue and go to town. But if you prefer neutrals or are looking for something monochrome, that's A-OK, too.

Keep reading to hear the merits of interior designers' favorite cabinet hues.

Meet the Expert

• Shelly Rosenberg is the founder of Acorn & Oak in Dallas, TX.
• Cheri Etchelecu-Martin is the founder of Cheri Etchelecu Interior Design in Dallas, TX.
• Linda Hayslett is the founder of LH Designs in Los Angeles, CA.
  

Think Saturated

Saturated blue and green hues look lovely paired with black kitchen appliances, designer Shelly Rosenberg says. "After two pivotal years, all-white clinical kitchens are a fading trend; we need warmer grounding spaces that soothe us," Rosenberg comments. "Black appliances offer us the opportunity to apply colors with a cocooning effect such as deep moss-green, rich Bordeaux, or slate blue.”

Designer Cheri Etchelecu-Martin agrees that saturated paint can be a wonderful route in which to go. "I suggest Indigo Batik by Sherwin Williams, which can create a cozy sitting room feel depending on the architecture of the home," she says. "In my opinion, black is a timeless color."

Green, in particular, continues to have a major moment, and designer Linda Hayslett is all for pairing it with black in the kitchen.

"Sherwin Williams Lucky Green would look beautiful with black stainless-steel appliances," she notes. "The green color would pop off of the black that they would complement each other very well."

Designer Tina Ramchandani expressed similar sentiments, noting, "The shimmer of the black stainless can enhance the depth of gem-like greens and blues to create a stunning kitchen."

Calimia Home

Brown

Designer Erica Evensen has a vision for a dramatic kitchen setup involving the color brown.

"For a moodier look, I would love to see black stainless appliances set against a dark stained cabinet with a tight grain, paying homage to a classic pairing of brown and black," she says. "Dark counters, such as soapstone, that would patina with age, paired with an unexpected backsplash, like antique mirrored tile, would create a truly unique space."

Designer Kathleen Walsh agrees that wood can look ultra-beautiful alongside black appliances. "Pair them with natural oak cabinetry and a Vermont Danby marble countertop," she suggests. "The clean, light veining of the marble would help to tie the appliances and cabinetry together nicely."

What's great about a natural finish is that it can be styled in a number of different ways. "Natural finished cabinets go great with black stainless-steel appliances," Hayslett says. "They can really make it feel like a modern or cozy cabin space, depending on the hue chosen and wood."

Devon Grace Interiors

Soft Black

Why not go for a bit of tone-on-tone action? Walsh is all for this concept of pairing black appliances with black cabinets.

“We like using Benjamin Moore Onyx, and I’d use white, marble countertops and backsplashes with either grey, lilac, or a pale green veining to help add just a touch of color and dimension to the look," she says.

Hayslett is also a fan of black paint in this type of scenario. "One color cabinet that is definitely sexy with black stainless steel appliances is Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black," she says. "Having everything in monochrome really can make a kitchen look clean and contemporary."

Kathleen Walsh

Blue/Gray

Designer Megan Molten plans to utilize a blue/gray hue from Sherwin Williams' Historic Charleston Color Collection in an upcoming client project. "Cooper's Basin and black stainless steel appliances would be a killer combo with black hardware and maybe a pop of brass in the light fixtures," she says. "I love this new trend."

Designer Molly Torres is also all for blue/gray. "We love to contrast black stainless steel appliances with cabinets in a soft, unexpected color, like Benjamin Moore Palace Pearl," she notes.

Whittney Parkinson Design

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