Black Kitchen Countertops
I’ve been thinking a lot about black kitchen countertops lately. Let me explain…
I’m finally to the point where all of the major projects are finished in the entryway, dining room, kitchen, and music room, with the exception of putting a new coat or two of Waterlox on the floor of the music room. And since my hallway bathroom is finished, that means that I’ll only have my hallway and breakfast room to go in order to have ALL of the “public” areas of the house finished (not counting the sunroom, which will eventually be torn down and rebuilt).
It’s only the middle of May, so I think I can make quite a bit of headway towards getting all of those areas finished by the end of this year. The hallway won’t be a huge project at all, especially since most of the drywall has already been installed. The breakfast room will be a MUCH bigger project. It still needs to to be torn down to the studs and ceiling joists, and all new drywall installed. And then it also has a foundation issue. It’s the only room in the house (that won’t eventually be torn down) that has a slab concrete foundation. It’s not level with the kitchen floor, so it needs a coat of concrete over the top to raise it up about an inch.
But at some point, I’m going to circle back around to the kitchen and do a couple of projects in there. The first thing I want to do is build a vent hood cover that can be painted to match the cabinets. I specifically bought a vent hood with the controls on the bottom so that it could be covered eventually if I decided that’s what I wanted.
And after living with it for over a year-and-a-half, I’ve decided that it needs to be covered and painted to match the cabinets.
And my second goal is to address my concrete countertops. And that’s where black kitchen countertops come into the picture.
I was always a bit disappointed that they weren’t more of a bright white. And now after a year-and-a-half, I’ve learned just how important it is to choose the right sealer for concrete countertops. The sealer I used wasn’t the best, and I have some pretty serious stains on my countertops.
The good thing about concrete is that there are loads of concrete stain removers on the market, and some of them work really well. So getting stains out isn’t an issue. The hardest thing about concrete counteretops is finding the best sealer.
After doing some pretty exhaustive research last year, I finally think I found the best sealer for concrete countertops. Interestingly, just a couple of months after I did my research and came to my conclusion, I saw that Chris & Julia used that exact sealer on their concrete countertops.
So I’ve been planning for several months to strip my countertops, remove the stains, and reseal them. But I’m also considering adding another step — staining the countertops black. Y’all know I love a green, black, and white color combo, and when I picture it in my mind, I think it would be beautiful! I love the look of black countertops.
These Black Kitchen Countertops Are Gorgeous!
Of course, about 90% of the pictures I come across with black countertops show them in white kitchens. So many white kitchens.
So it’s impossible for me to actually see an example of what black countertops would look like in my green kitchen. I did find several examples of black countertops in black or dark kitchens, though.
But I don’t think mine would look that dark since it gets plenty of natural sunlight.
I’m also torn between the really shiny black and the satin finish black countertops. The sealer I’ll be using comes in different sheens, so I could have very shiny countertops or more of a satin sheen. Every time I think I dislike the shiny black, I see one that I think looks gorgeous.
But I think a satin or even matte black is probably more my style.
I really have no idea when I’ll get to this project, but I’m hoping to tackle it before the end of this year. And I want to have a plan in place long before I’m actually ready to get started. The only thing holding me back from committing 100% to black countertops is that I’ve heard such mixed reviews of them. If you’ve lived with black kitchen countertops, I’d love to know your thoughts! Do you love them? Hate them? And why?
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I think that black countertops will look nice. Im sure either matte or glossy will look good but the countertops in the meredith herron picture look cracked. I hope you don’t copy that look!
So the dining room is finished? When do we get to see?
Wow! They do look cracked. We bought a houst with black (and a few other gains of color) granite countertops. I don’t much like them, but the hubs is a geologist and he LOVES them…. Keeps finding different stuff in them… Matte black would look good.
The Meredith Herron countertops are not cracked, they are soapstone with white veins running through them 🙂 Soapstone runs the gamut from almost solid black/gray to very ‘busy’ with veins of white (and sometimes other colors) running through them.
In my Texas house, I have black soapstone with a matte – satin sheen and in my Arizona house we have very dark Silestone with a more glossy finish. I *love* the dark countertops in both homes, but dust is much more apparent on the glossy finish. I don’t notice an issue with (seeing) the dust on the much less glossy soapstone (I have a *lot* of dust in both houses). If dust will bother you, I’d vote satin finish.
Patty
I agree with Patty. I have white countertops in my kitchen and in two of my bathrooms. But in the guest bath I have a shiny black marble countertop. And that is the place that dust seems to be an issue. The combination of black and shiny really seems to make the smallest amount of dust very noticeable. If you’ve decided on black I’d go with a matte finish.
I think Rebecca was referring to the “crack” lines going from the metal basket to just under the edge of the counter. I could not tell what they were. It almost looks like silver wire although I am sure it is not.
The matte finish on the counters is beautiful though.
Yep, those are veins. 🙂
The decorating isn’t finished yet, but the major remodeling type projects are finished now that the floors are done.
That black countertop is soapstone and the white is the veining that runs through it. It’s not cracked. 🙂
They are soapstone. It is brining.
My vote is for the matte or satin!
I like black countertops but beware, they will show every tiny speck of dust.
Oh, all the dust! Plan to wipe them down twice a day if the dust is going to bother you.
Kristi, I think it depends on the dominant color of your cat’s or cats’ fur! Spoken as a cat mom! Yes, I keep them gently off the counters during food prep and when we have guests they make themselves scarce (good thing because my parents would be horrified at the sight of my cat jumping up on the counters.) My kitties are dark torties so white is good for us to see the hairs and get them off. Although I like black counters, especially when they contrast with the cabinets, I need the visual cue to take action to keep the counters clean. Not that I would turn away an adorable light colored kitty in need. If that happened I’d need a better plan.
I have black countertops in my off white (yes, I know) kitchen and I absolutely love them. The are honed Jet Mist granite so they are very matte. They have a subtle pattern so they have enough interest for me and they don’t show stains at all. I never liked polished black granite countertops, they are just too shiny for me, but when I saw these I thought they resembeled soapstone, one of my favorite countertop materials.
I love the idea of black countertops in your kitchen. They would carry the black through from your dining room curtains, which look fabulous by the way.
Sounds beautiful. I love a matte look too
I too love black countertops. In fact, if it was only my choice and money was no object, I’d probably get black soapstone like the kind found in chemistry labs. I’ve always just loved the look (even though I know soapstone is very absorbent and needs to be constantly re-sealed).
That said, I put Ikea’s black textured laminate in my condo before we sold it and lived with it for a year and it was kind of terrible. I think part of it was that it was laminate and thin one at that, so it chipped easily and when black chips and the board underneath shows, it looks really bad. It also scratched easily and black–especially solid black, shows EVERYTHING. Dust, water spots, toaster crumbs, you name it. It was very difficult to keep it looking clean, especially if you have appliances on the counters that make it difficult to do full wipe-downs. My parents have black marble floors an they always look dirty, no matter what you do to them. And the glossy finish has warn off (they are floors, of course).
Some of those problems would be lesser-so with concrete or solid stone. However, you might want to consider repair. If it chips or scratches, is the white concrete going to show through? Are you going to want to sand the whole thing down, re-stain, and re-seal it when that happens? Also, I can tell you that glossy is the worst with water spots–especially over by the sink. Make sure your sealer can stand-up to something like Windex and invest in some large bottles if you want it to stay shiny and pretty like that.
I think if it were me, I’d see if I had some extra white concrete and pour a small slab and try out the finish and see what I think of it. You could try to scratch it or put a hot pan on it or leave it near the faucet to get splashed–whatever abuse you think it’ll have to stand-up to and see if you like how it behaves.
Justin – Soapstone is *not* absorbent at all, it is completely nonporous (which is why it’s used in labs) – and NEVER needs to be sealed. People ‘oil’ it to give it the very dark/black look that occurs naturally with oxidation over time. The oil rests on top, it does not penetrate. It eventually evaporates, leaving the lighter color. Eventually (over years?), it darkens naturally. We chose soapstone for our home because it is completely impervious to all stains and etching, requires no sealing (I choose not to oil it, and it looks beautiful), you can use any cleaner you want, and I can put hot pots directly on it. It is softer than granite, so it can get nicks and dings (in 2+ years, mine have none), but they can be sanded out with regular sandpaper. I’m a total soapstone convert.
in my opinion, I agree with Patti…Soapstone is the ultimate choice. Get a scratch…sand it out. Put your hot pots directly on..no worries of cracking. I do love the matte look.
Kristi..good luck..I always enjoy your work and choices…
Absolutely right! I had beautiful Churchill soapstone counters installed in the fall of 2015, and my contractor told me that using wax( or oil) will just accelerate the darkening process, but it wasn’t necessary. I obsessively waxed them a few times, and that’s it, haven’t done them since Christmas- mine are so beautiful and impervious to anything that hits them. If I get a scratch, I add a bit of oil and they look perfect again.I love that you can put hot pots right on them too. I LOVE them 🙂
Hi – I just had Churchill soapstone installed and love it. I am seeing some watermarks around my sink that I want to get rid of. Any advice?
So glad you spoke up Patty! Some people don’t like when you disagree with them, or correct them. I too have soapstone and have had it for 15 years. My fabricator suggested oiling it every so often, which I did in the beginning. I rarely do it now since it has darkened over the years. Mine has beautiful dark green veins with bits of gold running through in some places. I could kick myself for not taking the double soapstone laundry sink out of the home we had before this one. I don’t know what I would have done with it, maybe a pet washing station had I thought about it, but sadly I didn’t. Soapstone is more expensive than other products, but I would never use anything else if I was redoing a kitchen. I love how cold it is, like marble. I make all my pastry dough right on the counter.
Justin has some great suggestions. For me, it is hard to vision black countertops with green cabinets, gold hardware, white appliances w/chrome……but I’m not a designer and don’t have the decorator’s vision you have. Can’t wait to see what you decide.
My goal is to sell and replace my white appliances in the next year or so. 🙂 They’re not my favorite things. When I purchased them, I had a much different idea for my kitchen. And after living with that refrigerator for a while, I’ve realized it doesn’t really suit our needs. It’s not high on the priority list right now, but since it’s in the plan, I don’t want to make any decorating decisions based around my appliances.
I thought you loved the look of that fridge. That’s too bad that they are not working for you. Try black, I think they would look better, although I am not crazy about a black fridge. Stoves and DW are fine. Are you planning on changing your vintage sink, now that you have a much different idea for the kitchen?
I was going to agree with you but then I saw the response from the blogger. As beautiful as the cabinets are the appliances and countertops just don’t seem to measure up. I guess when you are doing all the work and paying for the changes you can get away with it. My husband would have a royal fit if I bought appliances and then said I didn’t like them anymore. I hate my black dishwasher (changed both ovens to stainless 2 years ago after 23 years), sadly the dishwasher won’t give up and till it does it stays. My fridge is white, but it is on a wall with nothing but cabinets and bar sink etc. It is a sub zero, so I think even if it died, I would buy a fridge and put it in the garage and just leave the dead sub zero where it is (that’s how much I love it!). I could always turn it into storage, LOL.
I have black granite counters and love, love, love them. Nothing shows on them, other than occasional streaks from cleaning. Which can really only be seen at certain angles. 🙂 With your other black accents through out your house, black counters in your green kitchen would be stunning.
Okay, as some have said, toaster crumbs, or water spots can be seen, but I have granite wipes that I grab and ‘whoosh’ they are gone.
Kristi, remember how crazed you got when your cabinets had the TINYIST gloss to it and you had to paint and repaint them until they didn’t gloss anymore? It seems that the satin would be easier to maintain over the long haul. I’m thinking the super glossy will show every crumb and spot. Plus, how hard is your water? Down here in the San Antonio area, hard water is a big issue and you have to be diligent about keeping ahead of the hard water marks. The black will look amazing and you will enjoy it so much.
I have black granite in my white kitchen at our lake house. It is a dull finish honed, not highly polished, but sealed. It is my favorite thing ever that I picked when decorating!! It does show wet streaks when wiping it off if I let ‘the wet’ sit, but I just wipe it dry as I go and it always looks perfect!! Not sure how it would look with your green and I am such a visual person I would need to ‘see’ it to decide myself. Could you cover some counter areas with black construction paper or black poster board and live with it like that a few days to see what you think??? Just a thought…
That’s a great idea!
What I thought was to print one of your photos of your kitchen on plain copy paper. then take a black colored pencil and color your countertops black. it’s easier to look at a photo on a continuing basis than having something laying on your counter I would think. I did this with my walls and carpet. Also, I had shiny black and also matte black. Never again shiny. I’m not a perfect housekeeper and it showed everything, even water drops and streaks. My matte was honed granite and I didn’t like it much better. No I loved the color, but I had to polish it and wipe it dry or it would show mineral deposits from our hard, hard water. I’ve learned to decorate around my untidiness and housekeeping frequency to maintain a nice presentation. That’s much more important to me than fancy decorating fads. But finding the balance is a challenge. I love to watch your choices as well as mistakes. You are the guinea pig for many of us! And it’s always lovely in the end.
My thoughts exactly. As I was sitting here reading all comments, I was thinking she needs to put some black cloth or something on the counters to live with for a bit before jumping in and doing it…..
green cabinets, white backsplash, black counters…
https://www.yahoo.com/style/emerald-green-grey-interiors-055200227.html
different style, but the colors are there.
I have dark brown cabinets and black speckled countertops and an entire wall of windows. My kitchen just sucks the light out of the area. When we moved in it also had black appliances, those are now stainless steel and help bounce the light a little. You installed extra lighting, if I remember right, so it may not be an issue for you. If you do black, don’t do shiney — it shows every water spot, crumb, and dust speck.
Good luck!
I also have dark brown cabinets and black Silestone countertops with stainless steel appliances. It is a very rich look but I completely agree with your comment that it sucks the life out of your kitchen. I have painted my walls a lighter color, kept my windows uncovered and increased the wattage of my lights with little improvement. My husband doesn’t want to paint the cabinets. My counters are matte and don’t show the dirt at all, in fact my family can’t see the mess they leave behind. I have to run my fingers over the counter to find the mess. I would highly recommend you find a way to try them out first.
I Like the shiny black counter tops. my self, they just have a richer look to them. I also think if you re-stained your white counter top in a shiny pearl white they would look great!…Love the idea of a vent cover that would be a nice accent to the kitchen….Can’t wait to see the dining room all decorated with the new curtains Ect…Go gettum tiger!
I had black granite countertops in my last home, I loved them and sometimes wish I’d used them in my new home. They were polished so I did have a problem of hard water stains around the faucets but that’s not a showstopper. I think they would be beautiful with your green cabinets! I also think the hood vent cover would match the style of your kitchen better, we did that too and I’m very pleased with the results.
I’ve gotten hard water stains on my black granite countertop in my bathroom, so there’s that to consider. I think a glossy finish would show every single water spot.
Hi Kristi,
We have black granite counter tops with mahogany cabinets and I love the look. We remodeled our kitchen about 6 years ago and I still love it. I do like the black counters on white cabinets but I love richer colored woods a bit more, it’s a classic look.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
The house my husband and I bought three years ago was only 60% completed at the time, and my job since has been to finish it. One thing the builder had done was to install polished black grant countertops every where (over cabinet bases that had no doors and drawers). I really, really dislike them. They show every fingerprint and water ring while hiding crumbs and such. I am constantly cleaning them only to have them look dirty within the hour. If I didn’t think it a total waste to throw out “perfectly” (ha!) good countertops, I would. However, I just can’t bring myself to do it (or to ask my sweet husband to fork over the cash for new ones), and so I will live with (and continue to clean) them.
I have black granite in my kitchen and I have been pretty happy with it for the past six years. The cabinets are white and the backsplash is travertine (a choice I would not make today but have to live with it). My counters are shiny and while I initially wanted honed granite I am glad that they are glossy because of the fact that they reflect light. My kitchen doesn’t have good natural light so the high gloss on the counters turned out to be a good thing as it is very reflective in my situation. The dark counters hide spills very well but dust is very obvious, however I wipe them down daily so that’s not a problem.
If you could do it, try to get a samples like a cutting board sizes and place them in several spots over the next couple of days to see how it would look against the green, then you can see if shiny or satin or matte would be best with the natural (daytime) and kitchen light (nightime) hitting on them.
There is an app called “paint tester” that allows to you take a photo of your room and change colors of anything in it. I’ve used it to test different colors on furniture ice wanted to paint as well as the walls. It’s not perfect but you could try and see what the countertops would look like black that way.
I have black countertops and I love the color. Unfortunately, they are a laminate made to look like granite, but if I could afford to replace them I would still want black. They look great with white subway tile like you have.
I also have black countertops which were made to look like granite. They have lost their shine in areas. I am wondering what I can do to them to restore the original glossy look.
Hi Carolyn, I used Rejuvenate to restore the sheen on my countertops. I purchased it at Home Depot. Good luck.
These photos might give you a good idea of what it might look like:
http://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=128428
http://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=128425
http://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=128426
http://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=128424
There is white veining in these counter tops, but it definitely gives a good idea of the color combination.
Aaaaand…I’m sold. 🙂 I LOVE that look! I even like the veining.
really pretty, and I like the veining too!!! I like your color green better than that picture, it will look great.
Yeah, looks great. Black countertops will be perfect in your kitchen, Kristi.
WOWZA!!!
I had black matte countertops. I really liked them. The worst thing, which wasn’t bad at all, was that sometimes I would go to clean them and realize there was this gross dirty area that I didn’t even know was there. They hide the mess which is kind of a plus when you have five kids. 🙂 I guess some corners did get a dust buildup if not wiped down daily…not a big deal at all. They were nice. I think satin would probably show dirt and messes easier and be harder to get perfectly clean. I can’t imagine that is going to be something you need to consider very much in your household though.
Guess I should read the other comments BEFORE I comment. I said what everyone else did. 🙂
Interesting- my first reaction to black countertops was… “really?”. I have so many questions! Then you mentioned you had plenty of natural light. Then I also remembered that our previous house had black countertops (went great with the white cabinets) 😉 lol They were just laminate with a subtle grainingbut they were without a doubt- very pretty. Had a subtle pattern and color variation – but mostly just all matte black. But I can totally imagine a shinier version. I’m just having a hard time picturing it with your cabinets. I have no doubt you will do it and it will look fabulous!
I had black granite in my old house. It was installed by the previous owners. I hated it. With such a reflective surface, it showed every crumb and water ring. Cleaning without streaks was a challenge as well. If you do go with black, use a different finish besides glossy.
Maybe test it on some sample concrete first.
I like the idea of black, too! I found two images of green kitchens with black countertops, but the greens were either too sage-y or olive-y, so I did a bit of photo-editing and put them on Pinterest for you. I couldn’t get the second one blue enough. But you can get the idea, I hope.
https://www.pinterest.com/1ofdabest/for-kristy/
Wow! Thank you! I really love the look.
Kristi, I think your kitchen will look even prettier than that one because of your back splash being white.
Hi Kristi, First, the black counter-top that some readers think looks cracked appears to me to be soapstone which does have some white/light colored veining. I don’t have the black counter-tops myself but since it is very popular with builders in this area several friends have them. Although the matte finish seems easier to keep, all of them talk about the problem of keeping them clean. They still show every bit of dust, crumbs, water and anything else that can hit a vertical surface even on days they haven’t even cooked anything. Think of all that will show during the rest of your remodeling/redecorating. Even though I am home most days (retired) I don’t want to wipe down my counters several times a day. Yes, they are really pretty. Why not try painting and sealing a couple of pieces of wood, wide enough to mimic counter-top surface and let them sit on your counter-tops for a while. Or, as one reader commented, do a mock-up of a concrete and try it out. But, if you like to clean your kitchen often, then go with it, girl!
I have lived with black countertops…I never will again. Just resting your arm on one will leave a mark. They never look clean. I guarantee…the one with the shiny black countertops…they must never use their kitchen. I actually had black granite torn out of my baths and replaced with white Quartz. The black always looked dirty…everything showed.
We had solid black tiled granite countertops before we remodeled and I hated them with a passion of a thousand suns. But, your mileage may vary!
I had black laminate countertops for years…….never had a problem with them. They seemed to hide lots of crumbs and spots. I replaced the countertops last year with a black granite and still like them….though I don’t have a cat. The granite has a shiny finish which seems to be a bit harder to keep clean than my matte finish on the laminate.
My experience has been that unless you’re the type that thrives on getting things “clean and shiny”, you are always better off avoiding glossy finishes of any colour! I like things to be clean alright, but draw the line before shiny, as I don’t enjoy the constant polishing. I also think concrete just isn’t meant to be glossy!
PS I forgot to say that I think choosing the countertops based on your cat’s fur is the most brilliant idea yet. Thanks to Brenda, I’m mentally reviewing all the surfaces I hate/love, and aha!… The ones that hide the cat fur are my favorites. (I know she prefers the contrast so she can see and clean, but I hate to clean.) Do they make countertop in calico?
I’m going to give the same feedback as others : plan on needing to wipe down your countertops several times a day. I lived with black countertops for a couple of years before redoing them… You will see ever crumb, smudge, and fleck of dust that has the audacity to settle onto your countertop. They look amazing (especially if you get lots of natural light in your kitchen), but they are kind of high maintenance to keep looking clean.
I have had 2 kitchens with black countertops. The first was a house that we bought that already had matte black ceramic tile and oak cabinets which I painted white. The second house had shiny black granite. The black looked beautiful but as others have said it shows everthing. The matte was better than the shiny by far. I’m not sure how much light you have in your kitchen but in my kitchen with the black tile, it seemed to just suck the life out of kitchen facing east even with painting the cabinets white. The other kitchen was open layout with lots of light and we didn’t feel it was dark, just drove me with streaks, and keeping it looking clean.
Kristi, I had black countertops in my last home a few years back and I absolutely LOVED them. They were granite and the finish was pretty shiny, but, at the time, I had shiny black appliances and I think they went together nicely. My kitchen was also very well lit by natural sunlight, so it never felt small or cramped at all. I would actually choose those very same countertops again today!
I know whatever you decide, it will be beautiful. You have a knack for making the finishing touches you choose looking fabulous! Good luck!
I’d love black granite if I could afford them. I would get the shiny kind over the matte finish because whenever I’ve seen the matte finish in black or white, they look grey or cream/off white to me.
Use photo shop to try it out. Personally, I can’t wait to get rid of my black countertops!! They show EVERYTHING! Something with some veining or variation in color might be better but my matte black drives me bonkers. Have fun picking something out and I know you can make it look great!
I had shiny absolute black granite countertops in our old house and I loved the look of them. I love anything black; dogs, cats, furniture, cars, clothes etc. But, the old countertops showed every fingerprint, every water spot, dust etc. I’m a clean freak so I was cleaning them constantly. I have black countertops in two baths in the new house and they don’t seem to show fingerprints as badly but they do show dust and water spots. I would think a matte finish might not show the dust etc as badly.
My mother-in-law has black granite countertops which I like, however, I have noticed she has a few chips and they really stand out. I don’t think this would be a problem or as much as a problem for you and concrete countertops because you know how to fix things :)!!
I think black countertops are nice, but all your images have stainless steel. Will black look good with white appliances? Im not sure, personally. Right now all the white in the room helps the appliances recede and lets your gorgeous cabinets shine.
our counter tops are dark wood, not black, but they show water stains, crumbs, dust and everything else listed above. while I like the look of dark tops much better than light ones, next time I would choose a lighter colour just to not clean and wipe everything all the time… I suppose it’s really a question of how devoted you are to cleaning (or a spotless look :))
I have black glossy marble in a 1/2 bath. Love the look. HATE trying to keep it clean. Dust and water spots and finger prints and cat feet… Every little speck of EVERYTHING shows–in detail.
Hi Kristi!
What brand/type is your range hood? We’ve been looking for one similar to do a build in hood, I’m struggling to find one with the controls on the underside. Thanks!!
I bought it here: http://amzn.to/1OwKo3j (that’s an affiliate link 🙂 )
Thank you!!! I’m assuming you have liked it so far?
I do like it very much. I didn’t vent mine to the outside, and I regret that decision. I’ll eventually take it down and redo it so that it vents outside. I’ll wait for my father-in-law to visit to tackle that so he can help me. 😀
Things are looking great! Good job 👍
We replaced our original almond colored Formica from 1986 with beautiful varigated shiny black granite @8,000 worth. We had a very large kitchen with skylights and huge view Windows. As much as I LOVED the look and it’s what sold our home, it was a project keeping it look that way. It is upkeep, normal, but it showed every streak and I felt I was constantly wiping the counters. I did have a lot of natural light. In our new home, lots of light and Windows again, I am not going black. We are not sure exactly what product we will use because the kitchen is a gathering place in our home. If we choose granite, it will be a varigated lighter tone. I am not sure if a matte finish would be harder to keep streak free or not. I do love the look of both matte and shiny. In a small kitchen I think shiny would reflect light and bring life into the kitchen.
Good luck and can’t wait to see what you decide.
I retouched your image to show black counters. Ugh. But I cannot post it here.
I’d love to see it! You can email me: [email protected]
I know whatever you end up doing will be beautiful, but I just worry about the small size of your kitchen making everything look too dark and closed in. This is just my opinion without really knowing the size etc of your room. I need light….hehe
As you know, I usually don’t voice my opinion, and I rarely have one because I’m very indecisive, but I have to agree with Linda (above). I’m afraid that black counter tops will make it too dark as well, and you don’t have any windows IN you kitchen if memory serves me. It seems that the pictures of the combo (green, black and white) all have direct light. But what do I know? I have pretty dark corian counter tops myself, but I also have LOTS of direct (windows) light. My cabinets are the dreaded 90’s honey oak. 🙁
I am a professional chef, and I cater out of my home kitchen as well as cooking in my restaurant. I installed honed black granite counters in my kitchen several years ago and never regretted it. I do not have a dust problem, I do not wipe them down corner to corner on a daily basis. I will say that when I bake, flour can “dust”‘the counter and it needs to be wiped down, and when wiping with a damp sponge I follow immediately with a dry towel to avoid water streaks but I’m anal about those kind of things. I LOVE them and would highly recommend! Note that I used HONED granite which has a beautiful satin-like finish, very low luster.
We bought our first house last summer and it has black faux-granite countertops. While the color isn’t one I would have originally chosen, it is SO GOOD for hiding dirt and crumbs. I try to keep it pretty clean, but I don’t have time to wipe down my counters every time I use them. I would get black counters again for this reason alone in a heartbeat!
I have glossy black granite countertops and I love them. I will say that the glossy black does show fingerprints on the surface that i don’t think matte would show. The good thing about dark granite is it’s much more dense than lighter varieties so I keep a bottle of vinegar and water close by and spray them when I notice prints and because of my cat (I spray a quick mist before I do food prep because I figure the cat was on them when I wasn’t looking!) I have had them for 10 years and I really don’t think they get that dusty-I have never needed to dust twice a day as someone else said ! I see more dust on my white vinyl blinds than I ever have on my countertops!
I think black countertops would look great with your green cabinets but if you’re worried maybe you should paint some foamboard and lay it on top to see what you think.
I’m sad to see your fridge go, I love it. But if it doesn’t work for you its gotta go. I’m surprised you haven’t Photoshopped black counters in to have a visual. I love, love your kitchen. You are so humble about everything you do; I’d be dragging strangers off the street to say
“Look what I did!” You amaze me with every post.
I remodeled my kitchen last year and had black quartz countertops installed. They are fairly solid, with very little “speckage”. If I could have afforded soapstone, that would have been my first choice. But I have no regrets. Love them! The fact that they show water and oil marks quickly doesn’t bother me a bit! There is just the two of us, both adults, and it’s simply no big deal to either of us to see a few water spots, even on a regular basis. My cabinets are a medium toned blue with a grey-green undertone, btw. Like you, I change my mind frequently and will be repainting some of them in a grey and some of them in a deeper, more vivid blue.
I have black countertops and absolutely love them other then you can see a sheen of dust even after they have been wiped down. I try and keep clutter to a minimum so it makes it easier to keep the dust away.
Oh….black….ummmm….gulp….well….it is my unprofessional and probably very unpopular opinion that between the dark counters and green cabinets, they will suck every inch of light from your currently bright room. Think of the green chairs and black table. Even with your wonderful tilework, that counter….hmmm….well…yeah. That said, you have proven me wrong before so ultimately go with your heart.
I have black soapstone countertops and LOVE them. (I even have an island made of deep green cabinets) The look is black but b/c its soapstone, its a very satin-y warm look. I don’t have any problem at all with fingerprints or dust.
And for some of the above comments on soapstone, mine did NOT have to be sealed and mine have zzero chips or stains. Several years ago I did put soapstone wax on them but that was not required to seal them. I did it to keep them the satin-y black and they have stayed that way.
Instead of granite, I had a man-made recycled glass countertop installed 3 years ago. It’s shiny black with flecks of amber (beer bottles, I think). My cabinets are painted white bead board with black handles and hinges, white bead board backsplash, stainless appliances, under cabinet lights, black cooktop, Silgranit metallic gray sink, and dark gray slate LVT floor. I love the whole look and get many, many compliments. I keep a spray bottle of vinegar/water handy and wipe the counter once a day, then use BarKeepers Friend once a week for deep cleaning.
My two cents is that a less than perfectly smooth material like concrete will never have that super smooth glossy finish, no matter what you put on it.
I have seen gloss sealers on plain grey concrete tops (kind of an industrial look) and it looked crappy. The gloss reflects light all wrong on a rough-ish surface and it honestly looked cheap to me.
A matt or satin sealer ends up with a honed look and I think it looks great. (Then again I had the polished finish honed off my caesarstone tops, so I may be biased!)
Hi Kristi,
Love your blog!
So we moved to our new house and it has black counter tops (just cheap laminate) with white cupboards. At first I wasn’t sure but with two small kids and six animals, I can say that I LOVE them. Best colour ever!!!!! Our sink is black too. If I am too busy to clean them, they look fine to have company over. Every spill is camouflaged. My husband can cook and get messy and I don’t freak out because they look a mess.
Note: We also have them in the bathroom and that is a different story because toothpaste is white and it does show up and need to be cleaned.
Black countertops in my last kitchen, and I swore never again! Then, the house we bought had black granite also. I was crushed, and will definitely change them once my husband isn’t looking! They show dust so bad, and are hard to keep that nice shine. They do look beautiful, but it’s not without a lot of work. I tried to warn my friend when she remodeled her kitchen. Now, she wishes she had listened!
So glad you asked. I loved the look and idea of black countertops. I had matte black laminate countertops installed two years ago. They are pretty. BUT, they show every last tiniest bit of dust or lint or crumbs or hair or water marks… They never ever look completely clean. And gee whiz, I never realized how much salt my husband spills on the countertop or how much of the sugar actually ends up on the counter instead of in my teacup. The worst part is, I bought a beautiful black sink to match, and I hate it! It always looks gross from the hard water. It has to be regularly oiled, which I find I do not do often enough. It’s embarrassing. And the black drain we bought, the paint is peeling off it. The countertop remains for two reasons. One, because the installer made the snide remark that he would be back in a month to replace it since black was such a terrible idea. And two, I can’t afford to replace it. Hope that helps! 🙂
Elle Decor June 2016, p161
I LOVE THAT!!!! So I guess if I do the black countertops and it looks too dark, I can just paint my upper cabinets white! I actually really love that combo of green lowers and white uppers!
Had shiny black countertops at our old home. Looked beautiful, but difficult to live with as they showed dust, water marks, crumbs, etc. If you want black I’d lean towards matte or satin. If your kitchen isn’t going to just be used for photoshoots, shiny black may drive you crazy.
Couldn’t figure out how to post the picture I colored of your wall of cabinets with black counters, so I created a Kristi board on my Pinterest account. My Pinterest account is Karen Hackett. I used a slightly grayed color to simulate the matte or satin finish. I think it would be beautiful.
I think so, too! Thank you for dong that!
I just saw an article about green kitchens the other day and the first one showed the green cabinets and black counters. https://www.yahoo.com/style/emerald-green-grey-interiors-055200227.html. I originally thought they had featured your kitchen.
My shiny black countertops are a nightmare! ALWAYS fingerprints. Everyone who walks in the door puts their hands on them. They would be beautiful if I didn’t actually have to use my kitchen. 😉
A friend of mine bought a condo in San Francisco that came with shiny black countertops with a bit of red flecks in them. She hated them and what she mentioned most was if ants showed up after a rain or something, eek, she couldn’t see them espasily on the shiny black countertops. I’ve used a light moss green Italian granite in homes that has a very regular tiny pattern to the graining and love it because it’s not too light, not too dark, it’s just right. I love the look of your white counters but Agee if you’re going dark to mock up a sample countertop with what you already have on it and try out new approach. And I got for honed. More expensive looking.
Christy I had black honed kitchen counter tops and loved them. I don’t remember a problem with them showing dust etc. Although I really think glossy black counters would look best, sometimes practicality does trump beauty for sanity’s sake. I think that black counters will look wonderful and will tie in perfectly with your new dining , entry etc. that you have now rethought.I love this new direction you have chosen. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Inherited matte black countertops and after living with them for years, finally paid the big bucks to have them polished to a shiny black. so.much.better! No comparison. Old, worn out looking versus beautiful. Dull, matte black is horrible. No other way to put it.
I love the matte finish black soap stone counter tops. I wish I could fit them in my budget. I know you are staining your counter tops. I think the glossy tops would show every streak and water mark and finger print. Not to mention flour, sugar, and dust. I can’t wait to see your kitchen with the “new” counter tops.
I saw a commercial for (I think) Behr Paint app. You can take a photo of your room and change the color of the walls, counters, etc.
OR use inexpensive fabric, towels, or plastic table cloths (Dollar Tree) to cover the counter to see if you like the look. Just a thought.
BTW I LOVE YOUR BLOG.
I think the black Matt or satin finish would be very nice.
I have had friends that have concrete countertops…..they love them but they do and can stain…but you know that….you’re a smart designer, seamstress, home decor queen!!!!!!!!!
I think the black with your green will be fabulous!
Might redo your cabinetry hardware….. but hey…..that’s a walk in the park!
Whatever you decide will be fabulous…..it always is!
We installed black shiny Ubatuba granite in the first house we built and regretted that choice immediately! They never looked clean, always showed dust and crumbs and fingerprints… I just installed a black matte granite in my daughters bathroom and that shows some dust but not the fingerprints. Food for thought..
I think black counters will be dramatic and bring the kitchen closer to your original Cameron Diaz inspiration kitchen. I’d finish the breakfast room first though and then do as Cheryl Geiger suggested, cover the counters with black craft paper and live with them a week or so since black would be irreversible. Wish I got Elle Decor so I could see the green, black, and white kitchen; I love different uppers and lowers.
It may be possible to get that veined soapstone look which is very nice and breaks up the black slab. It seems they used the actual sealer as a resist. Definitely something that would require a practice slab.
http://www.concretenetwork.com/stained-concrete/design-ideas/floral-pattern.html
There’s an excellent hood idea on another blog which kept the storage of the cabinet above the range.
http://www.ninahendrick.com/diy-storage-range-hood/
It looks like all the commenters have covered nearly everything. I got black granite, highly polished along with the house when we bought it. I hate it, the hubs loves it, so we are probably stuck with it. It shows dust, etc., but one person was right when she said you can’t see ants! Or shudder, roaches! When we first moved in there was a problem — which we got remedied immediately! — but it was gross. Then too, I have some issues with my eyes, and if something is very dark, like a black cooking utensil is right under my nose, or my glasses, I can’t see them because it fades into the background. I have actually laid some large wooden cutting boards and tempered glass sheets here and there so that I can find things better. I do have under-cabinet lights, and I still can’t see some things.
We lived in a house that had black granite countertops. While I personally love the look of black countertops, the reality of it wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be. While they were gorgeous, you could see EVERYTHING on them!!! Every single crumb or speck of dust showed on them. No matter how often I cleaned them they always looked dirty. Ironically, our next home had pure white countertops. Same problems different color. LOL
I don’t have black countertops but I love them… You could get a couple of cheap rolls of black gift wrap and “wrap” your countertops just to get the effect of black without any commitment… I’m often indecisive (I love everything!) so when I can’t decide, I look for the temporary ideas.
Love your blog and ideas and that you do everything yourself. You’re a rockstar!
I have black granite and absolutely hate them. You have no idea how much dust accumulates on them on a daily basis until you have them. I will never do a dark countertop again, never! I guarantee if you go black you will want to change it back!
I have black countertops and would not do it again. They’re dated and they show spots. There are better choices, I think.
I’m fascinated to read everyone’s comments on this topic. Quite a bit of variance! I don’t have my own black countertops, but I do have views on the subject. 🙂 I love dark countertops – my dream kitchen would have soapstone counters. I think black counters with your green cabinetry and white backsplash would be quite striking and in keeping with your aesthetic. I encourage it! I also encourage a matte finish. I don’t know what it is, but I find polished stone counters to be cold and unpleasant to the touch. Love hewn surfaces, which would feel more like your concrete.
Kristi-
The black countertop design can be a great option. One of my homes that I sold in 2014 had black uba tuba granite and it was a nice look off of the white cabinets. If I had installed under cabinet lights, it would have been great since it would shine off the counter. I think it would be a nice design choice for your kitchen, but consider –
– a glossy finish would help reflect the sconces and task lighting you have and keep the room bright. the cabinets and trim have satin finishes and a black matte counter would add another surface that absorbs the light in the room. I’d imagine if someone wore a matte green dress with shiny white pearl jewelry,they’d go with a glossy black purse/clutch and shoes over a matte black.
-a matte black may look heavier in that room too. playing off the dark cabinets is doable ( i really liked the black-on-black kitchen photo you used) but your kitchen also has dark floors. the black-on-black photo was framed by the light/white floor, walls, and ceiling. I envision it may feel cave-like, even with the natural light the room can get.
It would still be a nice design with the matte. There is a little trick to help if you decide to go that route: change your light bulbs from warm white to daylight bulbs. The bulbs would help amplify the feel of natural light in the room, so even with dark cabinets, floors, and counters it could feel like mid-afternoon, even if you walked in at midnight
Kristi, I saw this pic from Elle Decor and thought I would share. It reminded me of your green cabinets as soon as I saw it. https://instagram.com/p/BFjR3imFJ8l/
Oh my gosh, I saw that, too! I’m sooooo tempted to paint my upper cabinets white when I redo my countertops black! 😀
Not sure if you saw this on AT, but the first image really spoke to your idea: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/6-inspiring-black-and-green-kitchens-221908
I am a HUGE fan of soapstone counters, so I may be a bit biased, but I think the black counters will look great.