Light or dark kitchen cabinets?

I love my wood floors in the kitchen---they are warm (a consideration if you have little ones crawling around)they are easy on the feet when standing (I bake a lot, and the wood floors are easier on my back than tile---which I had before) and they are surprisingly durable and so easy to clean.

I tend to drop things,and on the tile everything shattered---including the tile. Just recently I was putting away a 9 qt. stock pot and dropped it. Both the pot and the floor were unscathed.

Our wood kitchen floors (which I love) really need refinishing, while the rest of our wood floors do not. Water is unkind to the floors, and we are not that careful.

I'd do it again anyway, but would probably get a large mat/rug for the sink area.

As for the dark cabinets, another thing I've noticed from some pics is that using glass in some of the upper cabinet doors lightens the effect.

I also think it's hard to do good photos of black cabinets. To me, they tend to look a bit cold and formal in photographs, but I think considerably better/softer IRL.

That's something else we are considering... replacing the raised panel in some of the uppers with glass. Maybe even some lights inside glass-fronted cabinets for the nice stemware.

I have glass panels on the front and side of the cabinets that abut the window over the sink. With glass shelves, it diffuses the natural light from that window beautifully, and doesn't look like a monolith.

In our home in south Orange we had dark cherry cabinets which hid all sorts of sins. Now we have birch wood cabinets which also hide a lot of filth.

I like to think my home is clean. I know it isn't but I have a MIL who does the white glove treatment when she visits (once a year!). White or very dark kitchen cabinets are not something I would pick out. I have better things to do than clean and I am not spending my money on a cleaner.

We have white cabinets. The main counter is matte black granite, but the counters surrounding the big-ass stove are Carrera. And the tile backsplash is a bright-ish blue. Not for everyone, but I think the combo is lovely in this particular context.

I agree that dark cabinets are lovely in a big and sunny room. Our kitchen is too small and on the shady part of our house

@jensen a slightly damp microfiber towel is great for cleaning stainless steel appliances streaks
and spots and a light dusting of cabinets when MIL visits.

PeggyC said:

BTW, Hauscat, I think your cabinets are wonderful, although the countertop doesn't look quite right without a cat.

Thank you. Very true about the cats!

I think solid dark upper cabinets might look too heavy. Try to do at least half of them with glass inserts. Another option is dark lower cabs and lighter upper cabs and a medium toned (maybe pop of color) backsplash. Charcoal and putty might be nice combo.

I am considering some of the uppers having a glass front. Also there will only be uppers on a single wall where the two windows are. One of the walls will be opened and turned into a peninsula and the far wall, which is on the other end will be floor to ceiling cabinets housing the fridge, oven and microwave. I was considering light counter tops, backsplash and floors as well as walls to counter all the dark cabinets. I have created some mock ups using Ikea kitchen but I have to find them. I will post them to get additional feedback.

calliope said:

I have glass panels on the front and side of the cabinets that abut the window over the sink. With glass shelves, it diffuses the natural light from that window beautifully, and doesn't look like a monolith.

Oooo, that would work BEAUTIFULLY in our new house!