Kitchens with light top and dark bottom: combination options and examples
The contrasting color sets lend dynamism and style to any kitchen. However, the choice of such furniture must necessarily be carried out in accordance with a number of rules.
Peculiarities
The design of the kitchen with a light top and dark bottom allows you to create a bright and memorable interior, the mood of which is determined by the colors used. For example, the hard, pronounced contrast between black and white creates the effect of a certain aggression and even masculinity, while the combination of pink and purple shades adds femininity. For a neutral setting, it is customary to use soft combinations of brown and beige, or gray and blue tones. In addition, it is customary to make the top of the headset quieter, and add brightness at the bottom.
Although the strict division of dark bottom and light top is classic, you can also use colors additionally to place accents in the form of geometric shapes or lines.
Advantages and disadvantages
Combo headsets have both a number of advantages and some disadvantages. The light top and dark bottom immediately create a bright and unusual accent in the room, which increases the possibilities for decoration and the rest of the space.
It is convenient that two-tone furniture is suitable for any stylistic solution, of course, with some modifications. The presence of a dark color allows you to "fit" the appliances available in the kitchen into a single picture. In addition, the combination of contrasting shades visually divides the room horizontally, and this significantly expands the space. The combined headset will look interesting even with the usual linear layout.
As for the downsides, the only obvious one is the need for regular cleaning. The fact is that stains and carbon deposits are immediately noticeable on light surfaces, and streaks and dust on dark ones. If you neglect regular cleaning, the furniture will appear stained. Another slight difficulty can be the selection of shades: it is important that they not only combine with each other, but also that the dark color does not overload the space and does not make it smaller.
Basic rules for combining
In order for the kitchen set to look organic, it is required to adhere to several basic rules. The darker and smaller the room itself, the more light "spots" should be located on the headset. For example, in addition to the light top, below you can place several accents of the same color on the facades, and choose a representative of the light palette as the third "connecting" shade.
In addition, if the headset looks too dark due to the massive bottom, then the rest of the kitchen should be contrasting light.
Not only colors play an important role, but also textures, shapes and accessories. Consider the appropriateness of the gloss or matte effect and play with the shapes. It is believed that in this case, corner sets or those that have a countertop of an unusual shape look much more interesting. Textiles, upholstered furniture, lamps or even crockery are used as "supporting" accessories. It is better to choose curtains of one of the used shades or "connecting" tone.
Sofas, banquets or poufs are purchased in accordance with the same rule. It is better to choose ceiling lamps with a shade of the corresponding dark shade to provide the necessary contrast in the "ceiling" area.
It is recommended to choose dishes of one or both main colors. For example, if a kitchen set has a dark purple bottom and a yellow top, and the countertop is painted in a basic black color, then a beautiful ceramic container of the corresponding yellow shade should be placed on the latter. It is paired with a purple fruit or candy bowl on the dining table.
Whenever possible, curtains should be purchased in shades of lemon or ripe banana with some kind of purple patterns, such as polka dots or stripes. It is better to choose a sofa with lilac upholstery, and place a couple of yellow pillows on it.
To prevent overloading the interior, all the main surfaces - ceiling, floor and walls - should be as neutral as possible, for example, in gray or beige tones. A glass round table will look good in such a room.
Color solutions
The combined kitchen unit allows you to use almost any shade. The classic is, of course, black, the variations of which vary from rich matte to light gloss. It can be successfully combined with any pale shades, white, blue, pink, yellow and even cream. No less common is the dark gray shade, which, depending on the second shade, can create both warm and cold atmosphere in the kitchen. It looks organic with white, creamy, light blue and others.
Common for a combined headset and the use of a shade of chocolate in all its many variations. For example, it can be a combination "beige-brown" or "wenge-vanilla". In general, it is worth focusing on combining a dark brown color with a warm palette, for example, a milky or champagne shade. Dark green, almost emerald green, is usually combined with cream, beige or again champagne.
This combination is ideal for classic interiors.
Deep blue suits styles like Art Nouveau, Mediterranean, Greek or, again, classic. It can be combined with both warm beige tones and pale yellow or ivory. The violet shade is indispensable in modern interiors. It is best to combine it with beige, creamy or light purple.
In general, when choosing colors for a headset with a dark bottom and a light top, one should not forget about the need for a third shade, which will be used to place accents, as well as to perform a "connecting" role between the two parts.
How to choose?
In order to complement the interior with a two-tone set, you need to focus on the footage and features of the room, as well as the chosen style and the desired mood. It should be said right away that the corner structure is indispensable in small rooms. Brown, blue and green shades fit well into classic interiors, as they create the effect of luxury and nobility.
These colors should be combined with solid wood, wooden countertops, and carved furniture. Modern light interiors allow the use of bright colors, for example, mixing purple and orange shades. In this case, the apron can be made plastic, and in the kitchen itself it is imperative to place wide flying curtains and a small rug. Turquoise and olive green look good in combination with mirrored surfaces and modern technology.
Interesting ideas
A tricky shade like red will look completely non-aggressive when combined with a simple white color as part of a combined headset. Unusual texture and gloss are repeated both above and below. The lower cabinets are covered with a white worktop in the same shade as the upper ones. The red color is used not only for the lower modules, but is also part of the pattern on the kitchen backsplash.
The third "connecting" tone can be called a silvery shade - it is also present on the apron, on the handles of cabinet doors, on the sink tap and placed dishes. Despite the fact that the headset is linear, its good location does not “steal” free space and does not alter the layout of the room for the worse.
The combination of a rich yellow hue and a color close to champagne looks bright and sunny. The "connecting" shade in this case is white. This is how the worktop, the existing equipment and the ends of the cabinets are painted. The apron is decorated with beige tiles, similar to the color of the upper modules. The doors of all cabinets are glossy. The length of the floor modules exceeds the length of the hinged ones, but on the other hand, a poster of a harmonious shade has been successfully placed on the freed space of the wall.
It is important to add that in such a bright kitchen, the decoration of the walls, floor and ceiling is as neutral as possible.
The main shades of Scandinavian style are dark gray and white, which look perfect in one combo headset. The dark bottom creates a sense of support and coziness, while the light cabinets that merge with the ceiling give the room the capacity and the necessary space. The top of the set is painted in a beige shade, which is also found at the bottom of the floor modules. The apron is decorated with a pattern that combines both of the main shades used in the headset.
The hob and dishwasher, made of dark steel, are ideally matched to the floor units. The walls of the room are painted white and the shade of the tiles on the floor is identical to that used for the countertop.
The combined kitchen set looks very stylish and impressive, the lower cabinets of which are painted in dark blue, and the upper ones, reaching the ceiling, in a white shade. The "connecting" shade is gray. It is used to decorate the apron, cabinet handles, as well as the equipment used - stoves and hoods. It is worth mentioning that although the upper cabinets form a pronounced corner, and the lower ones have a rounded module, their combination still looks extremely organic. The floor in the room is lined with light-colored laminate, and the walls are painted in neutral gray so as not to overload the interior.
The combination of black and white in the headset can be called almost a classic. Glossy doors look very impressive. An additional tone here is gray - it is present in the design of the apron, cabinet handles, as well as existing household appliances. The table top, by the way, is painted in the usual white color, identical to the color of the hinged modules. Other objects in the kitchen support the contrast: a white table, a white refrigerator, a black stove, an oven, chairs and a microwave. The floor is covered with dark gray tiles to match the complementary shade.
For information on how to combine colors in the kitchen, see the next video.