Dark kitchens: pros and cons, design

In modern kitchen design, you can often find design in dark shades that attract with their depth and mystery. The interior in this design looks gorgeous, but its only drawback is that the space of the room is taken away. Therefore, before deciding on the choice of dark colors, it is important to take into account many nuances, from the size of the kitchen to the level of its lighting.

A dark kitchen can be a cozy place filled with privacy, but it needs a lot of light, otherwise the room looks inhospitable and gloomy. In order not to spoil the design of the room, you should choose the right dark tones, taking into account their advantages and disadvantages. The positive characteristics of dark colors include the following:

• the possibility of obtaining a noble interior, which is possible due to the elegance and depth of dark shades;
• cheap materials that are used in decorative finishes in such a palette look more expensive;
• warm shades of dark colors can create a feeling of comfort and coziness;
• using a dark scale, you can even out the color imbalance in the room, especially if it has non-standard dimensions; the ability to embody any design idea into reality, since such shades are ideal for all style solutions.

As for the shortcomings, they also exist.

• A small room with dark furnishings and furniture appears to be smaller visually.To prevent this, it is recommended to dilute the interior with white glossy surfaces. For example, it can be a stretch ceiling.
• Small rooms with north-facing windows and dark furnishings will lose their space. It is recommended that they be finished in dark colors, and the furniture should be purchased in white. Thanks to this solution, the boundaries of the premises will expand. On dark surfaces, various spots, dust and smudges are always noticed.

Besides, the appearance of fingerprints on the gloss is also considered a frequent problem... Therefore, if homeowners want to see the kitchen in dark colors, they must be prepared for the fact that they will have to constantly rub cabinets, tables with special polishing agents and carry out frequent cleaning. In the cold season, in cloudy weather, an interior in dark colors can have a bad effect on mood and lead to depression. To fix the situation in this case, you can use room decor in bright colors. Small accessories (figurines, vases) and ceiling tiles or wallpaper are good for this.

Since the kitchen is one of the most important functional rooms in the house, where not only food is prepared, but also guests are welcomed, its interior should be special. It is important that after the renovation, a practical, cozy and most comfortable room will turn out. A huge role in the design of dark kitchens is played by the choice of a kitchen set, which should harmoniously fit into the overall look of the room.

Modern models of kitchen sets consist of the following elements:

• shelves, cabinets, cabinets (floor structures) are considered the main part of the headset;
• hinged modules can be of various designs, ranging from open shelves to opaque closed cabinets; they are attached to the walls;
• cabinet furniture (pencil cases) are stand-alone modules in which the height of the structure exceeds the width; most often they are used to store household appliances and other kitchen utensils.

Depending on the features of the kitchen layout, kitchen sets are divided into several types.

• Linear. This is one of the simplest options and is great for small kitchens in dark shades. In this case, pieces of furniture are placed along one of the walls.

• Two-line. They are chosen for small and elongated kitchens, in which the doors are located opposite the window. The set is installed parallel along two walls.

• L-shaped. Ideal for kitchens of all sizes. With this layout, the headsets are placed along two walls located perpendicular to each other. Pencil cases and cabinets are usually placed along the long wall. If the kitchen is corner, then wall cabinets should fill the space of the corner, keeping free space in the room.

• U-shaped. Thanks to such headsets, the kitchen is comfortable and beautiful. The only thing is that U-shaped structures are not recommended for use when decorating tight spaces.

• Island. They allow you to rationally organize the space, since with this layout, the bulk of the furniture from the kitchen set is taken to the center of the room. They are recommended to be purchased for kitchens, the size of which is at least 15 m², and the shape is close to a rectangle or square.

Many people love dark tones in kitchen design, so housewives often choose both deep brown colors and such noble ones as blue, emerald, dark gray during its design. They are perfectly combined in the interior with a white refrigerator. The only thing is that when choosing shades, one should take into account the size and shape of the room, since in a limited space, dark surfaces will add gloom to the interior. For small kitchens, the use of light and dark colors is considered the best option. For example, you can make the walls snow-white, and the floor dark, the kitchen set in this case is chosen a tone lighter than the floor covering.

To get a good combination of colors, first of all, you need to decide on the background, then look for more suitable "companions" for it. Thanks to this, it will be possible to achieve the correct color balance, which in turn will give the kitchen design an atmosphere of comfort and home warmth. You should also remember one rule - dark shades should always be accompanied by light tones.

Since it is difficult to find a “companion” for most dark colors, designers recommend considering the following tips:

• black is ideally combined with pale pink, milky and white;

• brown is well complemented by pastel peach, light pistachio, sand and beige;

• burgundy is successfully combined with pale gray, creamy, flesh and pink;

• dark blue looks great paired with milky, pale pink, snow-white;

• dark olive must be diluted with apricot, peach and light pistachio.

In addition, in dark kitchens, it is necessary to observe moderation in decoration. If the kitchen is dark, then the walls and floor should be as light as possible. If the decorative finish of the kitchen is chosen in dark saturated colors, then the furniture and textiles should be light. Bright accents should not be added to the design of kitchens where dark colors prevail. As a result, you may get a feeling of complete chaos, which will cause discomfort.

Today, there are many stylistic directions for decorating kitchens in dark colors. So, if night blue, a shade of the black sea or Prussian blue is chosen as the main color, then you can create a rather interesting interior in country or Provence style, although light colors are usually used for these directions. The classics are also very popular, in which the color palette should be represented by dark emerald, green moss and viridan. In addition, the classic kitchen should be saturated with matte surfaces, as they look more restrained and sophisticated. As for gloss, it can be used in any style, it is especially well suited for decorating small kitchens.

Dark kitchens with a monochrome interior look original, which provides for the correct combination of many shades of the same color. Thanks to this play of the palette, the design acquires the necessary volume, depth and expressive features. As a rule, conservative people prefer monochrome interiors. To make everything look harmonious in the room, you should select the main color, taking into account its combination with furniture and wallpaper.The background in the room is usually the walls.

A monochrome design should follow several rules.

• You cannot fill the room with contrasting shades of a different color, since only one color should dominate in the interior. Otherwise, the originality of the design will be minimized. In addition, you should try to apply as many shades of the dominant color as possible. For example, if the walls in the room are yellow (the basis of the design), then the palette of all other components can vary from lemon to ocher.
• In such kitchens, it is recommended to use a different texture, as this will allow better perception of one color. Most often, a combination of matte and glossy surfaces, metal and wood, fur and textiles is used.
• The presence of beautiful patterns in the interior will also not hurt. Combinations of 3D panels with fragments of brickwork and decorative plaster look gorgeous in modern kitchens. Regardless of the color chosen, the kitchen must have good lighting. Therefore, a different lighting system and LED multi-colored lamps should be installed in the room.

Most designers lately have chosen to create kitchen projects in dark shades, as they look unusual and modern. Various ideas can be applied to implement such projects, taking into account the personal preferences of the homeowners. For example, if the room is small, then for its decoration you can choose the color of dark chocolate... In this design, the kitchen will be filled with a cozy atmosphere. In this case, furniture should be chosen a few shades lighter.

An interesting option would be a dark kitchen in black and white. These two opposite colors create an interesting union. In kitchens where windows face north, you need to try to use more light shades, and make out individual inserts with dark ones. In such a design, hidden lighting must be present. Most often, in this design, the ceiling and refrigerator act as a white background, cabinets, floors and walls are made dark.

In small kitchens, it will be interesting to look at a combination of transparent structures and dark colors in decoration, which is often ideal for high-tech style. In this case, it is necessary to arrange the walls and flooring in a dark gray color, install a stretch white ceiling. In such an interior, steel-colored household appliances look good. As for the kitchen set, it can be presented in various modifications. The main thing is that the modules are equipped with transparent doors. The main accent in the kitchen will be a glass table, which can be supplemented with an openwork tablecloth.