apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

oh dear. i believe that black is not a color. wrong contest. wrong all over.

Why is there a white stove?
Wouldn't it look better silver?

Black is all colors - white is the absence of color. This is the right contest for a predominantly black kitchen. In my opinion this is a better entry that some of those "insta-finalists" with all white walls and little drops of color here and there. I just think the look is unfinished with the white stove. And possibly a little to laquered-looking for my personal taste.

a stainless steel oven would look 1000x better.

personally, this doesn't work at all for me. the layout is nice and i like the touches like the integrated wine rack and glass storage - but all that black looks so dark and depressing.

if this were my kitchen, i would be eating a LOT of takeout.

Not to be a picky pants but white is the union of all colors, black is the absence of color.

That being said, with a silver oven and perhaps a lighter floor and some much needed splashes of color, it could eventually work.

Right now though it just seems soooo dark.

the black (tin)? ceiling with inset lighting is cool. but the all back shininess of the room is really overwhelming for me.

Well, I always like it when people take their home in a specific direction--do something that is unique to them and their tastes. As far as my OWN tastes, I think the over-saturation of black and silver is quite ugly. Particularly in a kitchen. It sort of drains me of energy just to look at the picture and not I don't think it belongs in this contest. But the homeowner should be commended on having a particular style though, and in transforming a space on a small budget simply by using color.

The Addams Family lives here, right? or is it the Munsters? either way it's a HORROR

Dear Picky Pants,
Black is the presence of all color in additive color (ie. this kitchen). White is the presence of all color when it comes to subtractive color (ie. light). Katie is right as she's talking about an object not light.

Thing is, an all black or all white room can in fact be a beautiful warm, inviting plcae if done correctly. When the palatte is limited to one color/shade/tone...etc... the focus then becomes lines and texture.

This kitchen is antithetical to a study in black, rather it's a half-baked (yes pun intended) attempt at reconciling a crummy kitchen.

The backsplash and counter need to be matte and need to be texured-softer in feel as they are the places where we make contact with the object. The floor too needs to be black and very textured. The tin ceeling while remaining black needs to have more silver ornate outlines- it's a tin ceeling afterall, trace some of the stamping in silver... Clearly the appliances all need to be black or silver and this includes the toaster and cutting board. And if anything is to be displayed or remain on the counter it needs to be an excercise in perfection, a crafted piece of art not the softSoap bottle from the grocery store.

I commend the chutzpah for going all black but I shame the sloppiness of it all.

I always like when people go for it. . . But the black ceiling set off my claustrophobia. I literally pushed my chair back to get away from the space.

um, this looks like a beetlejuice kitchen. I don't think it takes much color skill to make everything black.
this reminds me of a kitchenette that would be in the back of an office, circa Dallas (the tv show).
I couldn't eat in here.
I do commend the boldness of 'going for' all black - but it is sloppy and sort of creepy.

Did Debbie Travis do this? The Painted Kitchen?

Kudos for transforming what I'm sure was a dated, nasty space on a tight budget. I'm just not sure I'm madly in love with what it got transformed into. The white stove has got to go, for starters.

It's just too much. I couldn't cook in there, and I think every morning as I went in to make my tea I'd just want to go back to bed. I think the black tile could work, but only with some contrast somewhere else. And the stove isn't enough.

I love the concept of a black kitchen. But as much as I generally love white appliances, this is not the place for them. Not trying to be mean here, I'm just saying it doesn't flow with the style you've picked, which is admittedly demanding.

I think if the tile of the backsplash had been 50% black and 50% stainless or a light mirror-y glass, the look would be lighter and more glam.

I applaud your bravery though. Me, I can't help but wonder what I'd be paying to crank up the halogens every time I need a coffee fix.

This is definitely very black. I suspect you have made it look so much better than it was before.

I disagree with the comments that the oven should be stainless steel. The white adds a fresh pop for the eyes and gives them a rest. Julie, you went for it! Congrats.

Cool job of doing a dramatic transformation a tight budget! A cheap way to transform the stove would be a coat of hammertone paint. If you are not familiar with the finish, see the link. It's one finish for metal surfaces that you can apply by hand but still looks really sleek.

http://www.jhcarr.com/PRODUCTS/Finishes/PowderCoat/index.htm

I like this! I bet its prettier in person. I would add some red...not in a velvety tassley kind of way but maybe some red towels and a red toaster or something. Also, I would add brass accents like cabinet hardware, although this might clash with the stainless.

I'm sorry, but I couldn't bear this. It looks like a cross between Satan's kitchen and that hideous pseudo-Spanish heavy black furniture from the sixties that people always used to put in the rec rooms... and the white stove is glaringly wrong with the steel dishwasher and the ceiling.

I couldn't cook in here. It would make me cry.

a really good solution on a slender budget. not my taste at all, but i admire your vision and your industry.

The insight that the cabinets can be made considerably less awful by going Hollywood Regency with them is brilliant. I think the room would come together with a real zing if the accessories had gone for the gusto with that theme -- say, leopard or a bright color.

Ya know, after looking at alot of these entries I have decided that as important as the color, or in some cases moreso, is the photography.

This entry was obvioulsy shot by an amateur as evident by the poor lighting, poor staging of the scene and awkward photo angles. Compare this with the most recent entry on AT:NY. Both owners of that place are designers of sorts and have alot of experience dressing things up.

My bet is that if someone were to come in to the above kitchen, stage it properly, shoot it from some seductive angles and light it so to make us drool we would all be going ga-ga.

It's too bad as many of the entries rest their chances on beautiful furniture or incredible photography.

I guess it's all just a matter of knowing the game better than the next guy...

oh dear. i think all black can be very cool if it's done in a modern, minimalist kind of style, but this is just overwhelming. the laquered style and curved lines kind of remind me of a coffin!

I have to agree with most posts, though not as mean-spirited, in that I think this is a little depressing for a kitchen....BUT, I also agree, with the right lighting, staging, and photography skills, it could look totally stunning. Regardless, I would change the white stove to silver. But I suspect budget has something to do with that. And you know, to each his own! If YOU enjoy it, that's what counts.

The Manischewitz makes it work. :-p

And I actually like the white stove--I would replace the chrome dishwasher with white in fact. The white really pops against all that black, as well as lightening the room.

It´s not my taste for a kitchen at all..I don´t feel hungry in a place like that...
Tell me how do you do to clean this kitchen, as we can´t see the dirty and where it is? The black ceiling makes me feel with claustrophobia also...

Talk about slick! Very stylish for budget work, I hope my budget decorating can aspire to look like that someday. On that note, what is your countertop material? Looks very cool.

It has the potential of being a very interesting gothic room. I think it does indeed take skill to make a black room look really good for all of the negative reactions cited above. The mark was missed here, but the idea is good. First of all, you have to get rid of the clutter. Secondly, you can't have white appliances. A good strategy would be to hide all the appliances with panels that match the cabinetry. The floor is an issue too.

Actually, I'm suddenly reminded of the exhibit I saw earlier this summer at Scandinavia House of different finishes of wood, I think, from Finland. One of theme was wood that had be burnt, sanded and then given a clear matte coating. It was the nicest, softest black.

I'd like to see a contest where people can state their opinion about design without going for the jugular. IMO, anyone who enters one of these contests has guts, particularly if they've read comments to prior contest entries.

I happen to like Wende's suggestion of leopard. Or maybe red accents, or blue. I would love to see turquoise accents, maybe some small turquoise tiles set in amongst the black, and turquoise towels and canisters. I agree also that some entries have been photographed more professionally and YUP it makes a huge difference. But there are some interesting things in this such as the wine rack to the left of the dishwasher; the organizers behind the stove and I think it is clear that Julie put much effort into this. Maybe Julie just needs to learn more about merchandising a room. Most of the rooms I've seen in these contests are well merchandised and I'd imagine most people don't live quite that way on a daily basis.

Also, since I need to add my two cents prior to going to sleep, I have to say that the black and white color question of which one has all and which one has no color isn't so simple. It's a matter of light. And technology changes the way we view color. For anyone interested in understanding more, you might be inclined to read the following:

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Computer_Science/2002/Color.asp

Easy experiment for doubters: Dump a random 6 colors of paint into a container and you'll have a brownish black. This is opaque pigment. No light. Take some stage light color gels and connect them on the edges so they overlap and you'll see a center of white. Or get a huge quartz crystal and put it in the sun. Enter light and translucency. There is color everywhere. The eye can not see without light. Sorry, I was a pro decorative painter for over 20 years.

And Julie, your efforts are appreciated.

Sorry, try this:

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Computer_Science/
2002/Color.asp

Cool solution for a 60's/70's kitchen. Question; what is the ceiling material? Looks like panels too, or an old luminous back lit job?

I seem to recall that black cabinets have come in and out of style since the late 60's - one of my friends did a black kitchen when IKEA first came to the states and then they discontinued the color, only to re-issue it, so now it's back..

This is awful.

Black my all time favorite, never-outta-style color!! I love you had the nerve, gut, and boldness to do this. I would love to try this xcept my family would probably die :( I do have a lil advice instead of stainless appliances they are now (even though) more pricey selling colored stoves and fridges to match. Go to http://bigchillfridge.com/. Also, many other stove/fridge manufacturers are starting to do the same. So, maybe they'll become less expensive hopefully soon. I've been wanting to invest in a set but as a renter it's a bit too much. Plus here is you can take it with you when you move. But going back to your kitchen I'd definatley opt for a red or turquoise fridge or stove. Stainless kinda disappears with the black in my opinion. But another bold color would make this black pop out. Good luck!!

Personally I love the black here. So rich and sumptuous. One more sunshiny yellow kitchen and I might just get nauseous from the mawkishness of it all. This choice of black did a lot to make a presumably tired, utilitarian space glamourous and interesting. It's not the warmcozy-happy-happy-happy-family-kitchen that we have drilled into us, which I think is great.

In spite of the lack of picture-perfect editing, we have to remember that a kitchen is a service room, clutter and some "not matching" are part of using a kitchen day-to-day. That is one reason I am so turned off by all of these open-plan show kitchens, they require constant attention to make them presentable. It's so much easier to just close the door and leave appliance and dirty dishes out of sight.

I think Julie has guts to paint an entire room black, it's very gutsy. It's a website to get feed back, can we hold off on the catty remarks?

I think a color contest is about guts and originality with color. The way I see it, if it's not WHITE it's a color.

Also, not everyone has ridiculous amounts of money to afford STAINLESS STEEL EVERYTHING!!! I'm voting yes because all this catty-ness annoys me

The definition of black and white differs from art to science.

First, to anyone who says black isn't a color, you need to learn color theory. In both art and science.

I really like the gutsy move of a black kitchen. However, the white of the stove just isn't working for me. I wouldn't suggest stainless steel, I'd suggest a some juicy or strong color to make it pop!

Also, I do think you could mabe work a bit on the texturing that Julian alluded to earlier. And not sure how I feel about having the architectural detailing of the cabinets being accentuated.

But mainly, no black or white for the stove.

Really a brilliant fix you came up with. Not many would've had the guts or foresight to do it.

acutally Jackie (the original one) did explain the art and science color theory...

kewl kitchen! :-)
turquoise would be a great accent...maybe throw up a few turquoise/silver leaf tiles on the backsplash or create a subtle design..

thank you for sharing your home!

I think her effort is admirable. It's not magazine-perfect, but it shows that she cares about her enviornment and works with what she has. All the catty comments from smug, self-important people who think they are better than anybody else are awfully trying. Internet might be the great equalizer, but if it means one has to put up with all the anonymous sniping, I say this kind of blog shouldn't exist at all. What's wrong with being constructive in criticism? Black is not a color, is not constructive. We know black is in theory not a color. Get over it.

I have always wanted an all black kitchen. I have to admit I read every shelter magazine that hits the news stand and I have seen some very prominant designers do black kitchens. If some of you think it is depressing, here is an idea...don't paint yours that color. Feedback is one thing, good or bad, but see it for what it is, someone else's kitchen and go from there. You don't have to have your cheerios there, but let her if she wants to.

I think a white shiny countertop will be fab with this kitchen. Anyway, Julie, good for you. I wanted high gloss black cabinets too. But mine is only the base cabinets. Top cabinets I am going to paint it white, high gloss if my technique and paint permit it. I had a black porcelain tile countertop and my utmost regret is black show dirt like a beacon...

At least it's something different. And gutsy. And pretty. I do wish the stove was a melon color, but not everyone can do everything in one pop. Maybe she's getting to it. Regardless, though, snaps for bravery.

This idea could have been really sharp. I think it went off course not with the color black per se, but with all of the manifestations of black and other colors. We've got the muted black on the cabs, the glossy black of the tile, the gray of the counter, the white(?? **sticks out like a sore thumb .. not just in color but in style**) of the stove .. no integration.

My fav part aside from the attempt to use black in a kitchen, is the silverish inlay in the cabs. This really could have been used in an Art Deco way .. with mirrored and silver accents/features. If you're gonna go bold, you gotta go all the way.

I think I'd cry every time I had to look at this kitchen were it in my house.

I couldn't be creative at all in an all black kitchen.

I'm sorry but it just makes me itch!

Very claustrophobic, indeed. Black is okay, but it needs to be balanced by some color and some light. For example, if the wall/floor tiles were of a non-white color (but not super-bright/fluorescent either), and if you had windows looking out towards some plants and/or a skylight in the kitchen.

I'm reminded of the bar in western saloons. Hmmm.

OMG. Hi poop.

am no trained designer but i think something his seriously

wrong with this kitchen. the black is great cause i like black, but what could have made this kitchen pop is to go lighter on the countertop beeing that the cabinets are dark, lighter on the floors and the backsplash, say something in bone or porcelain. the stove stands out too much stainless would have been much better matching the dishwasher, hate the trims on the cabinet doors find it alittle old fashion. the use of invisible hinges would ahve been great. oveall the kitchen looks too cluttered for such a tiny space. a few splashes of colour would have also done the trick