She Broke the Rule and Painted Her Small Kitchen Dark — It Looks Twice as Big
It seems as if more and more people are leaning into darker kitchen cabinets, whether it’s through deeper wood tones or striking paint colors. But sometimes your first try at the dramatic look just isn’t, well, dramatic enough — something Mara Greenwald learned the hard way when she was reimagining the kitchen in her home.
The Cabinets Weren’t “Bad,” but They Didn’t Fit with the Bold Vibe She Wanted
Mara’s original kitchen had a 2000s aesthetic, and the wood cabinets contributed to that overall vibe. While she admitted that the wood color wasn’t “bad,” she wanted something a bit bolder. Initially, Mara painted over the wood using a light gray paint, but it didn’t do the trick.
An Extensive Reno Wasn’t Necessary for Her to Get the Look She Wanted
So Mara chose to take it up a notch by using black paint (Farrow & Ball’s “Railings”). And while she had the cabinets professionally painted this time around, she didn’t need to complete an extensive renovation project to get the drama she was after.
The Dark Cabinets Popped Against the White Walls
Because Mara’s kitchen is galley-style, which is narrow and not exactly the largest space, you might initially assume that darkening the cabinets would make it feel even smaller. But the opposite happened. The cabinets’ blue-black paint makes the white walls pop even more, amplifying the tall ceilings and the overall space.
I’m not sure if this was Mara’s intention, but designated rooms (rather than open floor plans) seem to be rising in popularity. Her kitchen’s dark cabinet color, $10 hardware, and black countertops seem to slightly set the room apart from the rest of the home. That visual separation might make her space feel larger, too.
You Don’t Have to Start from Scratch to Get the Look You Want
What I love about this makeover is that it proves the power of paint. You don’t need to knock down everything and start from scratch to capture the dramatic effect that a gorgeous kitchen deserves.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: I Was Told to Never Paint a Small Kitchen a Dark Color — But This Bold Shade Actually Made Mine Look Twice as Big
