I agree with lenniel - but also feel like, whenever I see black in a kitchen I think bold and edgy but white can go either way...could be traditional or modern. I do vote for the black with this particular comparison.

I choose white as it looks more elegant and more versatile.

It would have been neither as I have an off white kitchen with granite counter tops and brown like back-splash. However, if I HAD to chose between either black and white, I would prefer white. Reason being is, I like to see clearly if there is spillage or a mess to clean it properly. With black, that makes it difficult. Although I have granite, I use a special board that moves and grips counter edge in order to be stable, for rolling out dough.

Black with a light Wood is always a stunning combination!

Loving my new white kitchen. I think white can still be warm and inviting.

why choose one or the other..........I have designed kitchens recently that are both. Stained wood contrasted with white cabinets is a great solution. Why subscribe to all or nothing, if you like both you can have it!!!

I've had both and I'm sticking to white, or a light color. When the sun came up in the morning and through my kitchen window every little speck of dust overshadowed the sleek design. I couldn't tolerate it. Maintenance plays a huge roll in my interior design decisions, I'd rather be outside gardening or reading on the patio instead of constant cleaning.

Both have their, however, white tends to be overdone. I recommend natural wood for ease of care and durability to my clients.

Although both look nice, I would say black. White kitchens are more popular it seems than all black, but to me the black looks really nice and stands out. Wood accents or incorporating wood with the black would look awesome in my opinion as well.

absolutely beautiful! But hey where is the loud bold splash of blindingly bright color? I mean, really isn't the kitchen the best place to awaken and come alive with inspiration over that first morning cup of French vanilla?!!

Black! They key is just to make sure you have balance! If your cabinets are dark, go for a lighter countertop or backsplash or add bursts of lighter colors throughout the space. Of course, the best thing to really do is go with the look you would love most, as you will be living with it for a long time!

If you cannot choose, you can always go two-tone and get a white and black kitchen! Check out this kitchen by our designer Mariel Casser. Her clients went with all white cabinets, but chose a black countertop with gorgeous blue flecks and a black and white checkered floor.

We love the sleekness the black cabinets give to any kitchen space, but hints of white would add the perfect amount of contrast!

I like both for the dramatic contrast. If I have to pick one only, I go for white, because it makes the space cleaner and more open.

every time i clean something dark off my white cabinets, (which is often), I think, "if these were dark cabs, I wouldn't of seen this, NOR cleaned it" imagine the buildup? i love my bright, ever- cheerful, white kitchen. 8) ...dark cabs up at the cabin are tacky dirty..hate it.

Lynne, i would even say that the oposite is the case, especially a black Glossy and Matte Surface always shows dirt faster than anywhere else (kinda monochrome looking still, guess that is a benefit)

very true, as my fridge is a shiney black surface and i am constantly wiping that as well. i believe its the dark 'wood tones' that dont show messes as much, i.e., our cabs at the lake home.

I have a white kitchen with a large black island. The countertops are antartide marble...I love it!

White is safe, and for my part, cooking in a black kitchen is not really inspiring...but mixing black and white together is fun

Both white and black kitchens are beautiful. However, they are both very trendy and the au courant cookie cutter style being pushed by "the designers". Unfortunately designers don't LIVE in these stylish designs. those of us who do live in them will soon tire of trying to keep dirty fingerprints off their white cabinets, or the dust from their black cabinets and counter tops.

If what is important to a person is being "In Style", I would recommend going with white because trying to keep black anything clean is a daily chore.

Remember, you can always paint over stained cabinets, but trying to stain previously painted cabinets is ridiculously hard!

I just wish people would realize that every "MODEL HOME" across the country is doing black or white kitchen cabinets. They are also pushing marble counter tops, which are impractical. The white and black cabinets are cheaper because the wood type doesn't matter because it is PAINTED. Get creative, people. Don't be a sheep:)

White is a LOT more positive!! it will keep you happy and with a brighter outlook

White is more luminous and warm. http://www.mosa.nl/nl

I like either, and I like wood too. It depends on the style of house.

I'm more dark wood brown kind of person.

I prefer kitchens with real wood cabinets where you can see the beautiful wood grain through the stain!

Bathroom55 You are my hero.

PLEASE HELP!! YOUR THOUGHTS?! We are needing to choose our new bench tops so the order can be made, yesterday ideally lol! We HATE the blue as they are right now....... We also have a built in table & HUGE kitchen dining (as in picture) we are thinking black maybe too much with dark flooring?!!!

Photos are taken at night with kinda crap lighting / iPad lol

Sarah , do you have choices to work with?

We have been given sooo many samples that it's giving me a headache lol. We don't want textured

We are looking more into black or white? Big difference but as I said earlier black maybe too dark because of our dark floors.

But then because we have such a big space with white cupboards that might be too much too lol.

Wish I could photoshop haha

i am seeing a brown stone countertop in your kitchen. not sure why, maybe cause the wall paint is slightly on the warm side?

Paint colour is tea. But in saying that I would rather re-paint the walls then not be 100% happy with bench tops as its a lot more money. I'm so fussy. Just can't decide.

i kinda like the tea with brown stone top idea. a little common, but thats because its a warm and inviting color scheme. ;-)

Black. At this point, anything but white. I am a custom cabinet designer and if I have to write one more order for white cabinets I will lose my mind. It's become generic.

I have a smallish but open plan first floor where you can see the dining room from the combination kitchen family room. I have two black wood pieces of furniture in the family room and you can see the dining room with lower half of the wall painted black. I have plenty of big windows for natural light. I imagine black cabinets in the kitchen but in my case it would be too. Much and too dark. I considered limited use of black like only on the breakfast bar or lower cabinets. Can't quite see it working well, but maybe I am just not imaginative enough. I decided a new counter in black will be best to unify the spaces.

What about a tuxedo kitchen? White cabinet w/black island.

I do like a light and airy kitchen...the style is also very popular of late

I'm going with other then white...

I don't like either black or white for kitchens.

Black or white in a kitchen? It's such a hard choice to make, even though this may seem like an easy decision to make because black and white kitchens are total opposites. White is an all-time classic and, usually, more people opt rather for a white kitchen than for a black one. However, in our opinion, they miss a lot with this choice, because black has so much more to offer. You can create perfect contrasts and get elegance that kitchens usually lack. We've come up with 21 Ways to Make a Bold Statement with Black Kitchen Cabinets where we discuss different ways and styles how to do that, and also what to consider when choosing black kitchen cabinets. Hope it will help more people to opt for this gorgeous kitchen style.

What do you think of this color scheme? I've always opt for a white kitchen but ended up
with Espresso Tahoe, backsplash marble and gray granite and ceramic flooring. I appreciate an expert opinion!

For my own home, I will definitely prefer a white kitchen. However, I love checking out pictures of well executed black kitchens, they look so dramatic!

I always always choose light colors and neutrals for my apartment but i voted for the black kitchen. It's STUNNING!!!!! What style! The other kitchen is so typical.

Anything but all white. I had a white kitchen in my first house and it was a pain to keep clean. You are constantly cleaning the surfaces of the cabinets. Also if you do white expect that you will be seeing mirror images when you go into other homes. If you want to stand out the black will do it. Also I think the pic is stunning also provided you have enough natural light,

Depending on your plan for the house, if you are going to live in it for a while 10+ years do what makes you feel good. If you are reselling the place go with what is popular (most likely white). Also consider two colors maybe white with black island. Good luck

Personally I like a kitchen that does not look like 90% of the kitchens. The black is stunning. I had an all white kitchen and the up keep was a pain. Consider your long term plan. If you are staying in the home go for some color if you like it. If you are planning to move in the next 2-3 years go with white and add color in backsplash.

If you decide to go with a dark kitchen make sure you have enough lighting in the room. Small kitchens seem to get closed in with the dark cabinets. All the best.

Boxerpal can you tell me what u think about SW Naval vs BM Polo Blue? What differences do you notice and which one do you like more for kitchen and why? Pic of swatch in my original post is Naval. 1st pic is Polo blue on top and Naval on bottom row

Black can be traditional or contemporary. Different. My kitchen is a dark grey (and towards an olive). The 7 foot window opposite the range is on the south side of the house and a white kitchen would be blinding! We still need to put the crown moulding on....

We remodeled our dated 70s kitchen a year ago. When trying to decide overall color scheme, we took into consideration many factors to include: natural light availability, trinity of color play (walls, cabinets, countertop), staying power of design, ease of cleaning, elegance level, and of course: BUDGET.

Our kitchen was typical ranch style inspired galley kitchen with a focus on ergonomic and efficient layout as it was U-shaped. We were fortunate to have a large window above sink and plenty of natural light coming in from adjoining dining area via two other large windows. As per the style of the 70s our kitchen counter and backsplash were covered by 6x6 yellow tile... Ughhh!! Kitchen appliances were outdated as well and were a mix of manufacturers.

We made no change to the overall footprint as the layout really worked well. Additionally, the cabinets were very solid and we decided to keep rather than replace at substantial cost savings. All I did was paint them in deep dark grey, almost black color and changed the hardware to brushed nickel look. We did replace counter with quartz Calacatta to include grey veining. We also changed the backsplash to a 3x10 white beveled subway tile. Walls were painted in grey with green undertone. We recently swapped out light pendants to clear glass globes to keep things airy. All appliances upgraded to GE Profile series in black stainless to make overall look cohesive.

We kept a careful eye on budget and worked with our various contractors to make sure we stayed within parameters... mostly. The final look is... stunning!