if you do a google image search for "white kitchen black counters" you'll see hundreds (thousands?) of photos for inspiration. Look on Houzz, too.

White cabs + black counters is a classic combination, but if it isn't the look you really want, don't do it. You can find other areas to trim your budget that aren't such a big compromise.

I love black and white together. It is a timeless combo. I agree with Shanghai though about not going with it just to save money. Find other items to cut back on so you can get the look you dreamed of within your budget.

I love the look of the classic white kitchen cabinets with black granite countertops. Black pearl is very nice: I think I've seen it honed and enhanced. Still, fingerprints, crumbs, water spots and cooking oils infiltrating even hone surfaces and more have led me to reconsider its use. Even leathered black countertops are potentially vulnerable as I understand it, though perhaps this is just wrong. Leathered granite too is a very personal taste.

As others have said, don't go for something you don't want just for $$$.
I know that $$$ is always a consideration, but you don't want to kick yourself everytime you look at your new kitchen because you chose your countertops to save a few bucks. OK, more than a few bucks.
Perhaps a quartz or other solid surface product might work.
That being said, I love a B&W kitchen.
I'm attaching a link below to ours.
Also, check out the Finished Kitchen Blog & Houzz for more pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Black & White Kitchen

This post was edited by willtv on Thu, Apr 4, 13 at 8:42

My boys' bathroom has black counters with white cabinets. Dust, hard water, fingerprints (they are polished). When clean it is gorgeous. BUT, their bathroom is flooded with light (skylight). When it was first installed, I was a little taken aback by how much it sucked the light out of the room (they had a light counter previously). In my bathroom, also flooded with light, I have the infamous SuperWhite marble/quartzite. Very different vibe--less jarring. Does your kitchen have many windows? If your kitchen is dark, the black counters won't help you out! If you've been dreaming of the gray/white kitchen, I will tell you that I regret a black counter in that one bathroom and love my other two gray/white bathrooms--because that is what I really wanted in the first place. (At the time, I thought I shouldn't make all the bathrooms look alike.) And it's been three years. So think about the money, of course, but those counters will greet you every day.

My mother in law has a white kitchen with black granite. I think it is a little too cold for me, but everyone seems to love it. Can't you look at lighter granite such at light Santa Ceila or something similar if you really want light?

I've asked about how much silestone would add since I saw a stunning sample of white on white silestone that I LOVED and will look great against my white cabs (I was able to hold them up together in the showroom). It would add $2500, approximately, to the estimate... ouch. I'll see if we can budge on something else to do that, though.

Socalsister, we are losing a window in this remodel, so your advice is well noted.... hmmm.

Teachertile, the other eight granite types they had on special were really not my style. The lightest ones were really speckle-y and busy. I wanted something tranquil.

I am a black and white kitchen lover (have one myself). But I just redid my laundry room and used Kashmir White granite and it was comparable to the black granites on pricing- it is not a top of the line pick- at least it wasn't at my stone yard. Maybe you can check that out if you really love the look of lighter granites?

Can you go to different yards? There are always different selections at different stone yards.

Don't pick from whats on special. Decide on the look you want first. Then find a stone that will give you that look for a price that works for you.

I will say that I always wanted a black granite and ended up with white. It was because it worked the best in our kitchen and was within a budget range. Not the lowest and not the most expensive. I went to 8 different yards.

We currently have white cabs with black laminate. It looks nice, but I'll agree with the previous poster that the black tends to gobble up light. It's also hard to see if it's clean at a glance, must go by feel instead.

That said, I still love the look. Below is a link to a blog with some very nice looking white kitchens with black counters. There is a little more variety on here than what houzz seems to pull up, which I appreciated looking through. Have fun perusing. : )

Here is a link that might be useful: Based on

We're doing white cabinets with opalescence on the perimeter and white delicatus (honed) on the island. Obviously I love the B&W combo - but not only is it a huge $ investment, it's a huge amount of square feet of something you don't love that you'd have to look at every day.

What if your cabinet maker had a color of cabinet on special that you like ok but wasn't what you had in mind. Would you do it to save money? Probably not! And cabinets can be repainted or refaced, granite will stay the same long after we are gone!

OK, you guys have convinced me...to the stoneyard it is. I just hope it won't be much more money to do it this way. I love black and white kitchens, but since we are losing a window I'm even more tempted to go with my original vision----a white, glowy, peaceful kitchen. Especially if I end up with dark cork floors.

Laughable, I love the very first kitchen that comes up on that link!

I'm wondering if you wouldn't really prefer a quartz counter? Your preference for tranquil and non-speckily made me think of it. Give it a thought.

This is a personal preference. I myself like white cabinets with tan granite (or butcher block), but it's not a right or wrong thing.

If you've wanted-wanted-wanted the white/white combination forever, give yourself a week or two to mull over whether black would make you just as happy. In the long run, though, this is a pretty important detail in your house, and I'll remind you of this little quip:

"The bitterness of low quality is forgotten long after the sweetness of low price has lost its flavor."

Okay, we're not talking about low quality, but if you change it to, "not getting what you really want", the quotation works.

Secondary point: Just how important is the kitchen to you? For me, the kitchen would be of uptmost importance, and I'd balk at being forced towards a second-choice item. On the other hand, if your question was about the laundry room, I'd say, "I value the space, but I could absolutely live with my second-choice of countertop." And, finally, remember that everything can't be a tip-top choice. You have to be honest with yourself about just how much those "couple thousand" mean to your budget.

Well, I originally wanted black counters (soapstone or quartz) and for a number of reasons, ended up with a white and grey granite. It is beautiful, but I can honestly say that I wish I had gone with my initial idea of a durable black countertop.

White granites---mine, at least---tend to be more fragile. We now find ourselves babying a countertop that has chipped despite our best efforts. I fell in love with the white, but would caution you to think about function first! Hth

Another way to look at this:

Say if you pay $2500 more to get the very thing you really love, love, love. Assume you stay in the house for 10 years, using simple math, you would pay $250 more each year, and a little over $20.08 each month, and $0.67 per day. Is it worthwhile to compromise for spending $0.67 less each day?

The kitchen is the most important part of the house to me. I love to cook and entertain and want to love the space. Mrs Pete and azmom, your observations are helpful to me in sorting this out.

Isn't quartz more spendy than granite? I have loved the look of it in pictures, but I assumed it was way more money.

For me, quartz (Cambria) was 50% higher than the granite we are getting.

And that is why I probably can't do quartz, but wow, I do love it!! I'm sure I can find a granite I love. I just need to go look as you have all so kindly pointed out! :)

I kept my absolute black when I re-did the kitchen last year, so this can give you an idea. You may also want to look at the dark browns. I used antique brown in a leathered finish in the bathroom for example, and here it is (the kitchen is linked below):

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg0417513723520.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Black and Cream Kitchen

White and black is a classic beautiful look. However, and I think there are quite a few thread floating around, black shows dust, fingerprints and water splashes more than other choices.
Do some research on this before deciding.

While at a very popular and busy marble and granite showroom yesterday, I noted how many of the darker slabs are now leathered, a less smooth surface than honed which itself as you know is slightly roughened.

New imports from Brazil were a beautiful leathered grey and another one in lighter black than Absolute Black. My point is that leathering granite seems to be catching on (selling) as a counterpoint to fingerprints and water imprints. The grey slabs were almost sold out; short period of time since arrival.

I love a black and white classic kitchen.

I am having the same dilemma . Love B&W kitchen, A classic. I had black countertops ( Black Pearl) in another home and loved it. I did not find myself a slave to the cleaning. I wipe down the counters every day anyways, no matter what the color. I am building a home and considering them again. I want a good resale value when we sell in a few years. Will buyers walk away if there is a black and white kitchen? Is the black 'cleaning' issue that much of a burden for people? Note, I also have a black car.. Its beautiful, classy, and yes, needs to be washed when dirty. I still love it.