IMO they gobble up light so be prepared to add lots of extra LED lighting in 4000K . Could you post some pics of your style and space that is IMO a starting point.

Following...I'm also doing very dark cabinets

It requires a lot of extra light. Then still looks dark. They require constant cleaning. Just like any dark surface. It shows all of the dust and dirt. It also chips and shows wear just as badly as white.

Would not paint the overhead cabinets black unless it is part of an ultra-modern industrial look in a room with a LOT of windows and natural light. I've seen pictures of the base of islands painted black that look good.

https://www.baneproject.com/topic/natural-wood-kitchen-ideas/24#prettyPhoto[gallery

I have also seen a pic with black base cabinets and natural wood overhead cabinets that, surprisingly to me, looked good. Cannot find that now but found this.

http://moneying.xyz/section/

You'll regret it for all the reasons stated above and for the fact that it will be dated VERY quickly (if not already!). Just don't.

It's pretty in pictures but you'll need tons of light, light counters/backsplash, blingy hardware, maybe stacked cabs with lights on top/glass doors, etc. Will it match the rest of your house? Also, remember, online photos are lit to be photographed which is not exactly how we live. Good luck!

Maybe consider only the base cabinets in a dark finish.

My kitchen will be color wise close to Beverly's 1st picture...bright and grounded at the same time. AND my kids will not be touching the white cabinets ;)

Thanks for sharing everyone. You have confirmed our concerns. Is there anyone here who currently has or has had black cabinets? I would love to hear from you.

@cliffcadle I currently have a black island. Only downfall I see is, it attracts dust. My only suggestion is don't do any moulding on it. It's a nightmare to clean the crevice.

I dont have black cabinets in my kitchen, but I have them in my master bath. They complete my marble inspired quartz countertops, but they show fingerprints, dust and grime easily. I clean them once a week and within 3 to 4 days I see where the dust has formed.

@cliffcadle I forgot to add our cabinets were custom made in the 2000 era. We had children and pets. The finish is still like new.

Cabinets weren't painted but our kitchen was a black cave for sure, the the orginal owners did build in the 70's LOL. As stated above they suck up light. Wear and tear are your concerns however and I have to hope if they come factory finished they will hold up as well as any.

We have had black base cabs for 13 years. They are stained rather than painted so have held up very well (there is one nick on a drawer that I keep meaning to cover with a sharpie). Mine are shaker (slab would likely be my future choice) so the dust does tend to show in the crevices, but the white looks like it needs a wipe after the same amount of time as the black, so it's a wash for me about which shows dirt more.

I love our black cabs and don't regret them for a moment, but I do think the comments about light would apply if we had black uppers, too. If you do the uppers, make sure you're other elements are light and you invest in a well thought out lighting plan.

We had the opportunity to change them out when we had a house fire a few years ago, but I chose to change only the cream coloured uppers to a more modern stark white and keep the black lowers. I get that they are not for everyone (interesting that people over 70 are the only ones who have ever said anything negative about the black).

First one is mine, next one is an inspiration pic for when I win the lottery :-)

I love how you asked for people who actually had black cabinets and people chimed in with their opinions. So I will join in. Dark, moody kitchens are the latest design trend. All those super white quartz kitchens are already “outdated”. i am sure those that love their kitchen will still love it. So, if you love black cabinets- get them! i personally love them and think they can be classic if you do not go super trendy. (ultra modern/shiny) Make your kitchen your happy space !

So I went to your idea books not one black kitchen that tells me it is not your first preference so stick to wjhat you love and search black kitchens and see how you feel. I have never done a black kitchen the one in this pic is dark gray with a tone of natural and artificial lighting with a wall of white caninets along a back wall all are high gloss flat panel with hardly any upper except for the back wall lots of white added for balance maybe think something along those lines

I was in a kitchen with stained uppers and I thought black lowers. It looked great! They were very dark green but looked black.

I liked mine (my last house). I put on butterscotch-colored (forget the name) Cambria which picked up the creaminess of the wall paint. But it was open concept so had lots of light from the living room.

I have dark stained cabinets with off-white/cream backsplash and counters (Taj Mahal quartzite). Light isn't an issue because we have vaulted ceilings with a large skylight and live in sunny So. CA.

The kitchen used to have slightly lighter stained cabinets with dark counters and backsplash. Going with light counters and backsplash made the most difference in the appearance and feel of the kitchen, but I wouldn't do such dark cabinets without the skylight!

I have all black cabinets in my kitchen. I also have a small kitchen with four fairly good sized windows. I’ve had them just under two years. I love the look and they are not hard to keep clean. Black cabinets can be very modern and they can be very traditional. I love the look. This kitchen was my inspiration.

Theres a big difference in how black stained cabinets wear vs black painted ones wear.

To add to my post (with photo) of yesterday: I originally had black appliances with the black cabinets & found they really darkened the look. So replacement appliances were in black stainless which I thought looked much better/brighter. In the photo the microwave is the original black & the range is updated in black stainless, so you can really see the difference.

I have black painted lowers. Only had about a year but I love them! They make my tiny kitchen feel way bigger. I have a German Shepherd and yellow lab and also a toddler. They aren’t any harder or easier to clean than my oak cabinets. You just don’t notice stuff as quickly so sometimes things can dry and sit for a while and need a little more elbow grease

Black painted cabinets here too. Uppers and lowers in a tiny kitchen. I love them. They look about 1000% better than the honey oak hiding beneath. Cleaning is exactly as stated above. You might not notice a spill or drip as quickly. I have no pets. Only a teenager, dh, and me. Mine are less than a year and diy.

On top of that, I have one black wall too. IMO my kitchen looks fab. I love it.

My mom and dad had black cabinets for 20 years. They were high gloss and showed every hand print and were such a pain to keep clean and they had no pets or kids in the house. She is thrilled to have moved to a new home and be done with those cabinets.

I painted the kitchen cabinets in my old condo black and loved them for the 3 years I lived there. The kitchen was TINY and had no windows (save a serving window to the dining area), but along with white appliances, light countertop, and very light grey walls, it was always a bright and comfy kitchen. No issues with dust or pet hair (had a cat and large dog).

This is our not quite finished kitchen pic. I don't have a currant one. Have been living with them for 2 years. Maple, Stained, not painted. I love the drama. Only one or two dings and they are in the corner and my fault because the handle screw dented the adjacent door. Only I notice them. My child has learned to be careful with those corner doors. I know its not for everyone, but I did not want a white kitchen. I actually find that spills near the sink or stove are very hard to see. The dust is not bad. Our kitchen installer suggested I take a Bounce dryer sheet and wipe down the doors occasionally to keep down the dust cling. I have done it twice, not sure it made a difference. We also have a sheddy cat, whose fur drives me nuts on our dark wood floors, but they don't cling to the cabinets. I find they are easy to clean, I use a slightly damp Norwex cloth. Lightly wipe them down, occasionally. I find our hood extractor collects more dust and grime than the cabinets. Do what you like. I have not regretted my choices. But I make choices that fit the house as much as they fit our family. A white kitchen would not have flowed with what we had going on everywhere else on the main floor.

We installed maple espresso stained cabinets last summer and I love them! We have lighter wood floors, and taj mahal countertops. Hardware and light fixtures are brushed brass. I love the look, to me it is classic and timeless.

We have black kitchen cabinets, maple hardwood floors and will install white quartz with hints of black for a bit of movement in the surface. Our home is smaller with tons of light and it's still work-in-progress, but IMHO, simply stunning. Kids are grown but there will be a dog in the future! Happy to share pics when finished!

Thank you. We are in the final stage of our project. The black cabinets are beautiful. I will post pics soon

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Looking forward to seeing your space.

looking forward to pics! Love black cabinets -

We just finished a small black kitchen. The area has great daytime natural light and plenty of cans for night.

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beautiful!!!!!

Absolutely love it! You did and outstanding job. Thanks for the update.

Love it!

Lovely!

I had black Ikea cabinets in a small galley urban kitchen. they were beautiful. Got lots of compliments.

@simplechoices, do you know the name of your stain? My contractor is having a hard time finding a stain that will take to my alder and get it dark enough. I want super deep color but in a stain and it's only for my large island. Thanks.

Its not stain, but Benjamin Moore’s Black Tar in lacquer.