Cart before the horse. Black stainless peels and looks shabby in no time. You’ll want to change out to standard stainless whe that happens, so basing any type of colors on the black stainless should never happen.

Base the overall design on the bones of the whole home:

House design style: Traditional vs Modern. Casual vs formal.

Permanent built in features: Permanent flooring. Wood vs stone or tile. Bookcases, fireplaces, ceiling details.

Colors used in the rest of the home: Color of those permanant elements vs furnishings. Blacks repeated elsewhere. Whites. Any real colors.

What are your cabinets currently? What type of countertops currently? Pics are needed.

I will tell you that wood for cabinetry is very much en vogue now + is classic. If you are thinking about grey cabinets - grey is over. If you are thinking about blue or green cabinets - that fad is not going to make it for another 5 years, imo - it is really just too taste specific. But if you love grey and want grey cabinets, or green or blue - or purple cabinets, for that matter - it is a personal decision; and it also depends on what your plans are for the residence. If you are living there, and plan to reside there for a long time - do what you want. If you are planning to sell soon, don’t do the dead or soon to be dead fads. If this is an air bnb, don’t subject others to personal taste color schemes, including grey, for the cabinetry. But again, pics are really needed, as well as an understanding of what this space is; what are the intentions, the purpose.

The only thing permanent are the black appliances. The rest of my color scheme consists of light grey walls, white ceilings, white trim and doors. This is a 784 sf apartment in a senior residence. I will live here until I die. My furniture is white cloth upholstery and black every where else (furniture legs, etc). The kitchen and LR are one big space with floor to ceiling windows facing south and the kitchen at the other end which is windowless.

What type of cabinetry and countertops are there now?

You said you don’t want white cabinetry - that you don’t want black and white - which is fine. So it really comes down to your personal preference. But I am just trying to understand what is there currently and does it really need to be changed to work with these appliances. Maybe some minor changes with lighting, hardware, etc. could do it. Or are the current cabinets white and that is why you want to change them?

Here is an article with some info and ideas:

https://homedecorbliss.com/what-color-cabinets-go-with-black-stainless-steel-appliances/

black granite in Absolute Black for countertops and dark brown, almost black, cupboards. The cupboards are framed and design of kitchen is poor. Countertops are cheap laminates and sink sits in 36" cabinet but is small, old, no longer made and not able to be changed out keeping the existing countertop. Trust me, the whole kitchen needs replacing to meet our needs. I was required to change appliances by the facility. I thought I would replace the entire kitchen with black cupboards and countertops. Now my partner thinks it will be too dark and others have commented the existing feels too dark.

I have spent HOURS on Houzz looking at pictures.

These are some pics from the article I posted above:

I love this light wood

Below - Here is black cabinets with wood/butcher block countertops - plus white backsplash, glass inserts in some of uppers. Bringing in some wood, white, the glass - all helps to lighten it up. This is discussed in the article.

Here is navy.

Black, white, wood and your choice of accent color, is a classic combo. But black, or any dark color, as a majority color in a windowless room, for a senior, who already needs 3x the lighting of younger eyes, is a BIG MISTAKE.

Wood cabinets, with white counters, and a lot of extra lighting, would be the first style direction I’d suggest. Then punch that up with black pulls, lighting and touches of your favorite color. A green (or blue, or red, or whatever makes you smile) Kitchenaid aid mixer and towels, and pot for plant. A green sofa. Wood blinds that match the cabinets. A black and white rug.

And hire a Kitchen Designer. ASAP.

Nice rooms shown by @Verbo. As I mentioned, the light wood would also be my personal preference.

Dark/black countertops is also a classic look with light wood cabinets. So it could be nice for you if you still want the black countertops.

But there are really any number of ways you can go. Depends on what you like.

Most of a kitchen is cabinets, so I wouldn't vote for black without windows... but shown above: light-medium stain, and wood floor adding depth/ variety with darker wood within it.

You wrote: "floor to ceiling windows facing south..." What covers the windows? any color or pattern there, or in pillows, etc.?

white pull-down sun shades (see through) ceiling to floor.

Here is another article:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/7-ways-to-pair-dark-kitchen-cabinets-with-dark-counters-stsetivw-vs~122570340

Keep in mind a number of the kitchens shown in this article do not have black appliances. But it is possible to do dark cabinets + dark counters with dark appliances; as noted in the other article I posted also, bringing in some wood and/or lighter colored elements can help. Lighting is a big factor, also. If you don’t have under cabinet lighting - bring it in. That, alone, often makes a big difference. And if people are saying the current space is dark - the lighting could very well be a factor.

Daubeney · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/7-ways-to-pair-dark-kitchen-cabinets-with-dark-counters-stsetivw-vs~122570340

I’m currently renovating our last home. I’m 68 and dh will be 73 this month. My new kitchen will be natural maple, with Mont Blanc quartzite counters and red oak flooring stained Early American, and stainless steel appliances. I want to keep everything as light as possible. My eyesight is not what it used to be and the new kitchen doesn’t get a lot of light.

I would suggest a very light wood for cabinets, a slightly darker floor (medium light) and a white or very light counter. Not only will light and bright make it easier to see in your new space it will also look bright and cheery! Good luck with your choices!

Add a white back splash AND under cabinet lighting, too. If you post photos of your space, and drawings of your space, I am sure that Pros here might be able to come up with some helpful ideas! Good luck!

With the kitchen and living space being one, I think it’s important for them to feel integrated and that would be my priority. I have black lower cabinets, counter and appliances (which have not peeled! - Bosch and Jenn-Air) and bluish uppers. Kitchen is small; but black choices did not make it feel smaller or darker probably due to a light floor, soft white walls and the light uppers. My objective was for a good flow to our open living room.

Search Pinterest for ideas and you can be very specific in your search description. There are ways to keep it from feeling cave like with backsplash, paint color, flooring, and good lighting. Going with dark cabinets will allow for appliances to disappear and therefore kitchen will actually will feel larger.

Thank you so much for your comment. I started out wanting black every where, including backsplash from countertop to cupboard. My apt color scheme is grey, white, and black, including furniture. It feels simple, uncluttered, and modern to me. You've reassured me that my ideas might work. I'm also thinking blondish wood cabinents with all the rest black might work. The whole thing is a dilemma to me.

Dark surfaces are the worst possible choice for you. They absorb light, not reflect it. Older eyes already need twice the lighting of younger ones. That need for additional light, and light reflecting surfaces, only increases over time. This should be designed for aging in place needs. Not as a direct opposite to those requirements.

https://www.aia.org/articles/178406-how-color-and-design-affect-environments-fo:36

https://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/blog/may-2015/what-colors-should-you-use-for-aging-eyes.aspx

https://blog.aarp.org/notebook/rosemary-bakker-lighting-aging-eyes

https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/housing/info-2015/lifelong-home-slideshow.html

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/10-ways-to-design-a-kitchen-for-aging-in-place-stsetivw-vs~56039514

https://nkba.org/info/2018/05/kitchen-design-tips-aging-population/

I reviewed the articles and found this most helpful in regards to color.

I totally agree with this article! Thanks. I want to follow this advice. I like the sleek look of an all black scheme-cupboards, black quartz countertops and same quartz backsplash to cupboards, black sink, faucet, cabinets, and appliances. My DH thinks our existing all black can feel too dark. I also like the looks of black countertops, back splash, sink and appliances with Alder cabinets stained light like our white oak floors. It would be a lighter scheme, but I'm not sure it will give me the integrated look that I seek. That's my real dilemma. Will either color scheme tie everything together or is the all black one best?

I highly suggest not going all black. It will be depressing, overwhelming, as well as the obvious of being too dark.

The article references a main color with 2 or 3 accent colors that are repeated.

You have been SO helpful to me. I told the cabinet-maker I'm leaning toward a Craftsman style in Alder or maybe Maple stained to match our white oak floors. I've asked to have them pre-sealed with Shellac Seal Coat or similar to prevent a blotchy look. All the rest of the kitchen will be black matte including backsplash to cupboards. We currently have under-the-cabinet lights, but will also add small twinkle lights to interior. We have 3 over the sink lights and one central light that I hope to change out to be determines after kitchen is installed. Thank you for all your time helping me. I hope we'll like the result.

Provide a picture when it’s done!

OK. The companies who do the best work are 10-12 weeks out. By the time we agree on a product, it'll be installed early February. :(