15 Cabinet Color Ideas That Goes With Black Appliances

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The surge in black appliance popularity isn’t just anecdotal. Industry data shows installations have jumped 48% in luxury home renovations over the past two years, marking a significant shift from the decades-long reign of stainless steel. But this rise presents homeowners with a crucial design challenge: selecting cabinet colors that complement rather than compete with these bold appliances.

Through our extensive kitchen documentation and renovation coverage, we’ve analyzed how different cabinet colors perform with black appliances across various spaces, from compact urban kitchens to sprawling open-concept layouts.

Our curated selection features timeless classics that never fail, unexpected modern choices that are revolutionizing kitchen design, and several budget-friendly options that make a stunning impact. Whether you’re aiming for dramatic contrast, sophisticated harmony, or a nature-inspired ambiance, you’ll find cabinet colors that transform your black appliances from mere necessities into stunning design features.

Join us as we reveal our top cabinet color recommendations, complete with real-world examples and practical tips for bringing each look to life in your own kitchen.

What Color Cabinets Go with Black Appliances?

1. Pure White

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Recommended White Paints (Click to Visualize):

In terms of aesthetical performance, nothing beats pure white when it comes to black appliances. The full contrast between the black and pure white elements creates a stunning, sleek, and elegant look that is perfect for any modern, contemporary kitchen style.

The pure white paint also creates a light and bright look that will help make your kitchen look larger than it actually is.

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2. Gray

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Recommended Gray Paints (Click to Visualize):

This option had very similar outcomes to the previous ones, but it comes with a bit of an elegant twist that perfectly matches the vibes of your black stainless appliances.

There are two different approaches that you can use to make the most of the gray cabinet and black appliances: first, you can make a cool-toned elegant kitchen design by choosing any gray paint with a cool undertone, or secondly, go warmer by using warm-toned gray and incorporate some neutral elements such as cream marble countertops.

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3. Gray-Green

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Recommended Gray-green Paints (Click to Visualize):

Gray-green is a trending color that gained a lot of popularity in recent years. One of the main reasons for this is that it combines fresh-toned green with simple and elegant light gray, resulting in a unique color that can easily be incorporated into different decor scenarios.

Since it looks much more neutral than any typical green, the gray-green surely doesn’t have any problem when used alongside black appliances.

Instead, they will refresh the looks of your kitchen beautifully, without overly brightening the entire space.

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4. Blue-Gray

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Recommended Blue-gray Paints (Click to Visualize):

Psychologically, blue can bring a lot of calming and relaxing senses to any space, and it’s surely a must-have feeling when it comes to the kitchen to make you feel relaxed and peaceful when cooking or doing the dishes.

However, combining blue cabinets with black appliances is not an easy task, as based on our experiences, most blue won’t work well alongside black.

To make it work, we highly recommend you go with any neutral blue, like this gorgeous blue-gray paint. This kind of blue had a lot of neutrality that makes it go well alongside black stainless steel appliances, while still providing a tranquil vibe like any typical blue.

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5. Teal

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Recommended Teal Paints (Click to Visualize):

As a unique, modern blue-green shade, teal can complement any black stainless steel appliances elegantly. These two come together beautifully to create an ultra-modern kitchen with a twist of vibrant color.

Moreover, thanks to its green hues, the teal-painted cabinets evoke some freshness that avoids the black kitchen appliances looking boring.

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6. Warm White

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Recommended Warm White Paints (Click to Visualize):

If you are using a lot of black elements in your kitchen and they seem to overly dominate the entire area in darkness, it’s a good idea to balance it out with some bright and warm options like this warm white.

The warm tone of warm white can help neutralize the dark and bold black stainless steel appliances, and make the entire kitchen feel brighter and look more appealing.

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7. Greige

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Recommended Greige Paints (Click to Visualize):

Alternatively, you can go with greige. This color even spreads a lot more warm ambiance compared to any similar colors.

But the beauty of greige is that this beauty still has plenty of neutrality within it, and this is essential to make this shade work with tricky elements like the black slate appliances.

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8. Dark Neutral Brown

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Recommended Dark Brown Paints (Click to Visualize):

This neutral combination works elegantly together to create a sophisticated-looking kitchen. Even though they had the same boldness, there was still enough contrast to make both black stainless steel appliances and dark brown cabinets stand out.

To complete this color scheme, use lighter colors for countertops and/or backsplash such as white marble.

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9. Light Wood

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Most of the time, the wooden cabinets cannot work with black elements.

But things will be different if you can find a perfect light wood finish that has a touch of modern looks, as these kinds of wood can complement black elements beautifully.

At the same time, the light wood will spread plenty of earthy, natural feel that makes the black appliances look softer without taking away their elegance. Some wood that we highly recommend are Light Oak, Sonoma, Beech, or White Pine.

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10. Light Green

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Recommended Light Green Paints (Click to Visualize):

A common problem for any kitchen with black appliances and neutral-finished cabinets is that they may look boring, uninviting, and lack an element of surprise.

You can avoid this easily by painting your cabinets using any vibrant paint, but unfortunately, most of them will bring more harm than good.

A more reasonable option is to use light green paint. As you can see in the image above, the light green painted cabinets provide enough richness to make the kitchen feel alive, while its softness prevents it from ruining the entire space as most vibrant choices do.

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11. Charcoal (Dark Gray)

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Recommended Charcoal Paints (Click to Visualize):

Black cabinets against black appliances are surely not a rational option, but how about toning it down a bit by using charcoal or dark gray?

It turns out that this little tweak works elegantly as the appliances and the cabinets go together in the same bold direction, but still offer a bit of contrast that makes them easily distinguishable.

However, avoid using this option for any small kitchens or kitchen that lacks natural lighting.

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12. Dark Blue

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Recommended Dark Blue Paints (Click to Visualize):

This is another great bold choice for you who want to truly make your kitchen stand out in a bold and elegant manner.

The royal, velvety looks of the dark blue paired together beautifully with the black elements and work even better if you are using them in any glam-themed interior style.

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13. Dark Red

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Recommended Dark Red Paints (Click to Visualize):

This may maybe a bit unusual paint choice for the kitchen, but when it comes to black appliances, dark red can be an interesting option.

Both black and dark red bring so much intensity that will easily make the entire kitchen stand out in an energetic way.

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14. Light Blue

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Recommended Light Blue Paints (Click to Visualize):

Another calmer option that can help balance out your black elements, especially when it feels too strong. The airy and serene vibe coming out from the light blue will make your cooking time feel more relaxed.

Lastly, using this cool-toned shade can easily emphasize the black appliances even more, and make them look more elegant.

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15. Dark Wood

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This is a classic combination that never goes wrong. For a better result, use any dark wood that has a stunning, elegant look with some hint of vibrant hues such as walnut or mahogany.

This way, you can still keep the black stainless steel appliances seen clearly and stand out together with the cabinets.

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