How to Update a Kitchen With Black Countertops -

WHAT GOES WITH BLACK COUNTERTOPS?

Whether you’re designing a new kitchen or updating an older one, black granite countertops (or quartz/laminate) seem to stand the test of time better than most.

While they’re not everyone’s cup of tea or box o’ wine, black countertops are one of the more foolproof (ish) and timeless kitchen finishes.

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Why?

They suit white cabinets, which is the most timeless and trend-proof cabinet color.
Black countertops are easier to transition into new trends than many of the more popular granite countertops (mostly 2000s era), currently trendy quartz counters, and laminate surfaces.
They’re often easy to update with affordable subway tile (the most timeless backsplash tile).

Just because you might not agree with some/all of the above doesn’t mean it isn’t true! Trust the slightly manic lil’ Ginger…

This kitchen is just begging for a budget-friendly update!

I say this because some people desperately dislike black granite countertops, white cabinets, and/or subway tile – I get it, you can only hit so many birds with one stone (or for the positive thinkers, feed so many birds with one scone) and black and white isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ scenario.

Now, one of the most important things to remember when updating a kitchen or bathroom with black countertops is that…

It’s not just about your countertop.

A beautiful kitchen palette is made up of the following coordinated finishes…

Kitchen cabinets (white, wood, colored, etc.)
Backsplash tile
Flooring
Wall color
Appliance color
Finishing pieces, such as cabinet hardware, lighting, and faucets.

It would be nearly impossible for me to account for every finish and possible combination, so I’m keeping things general, with helpful tips and blog post links provided throughout.

So, let’s get this party started…

THE BEST BACKSPLASH TILES WITH BLACK COUNTERTOPS

There are three types of black countertops…

Solid black with minimal flecks or none at all
Black with some more noticeable speckling or minor veining
Black with noticeable veining or a strong pebbled/speckled look

The countertop you have greatly dictates your best backsplash tile, so let’s break things down a little…

SOLID BLACK COUNTERTOPS

Whether your countertop is granite, quartz, or laminate, solid black is one of the easiest to work with, as you aren’t dictated by the temperature of any flecks or veins.

Of course, a lot depends on the color of your cabinets, flooring, etc, but black counters often look their best when updated with a white subway tile.

1. Keep it classic with a 3×6 tile in a staggered layout – it’s that simple. White subway tile suits most wood, painted, and white cabinets. On that note, if your cabinets happen to be white, make sure the subway tile you choose is the EXACT same shade of white, not whiter, brighter, or warmer.

These countertops aren’t solid black, but you get the idea.

2. If you have cabinets that are painted a neutral or an actual color, find a subway style tile that’s the same color or lighter/darker for a tone-on-tone look. This can be especially gorgeous if your cabinets are an off-white/light-depth color.

The Best Green-Gray Paint Colors

BLACK COUNTERTOPS WITH SPECKLES, FLECKS, OR VEINS

Some black countertops have small-scale speckles or minor veining, while others have stronger pockets or veins of color.

How to Update Your Older Granite Countertops

Figure out which colors are in your countertop – are they warm or cool? Colored or neutral? If there’s gray in your countertop, what are its undertones?

If you’re unsure, bring home a range of paint samples. See which ones really CONNECT with your countertop. Then, take that paint sample to the tile store to help find the right tiles!

In this next kitchen, while the countertop features more than just black, it’s a good example of a heavily speckled countertop. The owner did a great job pulling a color from the countertop and repeating it on the backsplash tile…

How to Update Older, Dark Wood Cabinets

Schlong story short, find a color in your countertop and find a subway tile that matches it.

Why subway tile?

It’s the most timeless backsplash option. If you don’t care about your kitchen looking timeless, you can certainly branch out, but tread carefully!

For example, some lean into the slightly varied look of Zellige tiles, like the Bedrosian Cloe tile. This is a beautiful tile, but it’s often used in the wrong style of kitchen. Zellige tile doesn’t suit the everyday kitchen and often suits a more ‘bespoke, curated look’.

Could this glorious wood kitchen (below) with black countertops suit a well-chosen Zellige tile backsplash?

Yeah, but it would need to look a bit older and worn with scrappy edges, rather than shiny and new.

Remember, any new paint color or finish you add needs to make sense with your particular backsplash and flooring, too!

How about this next kitchen with its cherry red wood cabinets?

Heck no. This kitchen screams for subway tile or even a painted beadboard look.

This next kitchen is better suited to a Zellige-look backsplash tile as its finishes are more curated and not overly modern (in a good way)…

See more of this home on Instagram at Harpers Home & Garden – a lovely friend of mine!

As for ‘other tiles,’ this next homeowner stepped a bit outside of the tile box with a neutral herringbone backsplash tile, and it looks friggin’ GORGEOUS…

The Best White & Off-White Quartz Countertops

However, it doesn’t always work out as well as this, so choose carefully! It’s not just about falling in love with a tile; it’s about choosing a tile that suits your finishes and the overall STYLE of your home.

THE BEST CABINET COLORS WITH BLACK COUNTERTOPS

Oh boy, don’t get me started…or do.

There are SO many colors that look gorgeous with black granite countertops, whether you’re designing your kitchen from scratch or updating what you’ve already got.

The Best Laminate Countertops on a Budget

Let’s start simple…or not.

WHITE CABINETS & BLACK COUNTERTOPS

White is, by far, the most classic and timeless combo. Whether you opt for a simple, brighter white, like Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, or lean into the soft warmth of Benjamin Moore White Dove, white and black work like a hot damn.

Check out this next gorgeous kitchen. The honed black granite countertops look gorgeous and timeless, partnered with Sherwin Williams Pure White on the cabinets…

Again, the lovely home of Pam at Harpers Home & Garden.

But (a surgically enhanced BBL kinda but – yes, it’s that big of a but), not every black countertop suits white cabinets.

SOLID BLACK COUNTERTOP: Yup, it sure as heck can. I recommend a warm white paint color or a bright white, not a cold one.

BLACK COUNTERTOP WITH FLECKS OR VEINS: It’s hit and miss. If your countertop has cool flecks/veins and NO warmth, chances are you can choose a bright white paint color for your cabinets or walls (cool whites aren’t as livable or easy to coordinate with for the average home).

If your countertop features warm colors, a lot of it depends on your flooring (of which there are SO many I can’t even get started). My advice is to sample carefully and stick with soft, warm shades of white. If you have wood flooring, your chances are much better than with tile flooring.

It’s complicated, and I try to cover as many situations as I can – BUT I’M ONLY ONE WOMAN!

Let’s take a close look at this next kitchen…

This kitchen is SO close to perfection, but there’s one thing that’s not right…the backsplash tile.

The tile is too shiny (being glass, not porcelain) and too cool-toned for the warm white of the cabinets (Benjamin Moore Cloud White). If this backsplash were a warm white, porcelain subway tile, this kitchen would have all of my heart.

If you want things to work, don’t go out on a limb or try to get TOO creative – lean INTO your kitchen and its finishes, not away from them.

In this next kitchen, the warm white cabinets look gorgeous with the matching subway tile and black perimeter quartz countertop (I’d LOVE if the island counter were black, too)…

If you have black countertops and love the look of white cabinets, but are worried about the high-contrast palette it creates, consider painting your upper cabinets white and your lower cabinets a more moderate, medium-depth, or transitional color...

The above kitchen was updated several years ago. For today’s trends, we might do knobs on the doors instead of modern, sleek-lined pulls, and a warmer lower cabinet color (or green).

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of one of my FAVORITE white cabinet paint colors…

OFF-WHITE/LIGHT CABINETS & BLACK COUNTERTOPS

If you’ve been drinkin’ the Ginger-flavored Koolaid for a while (wink wink), you know how I feel about off-white and light-depth painted kitchen cabinets.

Don’t get me wrong, they can look gorgeous (I have them in my home), but they’re not very accommodating when it comes to choosing wall colors that aren’t, well, white. But that’s another blog post.

This next honed soapstone countertop isn’t as dark and contrasting as black, but you get the idea…

Benjamin Moore Wind’s Breath: IMAGES, Info, & More

If you want off-white or light-depth cabinets with your black countertops, look for colors with an LRV between 60 and 78 or so. Here are some of my favorites…

The Best Off-White & Light Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets

As for the backsplash, revert to my previous advice about matching your backsplash to your cabinet color.

How to Update Your Kitchen on a Tight Budget

6-PART SERIES: How to Update Your 2000s Home

BLUE, GREEN, OR GRAY CABINETS WITH BLACK COUNTERTOPS

The idea of colored cabinets with black countertops has me tinklin’ on my toenails. Mind you, with my weak bladder, many things have me doing that (TMI, I know).

Of the colors, I chose blue and green because few people paint their cabinets in other colors (e.g., red, yellow, purple, pink, orange). Blue and green are two of the most timeless and popular paint colors for cabinets and islands. This said, with black countertops, in particular, GREEN is the top dog. Woof woof.

Painted green cabinets and black countertops can look so dang gorgeous in a kitchen. Look at how smashingly gorgeous these honed soapstone countertops look with green cabinets and subway tile…

Sure, the above could be a bit overpowering for a kitchen, but it’s great for a laundry or mudroom!

How to Jazz-Up a Subway Tile Backsplash

GRAY OR GREIGE CABINETS WITH BLACK COUNTERTOPS

Gray with green or blue-green undertones and greige (green undertones) are some of my favorite paint colors to partner with the right black countertops.

If the colors in your black granite (or quartz/laminate) countertop cater to cool tones, you might explore light-medium to medium-depth gray-green paint colors or gray-blues.
If the colors in your black countertop lean a bit warmer, you might consider a light-medium to medium-depth shade of greige.
On the other hand, if your black countertop is SOLID black, check out both!

The green-gray of these next painted kitchen cabinets is a beautiful complement to the black honed granite countertop and gray-green subway tile backsplash…

This next kitchen features soapstone countertops that aren’t quite black (and resemble black marble – amazeballs), but still showcase how gorgeous the right shade of gray can look – in this case, a soft, stormy gray-blue-green blend…

DARK PAINTED CABINETS WITH BLACK COUNTERTOPS

If you’re thinking about painting your cabinets a super skookum, dark shade of blue, green, or black, you need to tread carefully.

Why?

Although this combo can look quite pretty, it can also weigh a room down, and sometimes, you lose the beauty of a product without something to contrast with it.

However, this was NOT the case in this pantry, where the dark blue-green-gray cabinet color sits moody and dramatic with a modern black countertop…

While these next green cabinets have a butcher block countertop, they’d also look STUNNING with black honed granite…

The Best Dark Green Paint Colors

To sum it up, if you have a kitchen or bathroom with black countertops and want to paint your cabinets a dark color, you could end up with a moody, dramatic look. To balance this, you might need to add some balance, as shown in this next gorgeous loo…

The above bathroom is also a good example of making sure your black countertop has something to belong to – I love how the black details in the shower accent tile make an instant connection.

Here are some links to my favorite DARK cabinet paint colors…

THE BEST HARDWARE FINISH WITH BLACK COUNTERTOPS

If you have black countertops, you can entertain a wide range of hardware finishes. However, many assume that black hardware is best. Not necessarily.

Make no boners about it (or make a lot of boners, you do you), black hardware can look awesome on white cabinets. However, with white cabinets and black countertops, it creates a high-contrast palette that often winks at the modern farmhouse look (which many are stepping away from). Black can also be a lot for non-white cabinets.

Is Black Hardware Still Trendy?

While black hardware could be tempting in this next kitchen, it would look too harsh on the gorgeous golden oak. Instead, for a budget-friendly update, I recommend…

How to Update Golden or Honey Oak Cabinets

Keeping the brass hardware.
A soft, muted beige subway tile that connects with the flooring – white would be too stark for the floor.
A subtle, off-white beige paint color on the walls.

For a softer approach, polished nickel, pewter, or even brass are popular choices for the average kitchen with black countertops.

Let’s do a quick, budget-friendly update of this next 2000s Tuscan-style kitchen…

6-PART SERIES: How to Update a 2000s Kitchen

Raise the pendants a bit higher and reduce them to 2, putting a cap on the middle one. Not ideal, but it’s better than 3 wee ones.
My new pendants would be in burnished brass, which complements the warm tones of the travertine tile floor, dark wood cabinets, and cream island.
My new cabinet hardware would also be a burnished, lived-in brass.
Replace the backsplash with a glossy, cream-colored porcelain subway tile that matches the cream paint color on the island.

Without spending a ton of money, this kitchen would still be beautiful, but would look much more updated!

Let’s flash back to this kitchen as it has some great inspiration…

Stainless steel appliances – a nice transition between the white cabinets/black countertop.
Polished nickel cabinet hardware that ties in nicely to the appliances and is a softer contrast on the white cabinets.
The black pendants add interest and contrast, tying in nicely with the black countertop and window

THE BEST APPLIANCE COLOR WITH BLACK COUNTERTOPS

Oh, this is an easy one – not white. While black can work, stainless steel appliances pair well with black countertops.

Why?

If this dishwasher were all black, it would look like a big hole in the lower cabinets.

Black countertops can create a high-contrast palette. While some love this, I appreciate how stainless steel appliances add a touch of moderation, acting as a transition between the black of your countertops and possibly lighter cabinets and backsplashes. That being said, black appliances can work too, especially if you have wood cabinets.

This next kitchen is a fabulous example…

Notice how the fridge is stainless steel, but the wall ovens are black. Notice how heavy the black appliances look compared to the stainless. Now, imagine if the cabinets were a lighter wood or white, the black would be ESPECIALLY drastic! A happy medium can be GE Cafe Matte Black, as at least it’s not quite as drastic as true black.

Ideas to Update Your 1990s Home

Get the best color advice…