Black kitchen cabinets: what the color shows, and the prep it needs

What black does in a kitchen

Before painting kitchen cabinets black, know what the color does to light. Black absorbs most of the light that reaches it, so black cabinets send little light back into the room. In a bright kitchen that reads as rich and grounded. In a dim one, a wall of black doors can turn into one dark mass after sunset.

It also changes what you notice. Dust, flour, water spots and fingerprints stand out on black the way crumbs stand out on a white counter. The doors aren't dirtier than white ones; the mess is just easier to see.

And not every black is the same black. Some lean blue, some brown or green, and plenty of the blacks on a color card are really deep charcoal. Paint large samples and look at them against your counter and floor in the morning and at night, the way how to test paint colors describes.

The Light, Touch, Edge check for painting kitchen cabinets black

Before you commit, run your kitchen through three questions. It's our editorial framework, not a measurement.

• Light: does the kitchen get daylight most of the day, and enough fixtures for the evening? Black needs light around it.
• Touch: which doors and drawers get grabbed by wet or greasy hands? Those faces show prints first.
• Edge: where do hips, bags, pets and vacuums bump? Wear shows first at edges and corners, where a lighter layer underneath can peek through.

The table is our editorial guide, not a measurement. Splitting colors has its own post, two tone kitchen cabinets, and our ideas for kitchen island paint colors cover a black island on its own.

Sheen on black cabinets: shine versus scuffs

When you're painting kitchen cabinets black, sheen changes the result more than most people expect. Dunn-Edwards' guide to selecting gloss says the same color in a different gloss appears as a different color, with higher gloss looking brighter and richer, and that higher gloss levels tend to highlight defects and imperfections on a surface.

Low sheen has its own problem on dark colors. The maker's bulletin on burnishing describes shiny patches that appear where a painted surface is washed or rubbed, says they're usually more noticeable on flat and lower sheen paints, and adds that burnishing shows up more in darker or more heavily pigmented colors. A flat black drawer front that gets wiped every day is the textbook case.

So most black cabinets land in the middle: enough sheen to wipe clean without polishing into patches, not so much that every ripple shows. Our post on the best paint finish for kitchen cabinets compares satin, semi-gloss and gloss in depth.

Hardware and counters with black cabinets

Hardware decides how loud black gets. Brass and warm gold stand out and warm it up. Matte black pulls nearly disappear, which suits slab doors and a quiet look. Dark bronze sits between the two. Choose pulls before painting so any old holes can be dealt with first; cabinet hardware ideas covers sizes and finishes.

Black goes with almost any counter, but contrast sets the mood. White or pale stone gives the crisp, classic look. Butcher block warms black up. A black or dark counter on black cabinets makes a dramatic block that needs a light backsplash and good lighting to keep from feeling heavy.

Prep matters more when you paint cabinets black

A smooth dark finish hides less. In a satin or semi-gloss, black shows sanding scratches, dust specks, drips and brush marks that a white door might forgive, so the prep before the color is where a black kitchen is won or lost.

1. Degrease every door, drawer front and frame. Paint over cooking film or fingerprints can fail to bond.
2. Sand to an even, dull surface, then remove every bit of dust. A speck trapped in the coat shows on black.
3. Prime for the surface you have; the best primer for cabinets matches primer types to finishes.
4. Lay the color coats on evenly, by spray or a fine-finish roller. Black shows uneven coats in raking light.
5. Give it time. Dark colors cure more slowly, as the next paragraph explains.

Dunn-Edwards' bulletin on dry time and cure time says dark colors with a high loading of pigment typically take longer to dry and cure than light ones, that additives in colorants can slow the cure further, and that higher gloss coatings take longer too. Its burnishing bulletin calls for at least two weeks of curing before a painted surface is washed. Treat new black doors gently for the first few weeks; dry time and cure time are separate numbers.

Touch-ups on black painted cabinets

Plan for touch-ups before the first chip. Dunn-Edwards' touch-up bulletin lists darker colors and paints with a sheen among the things that make a touch-up harder to blend, and black cabinets are usually both.

The same bulletin says that when the original coat was sprayed, touching up the same way usually isn't practical, but a small amount of the original material can be set aside for touch-ups. Keep a labeled jar of the exact paint and sheen, with the color formula written on the lid.

• Clean the spot first. Grease or dust under a touch-up shows.
• Use the least paint that covers. A thick dab builds up and catches the light.
• If one door needs touch-up after touch-up, recoating the whole face blends better than spots.

Our post on how to touch up paint goes deeper on flashing, and how to clean painted kitchen cabinets covers cleaning that won't polish a low-sheen black into shiny patches.

When to stop and call a professional

• Stop sanding if your home was built before 1978 and you don't know what's in the old finish.
• Stop if the old finish is peeling or flaking. New paint can't hold onto a coat that's letting go.
• Air out the room, and stop if fumes bring on a headache or dizziness.
• Call a pro if you want a sprayed black with no brush marks, or you'd rather not lose your kitchen for weeks.

The first one matters in older Madison houses. EPA says about three quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint, and that renovation, repair or painting work in a pre-1978 home with lead-based paint can easily create dangerous lead dust. Tell any painter the age of the house and ask how they handle lead-safe work. See painting older Madison homes.

How we handle black cabinets at GK Painting

Every cabinet we refinish is cleaned and degreased, then sanded and primed, before any color goes on. Doors and drawer fronts come off, get labeled and are sprayed; the frames are finished in your kitchen. That's the smooth, even base a dark color needs.

We use premium paint from Sherwin-Williams and Behr, and Behr is the more economical of the two. If you'd rather use a brand you already like, we'll use it. Cabinet work is priced per cabinet with paint included, and most kitchens take one to two weeks. The written quote is the price, no extra charge if the job takes longer than expected.

If a problem comes from the quality of our work, like a finish that peels or didn't bond, we'll come back and make it right; damage from everyday use or accidents isn't covered. We're based in Waunakee and work across Madison and Dane County. See our cabinet refinishing service or ask for a free estimate, and ask George about keeping touch-up paint for your color.