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Design Dilemma: Black and White and Green with Envy

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Are you looking for a way to bring classic simplicity to your kitchen without seeming too out of step with today’s modern looks? There’s one reliable way to bring classicism and spunk all at once to your kitchen: Go black and white!

Black and white comes in many flavors and there are tons of opportunities to bring the stark graphic feel to a kitchen and either dial it up a bit or tone it down according to the effect you’re seeking.

Let’s check it out.

While the kitchen above retains a very classic feel using black and white subway tiles, a classic terrazzo-style black and white speckled floor and a stainless steel, commercial grade stove, it still has a modern vintage feel. The kitchen below, however, uses black and white in an unmistakably modern way by going with modern cabinetry and a striking modern organically-shaped island. All the drama comes in the black and white tiled backsplash that retains a kind of Ikat look.

The kitchen below is totally classic. From the Carrara marble backsplash to the window-paned cabinetry boasting beautiful mouldings to the black and white tile floor (the white in the floor picks up on the marble backsplash) this kitchen speaks of Old World elegance that will never go out of style.

And speaking of black and white tile floors, you can absolutely never go wrong with them. Retro but so now! The kitchen below keeps everything white and simple, to allow the floors to carry the show.

Are you looking for something even more dramatic than the black and white linoleum look? What about kitchen cabinetry painted black? The subway tiles inside the cabinets and the naked light bulbs make this kitchen feel completely on-trend:

Below is an equally dramatic black and white kitchen:

If you are a serious lover of drama, try using only black cabinets in a white room:

Not really feeling that much black? One easy way to get a crisp graphic look is by incorporating a black island into a white kitchen:

And what about bringing black and white in through unexpected elements. In the kitchen below, a chalkboard functions as the one graphic element that plays nicely against the white counters and cabinets. The wall of black cabinets adds modern chic.

So there you have it — black and white is one of the easiest solutions if you are unsure what kind of look or color you’d like to use in your kitchen. It’s simple, it’s easy, it always works. Plus, you can easily incorporate a third bright color such as red or yellow to really make things pop. We say, go for it!