Bold and Black: A Kitchen Reveal
What happens when you are tasked with designing a kitchen in a brand-new home that will serve as the inspiration for an entire sunny Southern California community? Oh, we’ll tell you. You go bold, and not that eye-catching backsplash or colored cabinet bold. We mean all black.
This is where we came in. Last year we were hired by Pardee Homes to design three showhomes in their newest community Vista Santa Fe which is located in San Diego.
You might be asking yourself – what is a model home or a new build community? Well, to get right to the point, they are projects that are constructed from the ground up. Meaning there was no existing home there before and it is all brand new construction. The design department of Bobby Berk has been working and designing model homes since we opened our doors 5 years ago so we have a long history of experience working with these types of projects. Today we are revealing the kitchen from one of the three model homes we designed for the community.
So whether you are ready to embrace the dark inky hues that black has to offer, or lean more towards a bright white space, here is how it all came together.
I’m sure by now you’re asking, “Black?”… “All Black for a Kitchen, are you insane?!”. From fashion to design, black is a color that’s always going to be considered classic (and when it comes to design, we couldn’t agree more) but the last thing any client wants to hear a designer say is, “We want to do every single surface in your kitchen black”. Yes, it sounds scary, but it isn’t – and we’ve got the pictures to prove it.
We wanted the space to feel open, yet intimate, classic yet edgy, fun yet sophisticated. With everything that we brought into the space, we feel like we touched every single one of our goals.
Let’s start with the appliances, traditionally in a kitchen you’ll find white, stainless steel, or maybe even integrated appliances that disappear behind cabinets. But when we found these gorgeous black options from Dacor appliances we knew that we had to use them in the kitchen. Not only did they seamlessly blend with the tones happening throughout the space but they provided a sleek alternative to stainless or the much more expensive option of integrating them.
Ready to get cooking? Click HERE to discover our favorite premade meals from Trader Joe’s.
The kitchen is the main hub of the entire house – it is surrounded by the living room, dining room, and entry, and also opens up directly into the back yard and outdoor areas.
Because of that, we knew that we wanted it to be a statement and a “wow” moment as soon as you walk through the front door of the home. To achieve the look we went black on black on black. Black cabinets, black marble, and all black appliances. To keep everything from feeling too cold or stark the dark hues were warmed up with the wood that was placed on the front and back side of the kitchen island. It gives the eye a visual break from all of the black and also helps to ground the entire kitchen and serves as a focal point for the kitchen. We chose to do a waterfall countertop on the edges of the island to keep the visual line clean all the way across the countertops and also bring some of that beautiful Silestone surface down the sides of the cabinets. Yes, you read that right, it’s not a natural surface but a composite which means it’s virtually indestructible.
“Don’t be scared of black. It’s a color that is not only timeless but sophisticated and I predict we will be seeing a lot more of it in design. ”
Just off the kitchen is the formal dining room which is also equipped with a wine bar and opens up directly onto an outdoor bbq and kitchen. The space needed to be an extension of the kitchen both in function and in design so we wanted to mirror a lot of the same elements that we used in the kitchen.
The wood table was brought in to bring a bit of warmth over to this area of the space, much like we used the wood on the front of the kitchen island. It helps to unify the two areas and also visually breaks up all the black that was used throughout the space. Behind the dining table and on the wall we chipped out a section of the cabinets to again visually break up the lines and created a custom wine storage area. It not only gives purpose to what would have been a wall of cabinets but it now makes the dining area feel like a bar-equipped area that is ready for any kind of party. Who is ready to come over for cocktails this summer?
We are so proud of how the project all came together and can’t wait to show you the rest of the home. There are a lot more reveals coming up – and even more tips and tricks to achieve the look in your own home. To get you started we’ve pulled together a handful of the products that we used in the project below for you to shop. Let us know below if you have any questions on how it all came together or any of what we used in the project. Can’t wait for you to see more from this beautiful house that we designed.
I love this so much
And I love YOU so much
Picking my jaw up off the floor. This is BEAUTIFUL! Where are the dining room chairs from?
this is my absolute dream!
Showstopper!! Unlike any other kitchen I’ve seen…ever. So unique and fabulous. Definite inspiration for the home buyers. The light fixture in the dining area is my fav, it tilts and offers an option to change the look dramatically like living art.
This kitchen is so beautiful, now I want all black everything in my own.
Thank You! We are very excited about it and there is lots more to come from this house.
I love the black appliances with the black cabinets! They blend right in.
In love with this. It has that modern look with the timeless wooden and marble elements. YAS.
Thank you and YAS!
Obsessed with this. Do you have a recommendation for material or even brand for stunning black cabinets like this? Have checked out the IKEA ones but they feel a little cheap. Thank you!
I actually love IKEA cabinets, they are great for the quality and have some really good styles. We used IKEA cabinets in my parents’ renovation and they totally transformed the space.
https://bobbyberk.com/my-parents-home-makeover-how-it-all-came-together/
Bobby, this is absolutely stunning! Your designs never cease to amaze me. All I can say is My house next please! Love you and your work
We will be right over!
I love it….when I redo my kitchen (hopefully next 3-5 yrs), I’ll def pull inspiration from you and this design.
We’ve got lots more coming so be sure to check back regularly
Loving this all black kitchen. Very dramatic!
Black is back 😉
Love everything about this kitchen, the black/wood/brass/magnolias.. can just sleep on that island yeah?
I think it’s just the right size for some king size sheets 🙂
Powerful statement kitchen design. WOW! I have wood cabinets that I would love to paint darker…they’ve yellowed over the years, but still modern in design. Black will not work. Brown? Black-ish?Brownish? Or is there a color that is like a dark grey with brown tones? Am I asking too much?
You could do a very dark grey that leans more brown (like a dark chocolatey grey brown) or if you want something more colorful go with a dark green or dark blue cabinet! Good luck.
Love! Love! Love!!!!
Powerful statement kitchen design. WOW! I have wood cabinets that I would love to paint darker…they’ve yellowed over the years, but still modern in design. Black will not work. Brown? Black-ish?Brownish? Or is there a color that is like a dark grey with brown tones? Am I asking too much?
Love everything about this kitchen!- black/brass/wood. Oh and can I just sleep on that island, yeah?
My husband and I are now building our own home and I would love to use this kitchen as our inspiration. This is beyond gorgeous. Like who would’ve thought an all black kitchen would look so sleek?… ?
The choice for an almost completely black creates a level of refinement and class that I myself want to match. At the same time, there is a certain warmth that still draws me in, like any kitchen should. I love the reverse zebra pattern on the counter tops and wall, which quietly gives a break between the top and bottom cabinets.
Thank you so much! We love how it turned out.
LOVING THE MASC VIBE. YOUR STYLIST IS AMAZING TOO.
Thanks Michael!
Absolutely drop dead gorgeous!! And incredibly refreshing in a Sea of white kitchens. I agree well be seeing more of black in the kitchen!
Let’s join the dark side together.
Laa la la LOVE how you considered plant pieces and brought them together with those bottles on the wall. I deffinately feel calm in this kitchen because I am imagining only soft lighting flowing through this room. Mainly due to how that black would absorb the light. It is a very sexy dinner especially with that glass on the otherside…views!!
I love this so much! Your designs gives me so much inspiration for my future home. Thank you!
Amazing work Bobby. So sleek & sexy!
I love this! It’s so nice to see something different – everything lately is all white, but that doesn’t work for every home, so it’s great to see this variety. Thanks Bobby!
Love the whole look! We just bought our first house recently and this is really making me rethink the design ideas we have for the kitchen! You are extremely talented and brave!
LOVE black kitchens, I’m going to paint my whole room black and everyone thinks I’m crazy but it’s just such a lovely warm color. I can’t wait to see more black on your designs. You’re an amazing designer and I love you.
I am so obsessed with a black kitchen!! You’re an inspiration! I can’t wait to see more! <3
Beautiful and elegant! The bar stools are gorgeous – can you please share where to buy?
I am totally thinking of painting my kitchen cabinets black or a very dark gray. What was the color that you used in the episode with Elrod and sons? It almost looked like a dark gray. I am currently in love with Benjamin Moore French Beret.
The black design for the kitchen (https://bobbyberk.com/bold-and-black-a-kitchen-reveal/) looks cool… and, how would you modify it for folks in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains and is overcast from October to March, and the Very Long Nights and the Very Grey Days can make some of us seasonally depressed ??
Love how beautiful and sophisticated the black kitchen turned out. Looking forward for more designs like this.
I ADORE THIS KITCHEN!
This is my dream kitchen. The Silestone looks fantastic and I appreciate not using granite for the counter tops. I can’t wait to see more.
Literally my dream kitchen. I’ve always fought my boyfriend about wanting a black sink instead of stainless steal and this convinced him. THANK YOU FOR THAT ❤️
Great kitchen and entire house!! Can you tell me the brand/color/size of the floor tile? It compliments so well.
I would love to know where I can get the sleek counter stools in this room design. Thank you!
Absolutely love the entire design!
I’m in the process of setting up a wine bar/bistro and have decided to go all dark walls and ceiling. Bar top is similar to this Silestone and I love the bar stools. Who makes them? Hard to find a good barstool!!
Love seeing you on QE!!!
Sheik and sophisticated-love it!
Bobby, you’ve inspired me with this look and now we’re changing up our kitchen (with a black marble island)! Where do you hide the outlets on the island though?
There are a few black outlets on the side of the island but if you are able to, I would hide them on the backside of the island inside a drawer or a cabinet. Good luck with the project! xx -B
This is amazing. Almost exactly what I have sketched up for my house build. What material/finish are the cabinets?