It’s not for the faint of heart, certainly, but we have to say that we love the look of black cabinets in the kitchen. Lately we’ve seen black cabinets lending their sophisticated hue to more and more spaces. They’re striking in a modern kitchen, elegant and timeless in a more traditional one — and there can be quite a bit of variety within the shade we think of as “black.” Is this the look for you? Take a gander at some black paint colors at work in real-life kitchens and decide for yourself.

(Image credit: Cathy Pyle)

The kitchen of this London flat is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black, a “soft black” that is “much more flattering to adjacent colors than stronger blacks because it feels so much milder in tone.”

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

The kitchen of this Australian home takes on a quirky, personal feel thanks to cabinets painted in Dulux Night Sky (with silver accents in Dulux Metallic Silver).

(Image credit: Jennifer Hughes/Elizabeth Lawson Design)

This beautiful, bright kitchen by Elizabeth Lawson Design has lower cabinets painted in Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe. If you want to get technical, Down Pipe is a bluish dark gray, but here, it definitely reads closer to black. This is a great choice if you love the look of dark cabinets but think a pure black seems a bit too harsh.

(Image credit: reDesign Home)

This traditional kitchen by reDesign Home uses the same trick as the one above—black paint on the lower cabinets paired with open shelves and white walls above, for a space that’s sophisticated but also open and bright. The cabinet color is Benjamin Moore’s Onyx, another dark dark almost-black gray.

(Image credit: Jersey Ice Cream Co)

This kitchen by Jersey Ice Cream Co really embraces the cottage look, with a vintage-style freestanding sink, butcherblock countertop, and cabinets and wall paneling painted in Benjamin Moore’s Black Horizon (you guessed it, another dark gray). The white walls above and the brighter tones of the countertop help to lighten up the look a bit.

(Image credit: M House Development)

(Image credit: M House Development)

In this kitchen by M House Development (spotted on Homebunch), a black island and hutch in Sherwin-Williams’ Tricorn Black pair with gray cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Huskie. If you love the look of black cabinets, but are afraid that a whole kitchen full of them might be a bit too drab, painting just the island (or one bank of cabinets) is a great way to go. These homeowners chose a deep black, which is balanced out nicely by the soft gray of the other cabinets.

(Image credit: The Fox Group)

(Image credit: The Fox Group)

The cabinets in this kitchen by The Fox Group (via Homebunch) are all painted in Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart. Custom paneling covers the fridge and dishwasher, which makes for a cohesive look. White stone countertops and a white subway tile backsplash help to balance out all the dark tones.

(Image credit: Emily Johnston)

In the kitchen of Halle & Jeff’s East Village Apartment, cabinets painted in Mopboard Black by Benjamin Moore pair with butcherblock countertops. The cabinets coordinate perfectly with the dark hues in the tile, for a kitchen that’s as elegant as it is unusual.