With our recent kitchen reno, we needed to make the decision about paint! The before kitchen had creamy cabinets and a dark stained island, so the cabinets and island were never the same. I prefer this look as it adds some depth to the space. The big decision with the reno was whether to keep the stain on the island or paint it. Ultimately, we decided to go with paint. Here is why we love our kitchen island painted black!
Deciding Between Paint and Stain
Here’s the deal! You can always paint over paint. You can always paint over stain. But you cannot stain over paint (easily)! If you are going from stain to paint, it’s a big decision, but it’s just a lot harder to reverse. In the end, I wanted a change. We already have dark hardwood floors which provide a lot of warmth. Painting the island black would modernize the space and give the island a fresh look. We didn’t change anything else about the island besides countertops and hardware.
Deciding on a Black Paint Color
As with most decisions, I scour the Pinterest, Instagram, hashtags, etc! I asked around on my Instagram stories. The paint color that kept coming up time and time again was Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams. We have this paint color on a wall in our dining room, so I knew I loved it. It was a pretty quick decision.
We had the painter spray the whole island so it has a nice, even finish. I LOVE black! Every room and space should have some black in it in my opinion! It grounds a space and provides depth and contrast. It’s just so chic! Because we have dark hardwood floors, the black contrasts just enough from the previous dark stain.
Styling the Kitchen Island
Our island works hard for us! We eat here for almost every meal, despite a tall husband our teen children growing by the day! It is most definitely the gathering space in our home. Not only do we eat here, this island also holds our pull out trash drawer, and it has three large storage drawers that I access daily.
We also have some small decorative shelves on one side. Books and white stoneware provide a little color and texture and contrast.
We have literally had these bar stools since we moved in! World Market still sells them! The selling point for me originally was that they height adjust. Our kids were 3 and 4 when we bought these and now they are 13 and 14. The stools still work for everyone because you can swivel them up and down! Perfect for growing kids!
How We Feel About the Kitchen Island Painted Black
We love our kitchen island painted black! The painted black island looks so good with the quartzite countertops we picked out. It feels warm and chic at the same time. I love how it feels classic but adds a modern touch to a traditional island. We still have stained wood bookshelves in the living room which I will probably never touch. I want some parts of our home to not be painted over. In this case, I’m glad we went for it! xo