Black is Back: The refined side of the kitchen
Black is the elegant shade par excellence, in fashion as in interior design
Essential, and seductive, with a sheath dress, a pair of trousers or a jacket. Always perfect, from morning to evening from casual to formal occasions. It is an evergreen, the “non” colour that never causes embarrassment and which gives each object in the home a mysterious energy of fascination and seduction. Black can furnish each room, from the bathroom to the lounge, from the bedroom to the kitchen as dictated by the latest trends. It matches white, beige, cream, pale pink and light gold, which release its more elegant and refined side. It highlights metal and wooden inserts. It unleashes originality and the spirit of rock if knowingly matched with red, pink and shades of grey. It makes mosaic floors or glass walls even more sophisticated. It fills with light if combined with small points of lemon yellow, orange or acid green, whereas it becomes audacious and has a strong impact if used on its own or used together with tonalities such as electric blue.
In fabric or leather black attracts looks when it covers sofas and lounge chairs. Shiny or matte, black is perfect for dinner tables or living room furniture whether in a classical setting or one more contemporary. It is a chic choice, even for those who do not want to dare too much: a handful of details such as a lamp, a carpet, a great wall clock or a few velvet cushions placed on the sofa are enough.
With its dark tones, the bathroom is clothed in glamour. The room comes alive with mosaic tiles that play with tones of white and grey, with shiny finishes and chromed details. The combination with gold makes it sumptuous. In the bedroom, black makes everything tidier. Even here you can use it for all the furniture or only to enrich the environment with small details. On fabrics it allows you to play with your imagination with striped or polka dot bed covers, cushions and sheets or, for a more romantic look, floral or damask designs.
Recently the dark effect has even entered the kitchen, transforming it into a place of representation on a par with the living area. It is, at the same time, minimal and sought after. The black kitchen becomes cloaked in prestige, authority and character according to the mix of materials and other colours such as wood, metal, white or red. The right flooring is the keystone. You can dare to use black in the flooring, always as long as there is the right lighting. In the opposite case it would be preferable to use tiles that go from white to pearl grey. For a shiny effect the ideal solution would be to use marble tiles. For an opaque effect, then porcelain stoneware can be used. To create a tonal effect the choice of floor covering falls on slate, which is chic and in step with the latest fashion. The alternative is black marble which acts as a pendant to a floor in the same colour and material. Black is suitable for furniture in both shiny and matte finishes.
More than for the other strong and distinctive colours, black is a choice to be avoided for the less illuminated corners of the home. In order to avoid making a mistake the recommendation is to always leave the walls light-coloured, perhaps dedicating one or at the most two walls to black. The final effect will surely be of more depth. By giving vent to your imagination, you can create designs or leave messages on the walls. A wall sticker would be enough to tell a story and to give motion and a three dimensional effect to boundaries. If the height of the room allows, it could also become the right choice for the colouring of the ceiling or the floor. Black highlights spaces full of light, especially if you are dealing with a room with expansive floor areas.
Precisely due to its strong calling for the essential, a black kitchen has no need for shapes and lines to process. To play with a dark ambience the appliances must have satin steel inserts. They are efficient, functional and reflect the contemporary spirit of the furniture. The Black Collection, for example, the new line by KitchenAid including a multifunction oven, a steam oven, a speed oven, a microwave oven and a warming drawer where brushed steel merges with the iconic design of the label and the Printshield technology protects the surfaces from stains and fingerprints and make it easy the cleaning. A few objects in sight are sufficient to enrich a black kitchen: free space for food processors, electronic scales, blenders, toasters to create points of lights or colours, such as red finishes for example, to create an even more winsome mood. The result will be a unique kitchen that is elegant, always tidy and unlikely to suffer the passage of time.
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