Kitchen advice needed,

[Tefal]

I would normally say keep the counter dark and the units light

 

[jpaul]

Thanks - so stone is bullet proof.

Tefal, the case for light counters ...
if you have dark counters looks somber (Mausoleum'esque) you probably need to turn kitchen lights on prematurely in the evening without the reflection off of a lighter surface, also need very good diffusion of light to avoid bright spots on the surface, less attractive contrast with the colours of food being prepared on the surface, also harder to see if it is clean.
I do not understand where the dark trend came from ?
cynically maybe darker stones more cheaply available so the marketting folks manipulated the customers ? ... just intrigued - what is the appeal of dark ?
- ok it is personal choice, and maybe a nod to potential future marketability

 

[Merlin5]

Dark gloss is a nightmare.

It definitely shows fingerprints, but for me, the look is well worth the extra effort of cleaning. This is mine in 2012 when it was built and it looks just as new and fresh 4 years on. Got the gloss black units from Howdens and also the worktops which obviously aren't granite. What I like about the Howdens cupboards is that it's black on the inside of the doors too. When I went to Benchmarx kitchens, theirs were white on the inside, reminded me of cheap MFI furniture.

 

[2013]

Do you have any more images of your black kitchen, also how often do you need to clean thee doors and everything else ?

do you have young kids ?

 

[Merlin5]

Do you have any more images of your black kitchen, also how often do you need to clean thee doors and everything else ?

do you have young kids ?

Nope, no kids here, just me. To be honest, I don't clean them as regularly as I should but it doesn't take too long to get them looking pristine again and then for me it can take a while before the fingerprints really become noticeable enough to need another clean. I've got a video of when it was just finished apart from one or two things. I intended to replace the washing machine and fridge with gloss black appliances but never bothered in the end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzwFiVJwhIg

I bought under unit lighting which I should have got a diffuser for. Anyway, I never use it but I'll be selling soon so maybe it'll wow a first time buyer
The photos show mostly the base units. There are only a couple of overhead cupboards, plus two cupboards below and above the oven and microwave, and a sort of dummy cupboard next to the wine rack, which houses a broom and a few bits but it's very shallow.

 

[LiE]

Sure black would be doable if it was just a single person living in the house, but add in more people and kids = nightmare.

 

[robj20]

Would always Corian over granite for me, much more functional. Seamless sink FTW. Quartz i like as well.

 

[the-evaluator]

We considered corian but liked the contrast of the stainless sink against the black quartz.

 

[bloodiedathame]

I looked into Corian, not recommended to put hot pans directly on the surface.

 

[covenantuk]

Don't get anything near very dark gloss for units or tops. Everything - and I mean everything - shows up unless you spend hours polishing it after cleaning.

We have a dark sand colour gloss units which are just about ok - our previous tops were black gloss granite and looked awful as soon as the sun hit them unless you buffed them up every time.

 

[LiE]

White Quartz worktops look stunning.

 

[tom_nieto]

Corian is a little bit soft and whilst it can be repaired, it's expensive to do so. It's definitely not for putting hot pans on!