Do you have an eye for colour? Please help with my very black kitchen!

[YouHaveBeenOutbid]

We moved house earlier this year and have inherited a black gloss kitchen/diner with a shiny black floor and black tiles. The end wall has black flock wallpaper and there's also a black table and chairs set. There's no doubt that it's stunning but it's very hard and masculine and a bit like walking into a black hole sometimes. I'd like to brighten and soften it up by adding a.blind, curtains and accessories (we can't afford to replace it now) but not sure what would look good. I'm torn between embracing the dramatic and going for a dark red or trying a pale blue or something but worried it'd look a bit insipid. Does anyone have a kitchen like this? What would.you go for?

[Shakey1500]

What about either a pale or lime green?

[quoteunquote]

flick through these for ideas

get rid of the vile wall paper, green backlit glass works well with black, as does some hard woods, must have a good grain.

[YouHaveBeenOutbid]

Hadn't thought about green.... Agree wallpaper is vile. I thought we could cover it with a huge mirror but it might reflect the blackness more!

[BellaVita]

I have a honey oak kitchen, with a nearly black granite work top and black accessories.

we have this colour on the wall, looks great against the black - Teresa's Green.

On the wall it is more bluey green than green.

[YouHaveBeenOutbid]

I really like that shade. I was planning on that for the bathroom!

[MiniLovesMinxPies]

I would probably brighten it with furniture and accessories.

I would probably buy a big painted off white dresser for the back wall (would it fit?)

Large off white mirror/s, to bounce some light around, put mirrors in line with where the sun comes in and one on an opposite wall, change the table and/or make covers for the chairs

Change the lighting to something more feminine and pale, dramatic and glamorous like this sort of thing
www.lauraashley.com/ceiling-lights/pearl-easy-fit-pendant-llight/invt/3553550/ or something even more dramatic if you have the ceiling height or there is a fitting over the table.

Buy some fabric www.lauraashley.com/drape-fabrics/awning-stripe-cottonlinen-fabric-charcoal/invt/3325949/ to cover chairs, make a runner for the table and make the blind

I would leave the flock wallpaper and paint any other wall available a very very pale cool grey.

[noddyholder]

By the time you do all that it may be cheaper to just change the doors!

[MiniLovesMinxPies]

Laura Ashley are a pain, my links go back to their home page

[insancerre]

lime green would look stunning
go for a lime green blind and light fittings
and some nice ceramic bowls for the windowsill, maybe mix a splash of orange with one piece
with a large orchid in a cream pot for the middle of the table

[YouHaveBeenOutbid]

I can't see the links either, am on phone. I'd like to get away with not painting. In a few years time we could replace doors and strip paper but for now it's accessories etc. Like the idea of a dresser but there's not much room. Could replace the table with a smaller one, hmmm...

[Mu1berryBush]

I'd do a mixture of pale and mid grey walls with maybe one 'statement' wall in pink or green.

[MiniLovesMinxPies]

Rather than a dresser, if you trust yourself or DH to wall mount a large painted dresser top, just the shelf section, it could work quite well too.

Cool grey and winter/off white would make the room more feminine and laura ashley do a fab slate, pale grey, cream and white stripe fabric which is the ideal weight for blinds and chair covers and it's in the sale at the moment.

I like the lime idea but I think lime can still be a bit strong and won't soften or lighten the room.

[YouHaveBeenOutbid]

We're going to strip the paper! :)

Just need to choose a new one now. Definitely something more feminine. Mini, we've got a Laura Ashley shop with decor section so I'll go and have a look this week.

[MiniTheMinx]

Wall paper stripping, I don't envy you ! good luck. Let us know how it all turns out. I love decorating, it's exciting (dp doesn't......it's costly) They have sales on now and LA usually offer quite good reductions as well.

[williaminajetfighter]

Just don't do red!! Red and black is awful.

Why don't you do a beige or light grey paint with a feature wall of cole and son's Woods wallpaper which had black in it but adds interest and softness.

www.cole-and-son.com/collection_detail.asp?collectionid=13

[Startail]

DH has spent too long with the army.

He suggests using a thunderflash to launch a tin of white emulsion.

I have sent him back upstairs to finish sorting out my computer.

[QueenMaeve]

This kitchen is black gloss and has the lime green with it. house I've been in it and it's gorgeous

[noddyholder]

Not lime green

[YouHaveBeenOutbid]

I thought this thread would have died a death by now

Startail, don't think I haven't thought about doing exactly that! I'm not a massive fan of lime green either but I do like minty and yellowy greens. There's so much we could do because technically black goes with everything!

[YouHaveBeenOutbid]

QueenMaeve...add a black glossy floor and shrink it a bit and you've got our kitchen!