Black granite/quartz worktops - MN jury - are they now dated?

[Loueytb3]

I am trying to win over my DH. I want a mix of pale and wood cupboards and cream or light coloured quartz worktops (with a bit of wood for the breakfast bar). He wants maple cupboards and black quartz/granite which is basically what we had in our last house.

I think black worktops are a bit dated now, but I'm not sure.

We are in a very hard water area so we will have an ongoing battle with limescale which clearly is more visible on black worksurfaces. DH says pale surfaces always look dirty. I am also not sure how pale cupboards and a pale worktop will look together.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this dilemma.

Also, very minor i know, but I always have to find something pale coloured to stand my measuring jug on, because they all have black measurement markings on them, which don't show up against the black worktop. Drives me mad (along with the timescale marks, room darkening and other issues mentioned above). I really want rid of mine!

We’re looking at kitchens at the moment, and I agree black worktops are out and light ones are in.

Randomthoughts I really like yours!

We didn't have the budget for quartz or granite when doing our kitchen so went for laminate. Originally wanted dark but we went for white in the end and are so so glad we did. It really lifts the room having a light colour and they look great. It's a long room, with potential to be dark, and the white really helps keep it bright and airy

Thanks amber. Ours is blanco city which is one of the group 1 (cheapest) silestone. We were considering laminate but so pleased with the quartz, it's just lovely!

Nicest worktops I ever had were in a kitchen I did a couple of houses ago and were glass. White gloss cabinets and pale turquoise glass tops, stainless steel appliances. Looked absolutely fab and were so easy to look after. When the lights were on in the evening, you got such beautiful effects. I loved it.

TheBitterBoy wouldn’t a new jug be cheaper?? Pyrex have red numbers!

I think I might have saved you a few thousand pounds with this post!! Hahaha.

I like your kitchen Random, it’s so bright!

Kitchens go full circle so I would just go with what you want. I remember seeing oiled wooden worktops in the 60’s, likewise bright shiny cupboard doors. We’ve just installed white maple and black galaxy and we love it as do many of our friends of varying ages! Latest appliances so doesn’t look dated.

How is black a man thing FFS?

If you plan to be in the house for several years, go with what you like. We've just ordered a new kitchen and it will have almost black base units with a white quartz top. It might not be too everyone else's taste but we like it and we've no plans to move for 10+ years so figure we should have what makes us happy.

This is ours. New last summer. Cream, black quartz and red.

We're having black worktops and wood finish cupboards along these lines. I don't find it dated if the kitchen design is contemporary. I wouldn't have polished granite though - we've picked leather finish which is matt so it doesn't show smudges.

Love that kitchen bella. The worktops look great.

I love that too Bella - where is that photo from and where are you buying yours from?

I think this thread is teaching me that it's the overall look of a kitchen that makes it dated or contemporary and not one element within it!

I'd agree, go with what you love and suits the room, not what's fashionable now, because you will want your kitchen to last 15-20 years and you know what's fashionable now won't be fashionable in ten years time.

I'd also say anyone with dark granite, use the method daily granite cleaner, I live in a hard water area and have no limescale issues and spend no time polishing and buffing, quick spritz and wipe off and it's shiny clean. No biggie.

We had plain black in a rental and it was a nightmare to keep clean. It showed every spec of dust no matter how often we wiped it.

We have quartz in twinkle white and it’s great. I’ve found it much easier than black granite to keep looking clean (also hard water area).

Granite comes in a wide range of colours, try to find a proper supplier, nit just your local kitchen place. We have a mid Grey with lots of flecks granite, and it looks darker now its in, but doesn't show the marks unless you look carefully. But it also polishes up nicely.
I don't like the pale cupboards, pale worktop, pale walls look myself, it doesn't look well finished to me.

I agree its a combination of things that makes a kitchen look dated. Black granite in itself isnt dated, sure light colours are more popular at the moment, but not all styles of house or kitchens suit the very latest fashion.

Agree method cleaner is fab, also BarKeepers friend.

It's a random kitchen I found on Houzz, sorry don't know who it's made by. There are more photos here: www.houzz.co.uk/projects/2087896/2017-bondi-valais

In my opinion they are dated. We've just had our kitchen done and opted for summerhill quartz with white gloss cupboards it looks fab and gets loads of compliments

My OH wanted white gloss cabinets with black quartz. I didn’t.

We have Matt pale grey and dark grey cupboards and a pale marble effect quartz with a grey vein. South facing kitchen with a pitched roof. Absolutely love it.