Erin Napier's Bold Paint Shade Gives Boring Kitchen Cabinets A Sophisticated Elegance

Erin Napier is no stranger to bold paint colors. Enter: black cabinets. According to the interior design pro and co-host of HGTV's "Home Town," swathing a kitchen with any paint hue simply because it's on-trend is never a good idea. Your home kitchen, according to Napier, should reflect your personal style. Going against this is a very common kitchen color mistake. Beyond being the place for creating fabulous meals, it should also serve as a place that home cooks actually enjoy using and inhabiting. To that end, painting your cabinets can be a minor kitchen remodel that pays off even more than a major one, totally transforming a space on a budget. 

In an Instagram post in 2024, Napier shared photos of a home renovation she designed, in which the kitchen features black painted cabinets. It's a dramatic look, to be honest. However, expertly paired with a few counterbalancing design elements, the cabinets fit cohesively into the overall schema of the space. For a timeless and elegant look, she outfitted the black cabinets with gold hardware in a matte finish. She also offset the cabinets beside a glossy white subway tile backsplash and light gray countertops — upscale yet inherently industrial. Pro tip: Black paint looks its best on traditional and transitional cabinet styles, which offer enough molding and detailing to give the black some dimensionality. Matte and satin paint finishes also create a more understated look than classic lacquer. 

Before deciding on this bold look in your own home kitchen, there are a few crucial factors to keep in mind. It's worth noting that the particular home shown in Erin Napier's social media post appears to have fairly high ceilings with plenty of tall windows. The walls in the adjoining living area are also painted white. Working in tandem, these design elements open up the space, making sure the dark cabinets don't visually overwhelm the room. Indeed, black cabinets may not be the best fit for smaller spaces with low ceilings. Another key variable to black cabinets' spatial success is adequate lighting washing over the room. Home cooks without much natural light in their kitchens might consider installing track lighting along the ceiling. This upper-canopy illumination would brighten things up and make those dark cabinets pop in a good way.

Admittedly, the main disadvantage of opting for versatile, sophisticated black cabinets is their inability to hide smudges, dust, and fingerprints. Luckily, a quick wipe-down with a damp cloth can get rid of 'em, but black cabinets may not be the best fit for high-traffic kitchens with kiddos or messy roommates. Still, the dark color is much more aesthetically forgiving than lighter colors for concealing minor dents and scratches over time.

Thinking about black painted cabinets for your next kitchen renovation? Be sure to incorporate some lighter-toned materials to avoid an overly heavy holistic look. Grey concrete slab countertops would provide a complementary industrial look. Additionally, Napier swears by limestone countertops as a durable, budget-friendly alternative to materials like granite and marble. A white backsplash can also help balance black cabinets.