Black

Katherine Yaphe, as seen in Canadian House and Home

I apologize for the brief hiatus last week. Health issues took precedence over, well everything! But enough about my surgery woes, let's get on with some great design!

Black can take a room places no other color can. Used on a ceiling, it gives the illusion of a night sky, raising the ceiling without raising a hammer.

Black Painted Basement Ceiling,
BraySamLane

See how elegant black paint can make an unfinished basement ceiling?

Black brings instant sophistication to a door. I have a pretty standard builder grade door which was painted a pretty standard builder grade white. Painting it black instantly increased the sophistication of the foyer.

With no other changes, painting the doors black improved the look of the foyer dramatically.

Hope you are having a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ready Mixed Whites: China White

Benjamin Moore's China White is one of Tom Filicia's go to neutrals. It is a pale shade of yellow but just barely, having nearly equal proportions of red, yellow and blue. It has just enough yellow to make this color warm.

Lasley Brahaney Architecture+Construction

Traditional Kitchen by Princeton Design-Build Firms Lasley Brahaney Architecture + Construction

The soapstone countertops, farm sink, bead board backsplash and bridge faucet all combine to create a classic country style kitchen. Don't you just love the honed soapstone? Notice that the front of the dishwasher panel matches the cabinets, providing a seamless look to the cabinets. White kitchen cabinets show no signs of dropping out of the top five preferred kitchen styles!

Traditional Kitchen by Princeton Design-Build Firms Lasley Brahaney Architecture + Construction

Another view of this kitchen shows the stainless steel range top to the immediate right of the dishwasher. Paneling the dishwasher allowed these two appliances to be so close to each other without creating an overly industrial look.

China White Walls, White Dove Cabinets
Duffy Design Group

Contemporary Kitchen by Boston Interior Designers Decorators Duffy Design Group

You can see from the photo above that China White is a bit deeper intensity and pairs well with White Dove, another Benjamin Moore classic white.

Does China White have a place in your home?

Is Black the New Black?

Traditional Kitchen by Seattle Architects & Building Designers Paul Moon Design

For a very long time, stainless steel has been the standard for kitchens. It is the appliance color of choice for selling a home quickly.

Kitchen Aid Black Stainless Sponsored Post on Dwell

Now, a few manufacturers, KitchenAid, LG, and Samsung, are introducing black stainless steel. The claim is that it mixes with stainless and is poised to knock stainless steel of the throne. 

I am not so sure that a mix of appliance colors will make a kitchen work. 

Avocado, Black and Almond Appliances,
Pre-renovation kitchen Knife and Fork blog

At all. Will using black stainless make a kitchen with mixed appliances look more cohesive? 

Carbonated TV

Or will it just look more like when your blacks don't match? 

What do you think? Is black the new black? Or, more precisely, is black the new stainless?