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Do dark counter tops make a room dark?

16 years ago

You wise people have advised me that with excellent lighting, a northside kitchen with dark wood ceilings can be made light with excellent lighting. I get that. Just Double checking as I am thinking of going with Silestone Green River (leather/matte) or Cambria Kensington (more shine)to meld with my creamy yellow cabinets. Getting cold feet that perimeter and island in this dark color will be too dark. Any words of wisdom? A lighting pro alerted me that all the planned under cabinet lights will reflect onto the dark counters...

Any guidance on this?

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Comments (5)

raehelen
16 years ago
I can't tell you about the dark matte counters. But I have a dark granite counter, and its shiny finish reflects more sunlight/light than my previous laminate counter, so it doesn't add to the 'darkness' of the room. I do have lots of windows though- 2 greenhouse windows and a 6 foot slider.
myview41
16 years ago
I have cobra soapstone countertops in my kitchen and it "sucks the light" out of my kitchen even with proper lighting..
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I, too, am pondering the same! Soapstone and marble are on my wish list. We have maple cabinets with a cherry stain, & I wonder if the soapstone would be too dark on the perimeter, yet that is where it would work best functionally, i.e., wouldn't have to worry about staining, can put hot items directly on counter, etc. Yet would it be too dark? Perhaps a lot of under cabinet lighting would help, along with a light backsplash. A designer friend told me soapstone is too dark for my space; would work fine if I had white cabinets (which I can't justify since our current ones are in great shape). Yet I still pine for soapstone; I want to find a place for it (right now I have a soapstone spoon rest :). The soapstone on just the island could work, then marble or quartzite on the perimeter. I just don't know, and today I have soapstone samples on the counters trying to imagine it. I may look for a dark sheet or tablecloth to put on the counters to try and get a better feel for the look. I love the brown marbles, but I've read that etching is more noticeable with darker marbles, so something to consider. For now, I am hunting for a remnant to put on the small island; then I could figure out the perimeters later. Not ideal, but that would be a good "test" for us on the marble/soapstone. If it didn't work, we would repurpose it for vanity counters. With white cabinets, you have more options. I will be following this thread with much interest! Good luck! wags
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plllog
16 years ago
In general, light (really light, not medium) countertops on dark cabinets will look lighter than dark countertops on light cabinets, with neutral walls, because you see more of the horizontal surface than the vertical. But the specifics of which counters, which cabinets, space in the room, wall color and quantity of non-cabinet wall, where the lighting is, etc., etc., will have a bigger effect than any rule of thumb.

As Raehelen said, shinier will appear lighter because it reflects more light.
hollylh
16 years ago
I have polished ubatuba counters and island, and cherry cabs, in a kitchen that gets no direct light at all. Yes, the dark counters, even though polished, really suck the light out. I'm sorry...

and this is just a matter of taste, but the reflected light on the polished surface, to me, doesn't help, because it's very cold light. (Although it's probably worse with black like I have.) It sounds from the other colors you have picked that you like more warmth.

If you love this counter you have picked and want to keep it, then maybe you could just pick something light for the island. In my kitchen that would make a big difference (and one of the things we're planning to do in an upcoming remodel).

HTH
janwad
16 years ago
Probably, but I find my well lit black to be dramatic and somehow soothing. All the endless brightness isn't a necessarily a good thing.

Just call me dracula I guess!

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