FUMED OAK. Knockout Black. Down Pipe. No, these are not the latest craft cocktails; they're the names of some of the surfaces and colors that are leading kitchens into a new Dark Age. And we're talking about more than just granite countertops or a wall splashed with chalkboard paint. Referencing butler's pantries as well as Art Deco and steam-punk styling, designers are beginning to abandon the all-white Parisian patisserie color scheme—the prevailing millennium palette—for dramatic kitchens infused with smoky hues like charcoal gray and licorice black.

"It's...