Tips for Choosing a Kitchen Cabinet Color You Won’t Regret

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Cabinet color

Whether you’re renovating your entire kitchen or just selecting a new paint color, deciding on the right hue for your kitchen cabinets can be nerve-wracking.

Our best advice is always this: choose what you like. It doesn’t matter what’s trending, what color Martha Stewart’s cabinets are, or what looks good in that full-page spread in House Beautiful. YOU are the one who lives in your home and will have to see your cabinets every day.

So we encourage you to toss around some ideas. Think in the box and step outside it; view things from a different angle. To help you do that, here are our experts’ opinions on the full spectrum of kitchen cabinet colors.

White Kitchen Cabinets

kitchen designed for life

white modern traditional kitchen

The Upside: White cabinets might seem like they’re everywhere, but it’s not because they’re trendy — it’s because they’re timeless. They’re always in style and allow for flexibility in the rest of your kitchen. It’s possible for white kitchen cabinets to fit perfectly into both a grandiose traditional design and a minimalist, contemporary design.

The Downside: There’s a little more maintenance involved here, simply because they’re white. While it’s not impossible to have painted white cabinets when you have kids or pets in the house, it’s not as easy as a stained maple. Don’t let this be a total deterrent (there are plenty of reasons to love white kitchens), but it is something to consider.

Blue Kitchen Cabinets

 

white beach house kitchen

 

The Upside: Blue makes for a fun accent color. Depending on the exact shade, it can almost be a neutral, or it can be shockingly bright. Besides adding a pop of color, blue can actually make you feel good. Color psychology shows us that blue has calming effects, and brings feelings of peace and tranquility when used in moderation. If you’re ready to go blue, we have some tips.

The Downside: A kitchen cabinet color that looks good on a swatch might be overpowering on a wall of cabinets. You’re not going to want to repaint your cabinets next month, so make sure you really love the shade of blue you’ve chosen before you pick up the paintbrush.

 

Gray Kitchen Cabinets

The Upside: Gray is a good middle ground — not as stark as white, and not as traditional as wood. It comes in many tones but still cools off a space, and can range from classic to contemporary depending on the shade and its surroundings.

Bonus: gray kitchen cabinet colors on-trend right now.

The Downside: Choosing a color that’s trendy is a gamble. We have a feeling that gray’s popularity will last, however. Designers have turned away from using taupe as their default paint color and are embracing various shades of gray. They’re using it in ways that feel fresh, and we’re willing to bet this neutral stands the test of time.

Bright Color Cabinets

 

white beach house kitchen

 

 

The Upside: A pop of color is a personal style statement like none other. Not everyone likes neutrals, and choosing a bold color might be the unexpected twist your kitchen needs to feel like it truly belongs to you.

The Downside: Bold colors in large doses can become overpowering. It’s also more likely that you’ll grow tired of them. If you love purple and always have, then purple cabinets might be for you, regardless of what anyone else might think. If your favorite color changes constantly, or if you know you want a pop of color but are hesitant, we suggest finding other, creative ways to add color into your kitchen decor. Find the perfect bold piece of art, opt for a colorful Smeg refrigerator or Viking range, or paint just your island or an accent wall instead of all your kitchen cabinets.

“Whether you go with white or purple, pale blue or cerulean, it’s your home and you get to make the decisions. Embrace what you love and have fun with it.”


Do you have color on your cabinets, or are neutrals more your style? Share your photos with us over on Facebook.

Comments

I like that you mentioned that blue cabinets can make a kitchen feel calm and soothing. I like to cook to wind down from a long day, so choosing cabinets that help me feel relaxed could be a great option! We are trying to decide what color to paint our cabinets. I think blue could be a really good choice!
My wife would love to get new cabinets for our kitchen, but we're having a hard time deciding what color we would have them painted. I like how you point out that white is a good option since they're flexible and always in style. We don't have kids either, so we wouldn't have to worry as much about keeping them clean.
I absolutely love that advice to choose what you like. Personally, it's hard not to get caught up with what's trending. However, it's so true that you need to remember that it's your home, and you'll be the one living in it.
I have just finished remodeling our kitchen and my wife asked me what color should we paint the cabinets. Basing on your examples, a nice shade of gray would do just fine. I suppose it won't show stain as obviously and is muted enough that it's not too obtrusive. Thanks for the great tips!
Nice tips! I have a favorite color, and it is not changing constantly, so I think brght colors in the kitchen are perfect for me! I might actually consider getting purple cabinets! Thanks for the idea!
My husband and I are planning on remodeling our kitchen and we're wondering what color we should use for repainting our cabinets. So I like how you talk about how blue is a really versatile color since it can either be neutral or very bright. We will definitely have to use blue for painting out cabinets since I also have some beautiful vases that are of the same color.
Thanks for the great suggestions on kitchen cabinet colors! I do agree that white cabinets are timeless. It's very flexible and can fit perfectly to both a grandiose traditional design and a minimalist, contemporary design. I'm glad you also mentioned about, under bright colors, that choosing a bold color can be that twist that the kitchen needs to feel like it is truly yours. I'd be sure to try these out. I'd check with my wife which color she'd like, and relay it to a contractor to help me with coming with ideas.
For a couple of weeks, my fiance and I have been debating getting custom made cabinets. We really want them for our new home and we want to make sure we pick styles and colors that are timeless. I like what you said about grey and its ability to stand the test of time.
I just wanted to thank you for giving some ideas for the color of a kitchen cabinet. I'm glad that you mentioned that having a gray color can help make a kitchen look classic or contemporary depending on the shade. I'm interested to learn more about the different shades of grey that could be used and how they affect a given space. It seems that knowing the impact of these different shades can be really beneficial, especially if you want a good neutral color.
I appreciate that you mentioned not worrying about what's trending and to just do what you like! My sister is looking to buy custom kitchen cabinets for her ten year anniversary. I think I'll talk to her about just doing what she likes instead of what's trending.

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