The most popular kitchen cabinet “colors” seemed to be at a stark white standstill for ages. Luckily, a warming trend has made major shifts over the last few years. 

We’re still loving white, but the undertones, hardware, and depth have evolved. Plus, we’re welcoming back wood. Keep scrolling to see which woods and much more as we share trending kitchen cabinet paint colors, hot hardware, and other design hints.

 

The New White: It’s all about warm neutral kitchen cabinets

Once we all successfully switched to LED lighting, something shifted. Bright, cool whites seemed more “hospital” than “hospitable.” Changing the color temperature in the lighting scheme helps a lot. But why not warm up the cabinet color itself?

Warm neutrals feel comfortable and luminous at the same time. Think oatmeal, cream, sand, and taupe. To add a luxe touch, go for an inset shaker as seen above. Or, keep reading for a sleek, frameless slab option.

 

Hardware and countertop pairings for warm neutral kitchen cabinets:

  • Unlacquered copper 

  • Brushed brass

  • Quartz countertops with warmer veins

  • Honed or leathered granite

 

The Designery suggestion: Porcelain Gold 

If the opulence and fresh feeling of white is something you need to wean yourself off of, check out frameless Porcelain Gold. You’ll get clean lines and the lightness you love without going full greige or mushroom. Soft gray on a creamy base creates a subtle stone-like pattern with golden veining.

BONUS: White done exactly right.

Feel free to turn the brightness down with bone. The more muted white above is breezy and serene. A super slim shaker style with mixed metals and warm, sandy statement stone feels future-proof for coastal kitchens.

 

Earthy Greens: Mother Nature makes a statement

Biophilic design and a general bent toward earth tones have had a massive impact on interior design recently. However, green is standing out for kitchens, and not just any green. 

Smoky jades and muted sages fit right into the dirty neutrals trend. Lush moss and deep forest are leafier greens that are right at home with wood. Sophisticated, dramatic looks favor deeper greens in slab style. A classic, straightforward shaker is still the most popular style for many home kitchens.

Hardware and countertop pairings for green kitchen cabinets:

  • Butcher block islands and wood shelving

  • Warm gold-tone knobs and cup pulls

  • Matte or honed quartz and granite

  • Traditional and widespread faucets

 

The Designery suggestion: Essex Augusta 

If you’re torn between something lush or something muted, something springy or something deep, consider Essex Augusta. It’s the crossroads from which every popular green diverges. It’s loveliest wrapped around kitchen islands and lower cabinets in a two-toned design.

 

Natural Wood Grain: Warmth and authenticity come home

We can give some of the credit for wood’s resurgence to the earth tone trend. With an emphasis on the organic and all-natural, many want the depth and texture of the real thing.  

White oak is a huge deal right now, as well as walnut and maple. For a fine grain that doesn’t come across too strong, the white oak works. Walnut and maple offer richer undertones that many won’t alter further than a matte clear coat. And while some like their birch unbesmirched, others are actually after more knots.  

Hardware and countertop pairings for natural wood grain cabinets:

  • Champagne bronze and polished silver-tone hardware

  • Subtly patterned light quartz 

  • Deep gray leathered granite

  • Matte black fixtures or accents

 

The Designery suggestion: Glazed Mocha

If you want your wood-grain cabinets to fit into a traditional design, you simply must go raised panel. Glazed Mocha is a full overlay of maple and birch that makes most kitchens feel more high-end and welcoming at once. 

 

Two-tone kitchen cabinets: The best way to introduce popular colors

Dark navy, soft green, medium wood, off-white, dirty neutral–you never actually have to choose just one. Two-tone kitchen cabinets have only increased in popularity over the last few years. 

Two different colors can prevent cabinets from seeming like a bulky wall of furniture and keep darker colors from dragging the room down. You can create a flexible, layered look with tons of character. It’s also a good strategy for more obvious contrast in kitchens with super clean lines. 

 

Two-tone kitchen cabinet combinations to explore:

  • Pale sage uppers with a dark walnut base and island

  • Taupe uppers with a moody charcoal base

  • Cream uppers with a walnut wood grain base

  • Warm white with a dark, ink-like navy base

  • White oak wood perimeter cabinets with a deep green island

 

Thousands of cabinet combinations await at a Designery showroom.

Your local Designery is a direct source for cabinets in all styles and constructions. Raised, slab, shaker, frameless, full overlay, inset, and more. Plus, we offer hundreds of colorways and a range of customizable finishes. 

“We selected The Designery to complete our new kitchen and couldn’t be more pleased! Liz spent countless hours showing us options for cabinets, countertops, lighting, paint, sinks/faucets, and flooring, guiding us as we selected products that were both high quality and affordable.”

Bob, The Designery client

Visit your local showroom to discover which cabinet color is most popular with your kitchen.