Trending Kitchen Cabinet Colors
Updated: Jun. 23, 2021Color cabinets are back! Here are eight trending favorites.
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Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color: Charcoal Black
Black cabinets are having a moment. But for some people, they’ve always been stylish. Stephanie Engel, interior designer and color consultant at Spaces Reinvented, suggests Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron.
“It’s a classic and timeless color,” she says. “Black cabinets, especially lowers, paired with white uppers — tuxedo kitchens — give your kitchen an update without being over the top.”
You could also consider Farrow & Ball’s Railings, which has some blue in it, or Clare Paint’s Blackish.
Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color: Urbane Bronze
It’s Sherwin-Williams Color of the Year, and it’s going on cabinets: Urbane Bronze. According to Lee Crowder, national director of design and model experience at Taylor Morrison, it pairs well with a sandy taupe, creating a combination that adds contrast, depth and sophistication.
There’s something a bit ’90s about this color, which is also having a style reboot these days. Pair with white or a khaki, like Messenger Green. Metal accents of all kinds will shine against this bold neutral.
Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color: Dark Green
Dark green may well take top prize for the whole color-cabinet trend. Rob Abrahamson, co-founder of COAT Paints, says dark colors are generally trending, but dark green in particular is hot.
“This color is pretty timeless, while also being bang-on trend when paired with contrast brass handles and natural wood on kitchen cabinets,” he says. “Being a dark color, it also lends itself well to easily covering old wood and nasty laminate. It’s a natural color that tends to calm and comfort us when used at home, so it’s unsurprising.”
Teri Simone, a designer at Nieu Cabinets, agrees. But it’s not just dark green that is enjoying the, shall we say, limelight. She says, “From Sherwin-Williams Sage Green Light to Rock Bottom, green is fresh, inviting and calming in the kitchen.”
Not ready to fully commit? Start lighter. “Adding touches of light green to bring in color, or pairing a mid-tone green like Sherwin-Williams Rock Garden with crisp white uppers gives a playful vibe to your space,” she says.
Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color: Navy Blue
“For those who want to add color, but not be overly ‘trendy,’ blue cabinets will have more lasting power,” says Engel. She recommends Benjamin Moore Hale Navy. “This color is a dark navy, but not so dark that it will make your rooms appear or feel small,” Engel says. “It is another classic color and pairs well with white and antique brass fixtures.”
Simone says deep, bold colors such as navy blue “are making a splash in kitchens” and delivering high-impact results. “They make a great choice for base cabinets paired with white uppers, or as a focal point adorning an island,” she says. “For kitchens opting for floating shelves instead of uppers, dark jewel tones act as a great anchor, and often complement the tones in slab backsplashes!”
Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color: Light Taupe
Crowder says a design crowd–pleaser is Sherwin-Williams City Loft, calling it “a warm and timeless neutral we use again and again in our homes.”
For those who aren’t ready to go with a bold color, taupe adds dimension and visual interest without straying too far from neutral. It also shines accented with bolder colors, such as Sherwin-Williams Canyon Clay, the mineral-green Sea Salt or a bolder jewel tone, Rosemary.
“These shades represent different stages of verdigris — the range of colors seen as copper ages and oxidizes,” Crowder says.
Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color: Creamy White
Bye-bye, stark, bright whites. But here’s the deal: Many aren’t ready, and shouldn’t feel forced, to leave white kitchens behind. Just call it a shift in perspective — people are gravitating toward warmer, creamier whites with depth.
“2021 is enjoying warm tones in cabinet hardware and paint colors alike,” Simone says. “Creamy off-white paints like Sherwin-Williams Alabaster or Porcelain make your kitchen warm and inviting without sacrificing the bright and openness of a classic white paint.”
Engel agrees many are not ready for a big splash of color in the kitchen, at least not on something that feels as permanent as cabinets. Her pick is Benjamin Moore White Dove.
“For those who still like a white kitchen, painting the cabinets this color freshens and brightens a space without being overly stark or creamy,” she says. “It especially pairs nicely with most fixtures and accents, which makes its versatility extremely popular. This color is classic and timeless, and should be a top consideration every time.”
Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color: Pink
A wild card, yes, but images of a showroom kitchen by deVol is an indication pink is in the running. This particular pink is a custom blend, but pink and green are like the color analogy to the sweet-and-salty peanut butter and jelly flavor combination.
You can run the gamut here, from palest pale pinks and tans such as Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster or the rosier Sulking Room, to a bold coral such as Clare’s Pink Sky or Behr paint’s Cherry Fizz or I Pink I Can.
Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color: Gray. With a Twist.
If you’ve ever tried to buy gray paint, you know it can be a challenge to find just the right one. Some go straight green or purple once they are on the wall. Or blue. Or white. Or … you get the point.
So the flat, unemotional grays of yesteryear are out. But as a neutral, gray will never completely go away. Simone suggests Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray if you want to test the waters of not-white, but almost-white cabinetry.
“Its cool undertones and hint of earthy gray makes it a delightful neutral that adds just a bit more depth than all white cabinets,” she says. “For small kitchens that don’t want to go all-white, we love this color to keep the space feeling larger.”
If you’re feeling gutsier, try a gray with a color undertone, such as Clare Paint’s Wink, which skews blue. It’s named for the perennial flower, periwinkle. Or perhaps you’re looking for a raspberry undertone, which pairs well with gold hardware, in which case PPG’s Silver Service fits the bill. The world is your oyster … which is also a great undertone color to consider, now that we mentioned it.
