Kitchen cabinet colour trends

My choice for kitchen cabinets has always been white because I just don't like living with dark colours or too much wood grain. I liked white before it became popular; I fought the natural oak trend when we built our home in the mid 80's and now that  dark stained cabinets seem to be the going trend where I live, I continue to love white. <br /><br />Just how popular are white cabinets?<br /><br />  I decided to conduct a very unscientific poll using the kitchen section of Houzz.   I looked at the first 50 pictures of long views of kitchens  sorted by most popular today and here is what I found out:  Of the 50.....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>8% were  natural wood or stained wood</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> There was a mix of  stains...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2315772/Pepper-Kitchen-contemporary-kitchen-ottawa"><img border="0" height="626" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/676146e400ddc8f6_8-1800/contemporary-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/laurysen/laurysen-kitchens-ltd" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Laurysen Kitchens Ltd.</a></small></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">....from this very dark espresso like colour ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2682238/Super-Clean-Contemporary-contemporary-kitchen-san-francisco"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/4d512906010c4dc9_8-1438/contemporary-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444;"><div style="text-align: center;"><small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/kitchen-and-bath/other-metro" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/elyseh66/paragon-kitchen-bath-studio" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio</a></small></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">.... <span style="font-size: small;">to a mid <span style="font-size: small;">value</span> cherry....</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/359968/Campbel-traditional-kitchen-other-metro"><img border="0" height="746" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/4ca1a6270ebdcb46_8-9115/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/other-metro" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/christiangladu/christian-gladu-design" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Christian Gladu Design</a></small><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">.....to n<span style="font-size: small;">atural wood .</span><b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> 14% were painted colours other than white/cream  </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><small><br /></small></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/1670385/Kitchens-traditional-kitchen-dc-metro"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/949179a900676bba_8-9608/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/photographer/dc-metro" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"> Photographer</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/mcschnitzer/maxine-schnitzer-photography" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Maxine Schnitzer Photography</a></small></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">M</span>ost of the </span>cabinet  were lighter colours<span style="font-size: small;"> so this black  kitchen st<span style="font-size: small;">ood out. I think <span style="font-size: small;">it </span>works in dark because it is open to a much larger space and there is a liberal use of light creams and white. Working with dark cabinets has to be a balancing act or you end up with a cave. </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">  </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2677565/Suffield--CT-traditional-kitchen-other-metro"><img border="0" height="342" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/a141582b010c0b66_8-8187/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444;"><div style="text-align: center;"><small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/kitchen" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">T</a><a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/other-metro" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"> Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/kemperarch/kemper-associates-architects-llc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Kemper Associates Architects, LLC</a></small></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Yellow was perhaps the most  unusual colour choice   of the fifty surveyed <span style="font-size: small;">kitchens </span>and you would really have to love yellow to live in this kitchen. </span></div><div style="color: #444444;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/73269/Craftsman-Kitchen-traditional-kitchen-other-metro"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/87a1d75f0cabffd7_8-1000/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444;"><div style="text-align: center;"><small> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/duclett/natalie-disalvo" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Natalie DiSalvo</a></small></div><br /><small><span style="font-size: small;"> You can never go wrong with a soft colour for kitchen cabinets.  This creamy green is light enough to open up the space, but you can still define it as a colour.  I think it was a good sol<span style="font-size: small;">ution in this Craf<span style="font-size: small;">t</span>sman style house where the traditional finish would have been stained wood. </span></span></small><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2496110/Valley-Run-traditional-kitchen-other-metro"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/c271eff700f825d1_8-7044/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/other-metro" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/jlfarchitects/jlf-associates-inc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">JLF & Associates, Inc.</a></small><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><small><span style="font-size: small;">Who would ever think of a grayed lavender as a cabinet colour, but it really works in this atrium kitchen. The wood tone in the medium stained island  is repeated in several places throughout the space<span style="font-size: small;"> to create visual harmony. <span style="font-size: small;">Grays with purple undertones act<span style="font-size: small;">ually work really well with mid toned woods<span style="font-size: small;">, but it not a colour everyone likes. </span></span></span></span> </span></small></div><br /><small><span style="font-size: small;"><b>22% were white/cream with dark is<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">l</span>ands</span></b></span></small><br /><small><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b> </span></small></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/109770/Needham-Kitchen-traditional-kitchen-boston"><img border="0" height="624" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/7791cbc70d386144_8-6734/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/kitchen-and-bath/boston" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Kitchen And Bath</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/venegas/venegas-and-company" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Venegas and Company</a></small><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><small><span style="font-size: small;">I think the darker island concept with white kitchens works really well  to add drama to a space. Th<span style="font-size: small;">is </span> dark colour also grounds the room<span style="font-size: small;"> and integrates well with a darker hardwood floor. </span>   Oh<span style="font-size: small;">, to have all those drawers!</span></span></small></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2238377/The-Heglar-s-Kitchen-traditional-kitchen-atlanta"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/e401ef3000cce79f_8-1052/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/lookforjo/great-spaces" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Great Spaces!</a></small><br /><br /><small><span style="font-size: small;">Of the darker islands, the most prevalent colour was a deep stained brown.</span></small><br /><br /><small><span style="font-size: small;">  </span></small><br /><small><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 % <span style="font-size: small;">were white with a lighter coloured island </span></b> </span></small><br /><br /><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/214152/Gathering-Place-traditional-kitchen-birmingham"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/55a118d90e273aba_8-4035/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><div style="color: #444444;"><small> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractor/birmingham" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Birmingham General Contractor</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/structures/structures-inc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Structures, Inc.</a></small></div><br /><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2393856/New-Country-French-Cottage-mediterranean-kitchen-dc-metro"><img border="0" height="648" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/5301c7e800eb1a6c_8-5718/mediterranean-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><div style="color: #444444;"><small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/other-metro" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/barnesvanze/barnes-vanze-architects-inc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Barnes Vanze Architects, Inc</a></small></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><small><span style="font-size: small;"> I think the soft blue/green works great with the wood tones in this very <span style="font-size: small;">Mediterranean</span>  <span style="font-size: small;">styled kitchen. </span><b><br /></b></span></small></div><br /><small><span style="font-size: small;"><b>54 % were <span style="font-size: small;">white or off white</span></b> </span></small><br /><small><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></small><small> </small></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/389281/Woodinville-Retreat-contemporary-kitchen-seattle"><img border="0" height="676" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/fb31ca6a0eddb25c_8-1553/contemporary-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/shuffleinteriors/shuffle-interiors" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Shuffle Interiors</a></small></div><div><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2315772/Pepper-Kitchen-contemporary-kitchen-ottawa"><br /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small><span style="font-size: small;"> Of the kitchens I showed did you notice what the most popular floor treatment was? </span></small></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br />And there you have it.  What's your favourite cabinet finish? </div><div style="color: #444444;"><small><br /><a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/postcardfromparis/linda-mcdougald-design-postcard-from-paris-home" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a></small></div><div><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/214152/Gathering-Place-traditional-kitchen-birmingham"><br /></a></div><div style="color: #444444;"><small><br /><a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/structures/structures-inc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a></small></div><div><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2393856/New-Country-French-Cottage-mediterranean-kitchen-dc-metro"><br /></a></div><div style="color: #444444;"><small><br /><a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/barnesvanze/barnes-vanze-architects-inc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a></small></div>

Kitchen cabinet colour trends

My choice for kitchen cabinets has always been white because I just don't like living with dark colours or too much wood grain. I liked ...

Read more »