White Kitchen Cabinets – Are They Still In Style?

White Kitchen Cabinets – They have been appearing in kitchens since the 1980’s and it doesn’t look like this style is letting up any time soon. White kitchen cabinets provide a timeless, classic, and neutral look that many homeowners enjoy.

While we have seen other colored cabinets appear on the landscape over the past few years (such as shades of blue, gray, browns, and black), white is still the dominating color choice among kitchens. Even when a non-traditional colored cabinet is introduced, it’s typically coupled with white cabinets within that same kitchen. See below for a sample of blue and white cabinets working together beautifully in the same kitchen.

We do see our share of non-traditional kitchen cabinets, such as the all-wood and brown-toned kitchen cabinet project we completed pictured below. This type of style is dependent on the region though. The particular home featured below was located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where it would be perfectly appropriate to have a rustic wood-toned kitchen. Nonetheless, white kitchen cabinets are still an overall favorite.

We also sometimes see stained woods, such as taupe tans and white-washed bleached walnut tones. These white-washed wood tones have the allusion of white kitchen cabinets but allow the beautiful grain of the wood to shine through.

If you’re ready to move forward with your white kitchen cabinet makeover, use the inspiration from our galleries below to get your creative juices flowing. However, if you don’t know where to start or what exactly you are looking for, our Certified Kitchen Designers can help walk you through the process of your kitchen remodel to make sure it suits your space, your lifestyle, and your specific tastes. We do our best not to impose our own personal preferences on the projects that we complete. We want your space to be uniquely yours and one that you will be proud of and treasure for years to come.

Contact one of our friendly team members today for help in creating your white kitchen cabinets as part of your overall kitchen design. We look forward to speaking with you!

Straight wood floor patterns, neutral wall colors, the Eames Lounge Chair, and white kitchen cabinets: What do these all have in common? You got it! They never go out of style. And though none of those interior design elements may be considered perfectly on-trend at all times, sometimes it’s best to go with the safer bet than to follow the style of the moment—after all, your home is your home at all times.

And given the cost of installing new kitchen cabinets, it’s definitely a smart move to opt for white ones if you’re in the process of a build or a remodel. That way, as so many of the other parts of your home change and evolve over time, your kitchen will still look fresh and contemporary thanks to that one kitchen design choice.

That all said, when we say “white kitchen cabinets” we’re not talking about one look or style or even just one shade of white: There is a surprising amount of variety you can get with white cabinets, so let’s break it down.

Shades of white, shapes of doors, and hardware considerations

There are literally tens of thousands of different shades of white out there, from whites so crisp and neutral they’re like fresh-fallen snow to rich, warm “whites” that are almost in the yellow family but still call themselves something like ivory, cream, or vanilla. White is a color with a range just like any other, so don’t think you’re selling yourself short by choosing it. (Also don’t think you’re getting out of the painstaking process of choosing the right color!)

Photo: Pieter Estersohn

Consider your choice of white with great care. A softer, creamier white may be great for a farmhouse feel but may look painfully out of place in a sleek, modern residence. Just so, a cool white may look entirely out of place in a mountain lodge-style abode.

Next, take into account the shapes of the cabinet doors that will be best for your space. Shaker cabinet doors with inset panels defined by crisp lines are almost always a safe bet. Raised panel doors, wherein a central panel is raised up out of the main recess, can have a more traditional look that’s great for some spaces but dated in others. Slab kitchen cabinet doors, where the doors (and drawer faces) are completely flat, can work wonders in a sleek, modern home but may look out of place in many decor schemes.