If you are paying attention at all, you probably know that painted kitchen cabinetry is where it’s at – particularly white kitchen cabinetry. Wood finished cabinets date themselves quickly based on the undertone of the wood. Because I frequently stage homes for sale in the Nashville area, I can tell you that dark cherry cabinets are so 1994.
White cabinetry is timeless and works for all kinds of styles – country, european, contemporary, modern.
You may be concerned that an all-white kitchen means no personality, no style, no design. Well, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Here are the top 5 ways The Decorologist personalizes the white kitchen (without making an expensive mistake you’ll regret in 3 years):
1) Bring in a signature color through wall paint. Wall color is easily changed when you or a new owner wants a different look. Not so easy to change out the cabinetry or trendy backsplash.
2) Make a statement with your island. This is a great place to bring in texture, contrasting material, or an interesting color. Again, not as difficult to change when and if you tire of it.
3) Let your lighting take center stage. Make a bold choice in overhead lighting in the kitchen. This is a great way to showcase your personality without making a “permanent” statement.
4) Add personality with a free-standing piece of furniture, like a hutch or a breakfast table. The most timeless and interesting kitchens are those with more than just built-in cabinetry.
5) Add color inside your cabinets or in the back of a hutch. Or add your color through accessories and wall art.
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So can you see why white kitchen cabinets are the right choice for your kitchen? If you don’t want to make a costly mistake when remodeling your kitchen, contact The Decorologist for a Decoration and Color Consultation today.
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A oh Kristie! We have a clash of opinions. How can you be a designer and say that cherry cabinets are so 1994? Some of the most beautiful kitchen designs I’ve seen are with cabinetry that has color – even if it’s just a little. It’s how you design the rest of your kitchen that will make or break the design – or make it look dated. It’s the wall color, the appliances, the tile and the rest of the details in the kitchen that breath life into the potentially lifeless white cabinets.
The problem with white cabinets is that most people do not have white wood in the rest of their home and it just looks odd to have a such a popping white room when the rest of your home is “warm and cozy”.
Hi Donna! Well, of course my perspective is influenced by my years of real estate staging. Kitchens sell homes, and they make or break a potential home sale. I have seen amazing homes sit for months and months because the kitchen feels too 1970′s, 1980′s, 1990′s, etc. So unless you intend on spending the rest of your life in the same home, I believe it’s important (at least in this room) to make choices that will resonant “timeless” rather than “trendy.”
Thank you for your comment, Donna, and for giving us another perspective to consider
Always a pleasure Kristie, great post
As a blogger when you take a stand with your aesthetic one way or another, you also set yourself up as an expert in that area. The planet beats a path to my door for consults because I say that white kitchens are the be all and the end all, so Donna, you love wood stained kitchens, be the guru on them and what goes with each colour stain and if people aren’t already beating a path to your door, they will.
Awesome post Kristie and of course I agree with you 100%
Happy Thanksgiving!
x
Maria
Thanks for sharing your opinion, Maria!
xoxo
Maria, It’s not that I love stained cabinets it’s that I’m more concerned with the white kitchens matching and coordinating with the rest of the home. I’m more concerned with overall design rather than just the color of a cabinet. Why isn’t anyone getting this?
As a color consultant and a fine artist by training, I do agree with Donna on the overall design of the house instead of concentrating on staging just kitchen. Although I really really LOVE WHITE cabinet, it has to be put into the context of the overall design. — Julie
Kristie, I TOTALLY agree with you! White kitchens are TIMELESS and you can make a white kitchen extremely warm and coxy! I only wish I had used white marble or the dark stained wood as my counter-top. I am getting tired of the same old granite colors. I am mad that I let that sales rep talk me out of it!!
Happy Turkey DAY! Leif
oooh, that dang granite – another topic for a blogpost!
White and off-white kitchens are gorgeous. If I was in a cottage style house that’s definitely what I would want. But I do think it depends on the house and the location of the house or dwelling. Some contemporary styles just don’t work with white cabinets. I like both white and dark cabinets, depending on the type of house and the rest of the decor in the house.
I have cherry cabinets and HATE them. The cherry has turned orange and even though the house was built in 2000 I absolutely can’t stand them. Painting the cabinets white is one of the first home improvements we will be making in 2012…right after we purchase a new stove which chose yesterday (Thanksgiving) as the day to break down. I’m with you and Maria 100% on this one Kristie!
Linda,
I hope the stove breaking down didn’t ruin Thanksgiving dinner! Thank you for your comment.
The turkey cooked and then it died. It was a mad dash of microwaved side dishes. We survived. (plus the stove had been on it’s last legs for a while now.)
I hear you on the cherry cabinets – if we owned this home we would be painting them out! And I think for me I’d be heading down a blend of white and gray lane… but instead I decorate around them with things like fab bar stools
Great post!
I’ve had two white kitchens, one oak kitchen and one cherry kitchen. I’ve enjoyed the aesthetics of all of them for various reasons and have been frustrated with all them for other reasons. White kitchens are awesome, but only when they are pristine. There was nothing more frustrating for me than keeping my white kitchens LOOKING white and clean. Smudges, spills and grease are magnified in white kitchens. My gorgeous Cherry kitchen that I have now, seems to disguise these messes….however, DUST is the killer in a dark kitchen. I am planning to go grey with my next kitchen. I am less concerned about what is timeless (no such thing when it comes to kitchens if you ask me) as I am with functionality, counter space, storage, lighting, clutter, appliances, and ease of care.
Actually, Maureen has a really good point. No kitchen is timeless. The Realtor I work with for Staging says “any kitchen 10 years or older is seem as dated to a buyer”. It really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you love it.
I’m adoring the distressed green birdseye hutch… clicked on your source and it led me to a phone and internet company. Where can I see this??
Ok Ashley, try again. I think I’ve got it fixed!
I love the look of white kitchen cabinets but as Maureen posted, it’s tough keeping white cabinets clean. I have a dog and I think I’d probably have to wipe down or repaint areas of the lower cabinets.
Kristie, what are your thoughts on painting the lower cabinets a darker color and keep the upper cabinets white? Maybe you’ll do a blog posting on this trend? Please.
Good idea, Monique – I will post about that soon
I totally love white kitchen cabinets! In fact… I will be adding molding/trim to my “old as God” cabinets and painting them a white wash. Also changing the hardware. Very excited about this project! Hope you had a good Thanksgiving Kristie! XoXo
Greetings! Fantastic options for personalizing a white kitchen! It’s all about options and not being stuck with an expensive trend! My dear brother just remodeled his kitchen and his designer chose three different wood finishes…none of them white of course and olive green tiles from counter to ceiling! It looks great now, but what will we say 10 or 15 years from now?
I have always been a fan of white kitchen cabinets. In our previous house we inherited cherry cabinets and I lived with them for almost ten loooong years! We had them painted white, and put on new doors which really helped to update the entire room. But, I have to say, that painting dark wood is very tricky. We had a professional do it, and for a few years all was fine. But even with my care, the paint DID start to chip on a few corners. Now, in our new house we were lucky to inherit white cabinets! And, they had been professionally spray painted so it is about as good as it gets. I love them. We went with gray and yellow (walls and ceiling) with touches of orange in the fabrics.
I am a total fan of white! so thank you Kristie!
Love love love! I am going white in my kitchen!
I also think white cabinets instantly update a kitchen. I live in a rental with a kitchen without any bells and whistles! But I am so glad the homeowner painted the cabinetry white, which gave me a nice blank slate to add my own style to. I really think white gives you that option! Love your design sense!!!
Hi Kristey, love your blog on white cabinet.We are going for white cabinet in our new home.I need your opinion with backsplash.We have crackeled subway tile for backspash.We have installed it in a brick pattern througout only behind the cooktop thought about using a bronze border and a herrigbone pattern in it.Should we go for pattern behind cooktop or continue the brick pattern throughout.The backspalsh.We have bronze light fixtures and faucets.And we have Bianco antico granite with rustic cherry islandc
Hi there – I am faced with a dilema about our outdated blonde oak cabinets. So desperately want to paint them white but our floor, countertops and black splash are all very light tones of brown. Have been thinking we might be better of with Bittersweet chocolate by benjamin moore instead. Just to complement the tile back splash and countertops mainly. Will the white work with these nondescript colours. Love your blog!
Hi Nelly,
I love Bittersweet Chocolate – it’s the color of the exterior trim of my house. It’s very dark, though, and will darken up your kitchen substantially. I think I’d go white/off-white if I were you, but if you don’t mind them “reading” as expresso wood cabinets, I’m sure it’ll be fine – go to Pinterest and search dark kitchen cabinets and see what you can find to better help you visualize. Good luck!
Hi Kristie,
I love your blog! What are your thoughts on off-white kitchens cabinets? I have Santa Cecilia granite and oil rubbed bronze fixtures in my kitchen but light cherry cabinets (YUCK!). I think off-white would blend better than stark white but I’m scared to make a decision. I would love to hear your opinion on a off white or antiqued white finish.
Jana
Jana,
When I say “white” kitchen, I mean any range of “white” which definitely includes off-whites. Look for a shade of white that relates to your granite, if possible. Good luck and thanks for reading!
What is your opinion on colored subway tile backsplashes with white cabinet kitchens? I just bought a house and would love to update it with white cabinets. I’m just not sure about the backsplash which would be more timeless – white subway tile or a green glass subway tile? I’m concerned the white tile will be too much white but I wonder if I’ll tire of the colored tile quickly. Thanks in advance for your thoughts! Love your blog!!
Deb,
I actually really love green glass tiles with white cabinets. But honestly, they are not as timeless as white subway tile. If you love them and you’ve always loved green, I’m sure it would be fine. As for “too much white,” take a look at some of the white kitchens on my Kitchen pinboard. You can always change your wall color or accessories to freshen up a white kitchen. You might even consider painting your island a “color” – that’s something that would be less $$ and trouble to repaint a few years down the road if you tire of it. http://pinterest.com/thedecorologist/kitchen-design-products/
Thanks Krisitie, I was leaning in the direction of the white subway tiles and your response confirmed it!
Where can I get my cabinet doors professionally spray painted in the Nashville area?
I have white cabinets with a white and gray glass tile backsplash. The countertops are black, gray, white, brown mottled Corian. I can’t afford to change that out. I am wondering about the trim? I just had a new window installed in the kitchen. It is white and the trim is birch. Will it look strange to have birch trim in a mostly white kitchen? I am wondering if I should change it out to all white? There will be trim around the two large doorways as well as the baseboard. Most of the white kitchens I see are all trimmed out in white so I am just wondering if it will look tacky to have birch trim with white cabinets and mostly white backsplash? What kind of real wood is white?
Hi Kristie
I am a student majoring in residental design and I Love love love your site. I am so glad I found it. I will be taking kitchen design this semester. Thanks so much for the info. Can’t wait to share with my class mates.
Happy Holidays
Great Demytrik!
I see you’re in Memphis? I’m Nashville-based, so not too far from where you are studying. Good luck and thanks for reading!
Please, please help us choose kitchen cabinets color/finish. Our log house is medium to dark stained logs..kitchen walls are either stained log or sheet rock and there's one natrual brick wall. Wood trim around windows and doors is stained same as logs. We have two big stained beams in ceiling. Can we do white cabinets or other painted color with stained wood windows and doors? Our floor is large ceramic tiles in a soft offwhite/ creamy / beigey multi sponged effect. Any suggestion is deeply appreciated!!! We are tearing out cabinets due to a water leak and need to replace this week!
Great web site you have got here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours nowadays. I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!
What is you have oak trim througout your house? I'm wanting to paint my oak cabinets white, update our appliance, backsplash and counter trops and also update our fireplace by refacing it and possibly chaning the oak mantle to white (this room opens up to the kitchen.) Is it okay to do this if all of our doors, trim etc. is oak?
Hi there!
Lots of great comments here! We are moving to a new home and do want a white kitchen. The designer has suggested we go with MDF for our white kitchen rather than wood and painting. What are your thoughts? I’ve always associated MDR with ‘cheap’ but our designer has told us it’s common now in high end kitchens.
Thanks,
Alison
No, I would NOT do that. They swell if they ever get wet.