A very wide variety is popular, throughout Kitchen Cabinet color trends in 2023. Many many wonderful designed and crafted kitchen cabinets and cabinetry in general.
Why is it? Certain colors look exceptional on Instagram, websites, and blog posts. Yet they don’t always seem to translate well to your particular kitchen. Some of the reasons are obvious and some seem a bit illusive. Although we can all say we know … when it works it just works. And often cringe worthy when it does not.
This article seeks to explore the colors with a narrow focus. A narrow focus on color. Rather than color applied to different cabinet styles and with surrounding decor. The effort is to isolate how the colors change the look mood and feel of a single display of custom cabinetry.
Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends - Green Shades
Went to the virtual back storage room of the shop and found some interesting cabinets. Set this up in the 3D app. Model Simple enough to concentrate on color. While still interesting enough to look at the popular colors. The room structure is intentional with white/grey with typical values. White is not considered a color when dealing with “colors”, it is a structural part of mixing colors. As is black and we will see they work in the vernacular (common) use of color, working as a Color. Creating a most interesting Kitchen Color Trend.
Chuckling to myself starting off and writing about this popular shade of green. It is a trendy popular color, yet it evokes a FULL spectrum of responses. Making a bold statement with custom kitchen cabinets is not for everyone. This color in a decade may or may not be so trendy creating the first consideration of color for cabinets. Typically the balance between personal likes (aesthetic) and in general, resale value. Resale value encompasses what others feel. There is no “correct” answer. Any color can and can be willed into looking great. That comes from a good design using the appropriate tools of the creative world.
The consideration is finding a balance between a strong statement and a milder one. Go for the gusto and make a bold statement with your custom cabinetry. Or a gentile wider acceptance statement. The popular green shades of current kitchen cabinetry trends do make a statement. In a very particular manner. Human response to green colors is plenty. Often refreshment, peace, and security are associated with it. Within the green family of colors olive drab, sage, and sea foam evoke very different feelings. It is a personal choice, with no right or wrong, choosing colors.
Cabinets of Blue Shades
Blue cabinetry is always a strong expression. The China Blue trend seemed to come out of nowhere a few years ago. From isolated use on a single cabinet or piece of furniture to entire sets of kitchen cabinets. Very often very stunning and interesting use of color. The question is how did that come to be?
Actually, these color trends are influenced by large companies like Adobe. Photoshop is their best known application. Graphic Arts, industrial design, and textile industries as a few examples. They rely on influences to find the colors attracting the greatest number of end users. Adobe is one but the definitive source of all things, for good and evil, of color is Pantone. They have a long history of finding, often driving, color trends.
2020 PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue was the color of the year. Coincidence blue became so popular? We can be certain they raise an emerging trend out into the spotlight. At the very least.
Blue is generally considered traditional, even conservative. Blue kitchen cabinet color in a way flies in the face of that thought. Almost with extreme prejudice. For sure with a strong contrast to those feelings. Often a contrast like that can be very interesting and pleasing to be around. Blue also evokes calmness, relaxation, and stability. Those then allow for higher productivity and even creativity. In a design sense, these contrasts often create interest and intrigue.
No bank of or a full set of custom cabinetry stands alone in your home or office. Flooring, walls, and ceiling interact with the cabinet color. With great effect on how the cabinetry makes one feel about it. Keeping the focus on the subject, a major element in the room uncomplicates this topic. The use of neutral white-grey around the cabinetry works toward simplicity. Not complicating a topic that often gets complicated without the need to.
The perception of the countertop and backsplash still does have an influence. Without them, the cabinetry looks unappealing. The decision made to use simple colors is intentional. Those colors have a general classification of warm, cool, and neutral. We will go through more in detail when exploring whites. Each of those has different relationships to different colors. Some have harmony with the set of cabinets. Some help emphasize the cabinetry, in varied ways.
Others actually make the countertop and backsplash stand out. Not always standing out in the most pleasing ways. Each color has a specific tile and top combination to represent the focus color in the most pleasing way. In this case cool white tile and cool, blue tints in the granite top.
Blue-Green Cabinet Colors
The colors blue and green have some similarities but between is its own group of shades. Generally considered as evoking refreshment and tranquillity. Considered a cool color and it is one that has greater harmony with warmer colors accenting it. The tile backsplash is warm and the granite top is cool. A good color for granite that has green hues in it to compliment the cabinetry color.
Color, hues, tones shades it’s all the same kind of thing right? Interchangeable uses often occur. Because our visual sense and understanding of color are of higher function. Very abstract and yet we all see and understand color. With a few words, we can relate color to each other and still be challenged by it when trying to be more specific.
These more technical terms are the most basic ways to describe a color. Very rarely having anything to do with the naming of a mix of properties that created a named color sample. Color names are emotional. Color terminology is all over the place and very subjective. The actual mixes of pigment are precise by necessity. So no real need to memorize the technical, there is no test. We will look at some colors in a bit when that technical talk may be helpful or better explained.
Earth Tone Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends
Earth tone kitchen cabinetry is soothing and warm. Often green is earth tone. In this case with the influence of green in other trends of cabinetry color, we will disregard green. So earth tones in this range tend towards browns and tans. Color of earth, dirt, wood. Earth tones such as this may lend themselves to bright splashes of color with decor. While maintaining a grounded pleasing presence. Earth tone cabinets are the closest to stained wood cabinets in a general way. Will have more of a natural and organic feeling.
The hues used to make the earthy colors are generally umber and ochres. They are the oldest and most common pigments. Extracted from natural sources with ease, they are old and inexpensive. Every box store and paint shop uses them, a lot to mute brighter colors. They are obvious natural colors that work and have historic precedents. And will be part of some wonderful kitchen cabinets, by design.
Classic Grey Cabinet
Grey cabinets are a classic. They have a neutral and balanced presence. Will work with many other colors and often have varied tones of color based on the lighting present. By choosing warmer or cooler greys that work in harmony with the full room decor. Of course, you should avoid battleship grey.
Working with grey is more working with values than color. Values are the qualities of a dark-black and light-white grey scale. Grey being the middle value. It offers many many options for the surrounding decor. Options to maximize the kitchen cabinetry’s presence and appeal. Darker wall color will move generally push the grey forward in perception, and stand out. Lighter color walls allow the cabinetry to fall away from the viewers’ perception. Yup, I did it, started using that design speak. working with greys can be challenging and surprising. The point of this article is to educate the readers and what to be aware of. Knowledge and understanding allow them to make good decisions. While not feeling confined by the complexity of color considerations.
Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends - Shades of Cool White
White cabinetry is really popular and has been for a significant amount of time. It’s a clean classic and timeless look. White is an interesting term. Especially considering there are somewhere between 10,000-15,000 named white colors. that are actually classified as “White”. Where white ends and grey begins will forever be up for debate. There are two significant qualities to white, beyond being white. Cool and Warm whites. The image above is a cool white where hints of blue or green tint are present. “Pulling” the white to the cool color side.
The effects of cool vs warm can have very dramatic results even being very subtle. Often a mismatch of cool and warm whites is very noticeable. Much care should be taken when considering the countertops, splash, and general decor. A monochromatic room can be interesting and yet very challenging to achieve. That is one where all the “whites” are close enough where they balance well and all appear white. If they don’t, they jump out screaming for attention.
Generally a cool white works well with other colors in the room quite well. With little effort actually. Reflective qualities of white taking on hints of the surrounding colors. All while the mind still views it as white. For kitchen or bath cabinetry using warmer colors around the cabinetry is best. Goal is to avoid a sterile operating room kind of feeling.
Soft Shades of Warm White
Warm white custom cabinetry is the most common and generally the best choice. Minimizing the sterile impersonal and cold feelings of white in general. Emphasizing a natural purity of a sunny day. Where the color whites tend toward how whites look and feel at night. Even then a warm white colored street line gives a sense of security and inviting.
White cabinetry is visually effected by light, much more than any other color. Daylight and light bulbs give two different feelings. As well as brightness of the light affecting how white tends toward a grey. Specifically from the architectural sense of cabinetry the contribution – interaction of the cabinetry with light is essential.
No other color expresses those qualities the way white can. Values of brightness can highlight key elements such as range hoods, accent backsplashes and place the right amount of light where it is needed to work as part of the greater design of a space. A kitchen is not an area requiring uniform eye straining surgical quality lighting everywhere. Nor should it be too dim, dictated by fancy yet low brightness fixtures.
Every circumstance and budget is different no doubt. However having strategically varied lighting can enhance the experience of being present all the way to having exceptionally function work area lighting. Concepts such as cooler lights enhance definition and contrast well with warmer lights and colors. A couple strategically placed lights and the WOW factor goes off the charts.
Black Sophisticate Cabinetry
Black has a sophisticated presentation when used on cabinets. A formal , unifying, powerful elegance evoked. Believe the color speaks for itself, whether paint or a dark stain. Not much different than white it can support a wide range of color well used around it. Works in harmony with complexity or as a bold presence in a simple area. Light also has interesting effects.
Deep black or blacks that really look black are a relative thing. Influenced by the ambient brightness and surrounding colors. Much like the greys moving forward and back in perception. The lighter the colors around it the darker it appears. Along with being a cooler tint of black.
Curiosity of Gloss Black
Using gloss black cabinetry here to explain the sheen considerations for all colors. Black is the best example. We all would agree that a grand piano is black, like black black definitive black. Result of hand rubbed gloss finish, with certainty. Yet all gloss paints do not of necessity behave the same way. Actually in most cases gloss paints tend to appear lighter. Due to reflection and reflection of light. Where the light comes from also has much to do with this.
In every case when dealing with color it is very important to always test if you are doing it yourself. or get full finished samples to approve from cabinet maker or painting contractor. It may be of a very critical nature to review the finished color samples. Needs to be in the room and under the actual lighting conditions. Sheens, how flat to glossy a finish is, are a real factor. The amount has a very profound affect on how dark or light a particular hue is perceived.
Going back to Pantone and their colors, matching system. Any specific base color, mix or colorants, has different codes for different sheens. The codes are based on paper coating and finishes. The finishes of cabinets most often do not need that type of exact match. The effects of sheen have similar effects across a color not looking the same.
Certainly do not want to over complicate color of Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends. It is important to understand how precise your desire is to achieve a certain “color”. Or color with a specific finish. The experience needed to achieve goes up. And even more difficult to actually discuss the variations and what it is a client desires. A client well educated and willing to gain knowledge to help the process is a wonderful thing. Nor is it right for a professional to dictate an undesirable outcome as the clients’ fault. It is so important for all involved to work toward being on the same page. Especially with custom cabinetry and custom cabinet finishes.
Stained Wood The Natural Cabinetry
And the final Cabinetry Color, stained wood. OK color can mean all sorts of things and in the end it’s about context. For those of us who work with wood, stain is about the highest compliment to our craftsmanship. Cabinet makers having been finishing their work for centuries. Who better than those who put heart and soul into making the pieces. The finish exacted with the same effort and care. Alexanders, that’s how the finish is approached. Wm’s father hated staining and varnishing with a passion. And yet his finishes were as flawless as his craftsmanship. Our standard was set.
Our standard is evolving and the paints. stains and finishes evolve. The current higher grade products are generally better than those of even 10-15 years ago. Specific to the clear and translucent-solids top coats produced to today. Nothing of the past compares to. Even the water based cross linking polymers are significantly harder. Wearing much better than their solvent based older siblings. These products are top of the line and standard in most high quality custom shops. The translucent solid color top coats out preform traditional paint by a long mile.
Clear and translucent top coats are generally for sealing stained wood. The current stains on the market are generally sealers with stain pigments. The benefit is easy consistent application for new construction and DIY use. They have some real serious limitations about depth of color and how dark the color will appear. Traditional wiping oil based stains have all but disappeared. The best alternative is water or alcohol dye based stains. As they have all the best characteristics of the wiping stains. The look and feel, with higher durability. Without the dry times, fumes and spontaneous combustion of oily wiping rags.
Cabinet Color Trends summary
Colors Trends in Cabinetry really aren’t colors. They are finishes that encompass stain, paint and top coats. It is ok to call them colors with an awareness at some point a more precise language will come into play. Color in all cases is more than a chip or sample. We explored a few examples of the interactions with specific cabinet colors. While seeing how interesting the trendy colors can be.
So many considerations may complicate the decision making process. It is important to understand when bringing a professional is the right decision. Aid in designing a interior color palette built around your kitchen cabinets. Application of finishes of course, DIY or professional.
It can be great fun and should be to explore colors for cabinetry. When that fun goes away? The most important consideration is reaching out for help. From interior designer or cabinet maker such as Alexanders.