Forget Trendy: Try These Timeless Kitchen Cabinet Colors Instead

If you’re redoing your kitchen soon, consider how one of these timeless kitchen cabinet colors can create an inviting space. 

While there are a lot of kitchen cabinet trends that come and go. If you don’t want to play catch up with trends, try a timeless kitchen cabinet color instead like white or a wood finish. 

But timeless doesn’t mean outdated or stale! Quite the opposite, in fact. A truly timeless kitchen cabinet look will look good now, as well as 10 years from now.

So if you want to find out what colors will always be in style for your cabinets, keep reading. In this blog post we’ll discuss which cabinet trends have come and gone, and which ones have stood the test of time.

Let’s get started!

Why cabinet color matters

Selecting the right color for your kitchen cabinets is important because the kitchen is the heart of most homes, and the kitchen is also the entertainment hub in many homes in today’s times. 

I know whenever I have people over they mostly hang out in the kitchen … so I want my cabinets to look good without being distracting!

Also, with the “open concept” in many homes today, the kitchen is an important part of the overall home and is highly visible from many sections of the home. The color of the kitchen cabinets can set the mood for the entire house and people.

Why choose a timeless color?

Choosing a timeless color for your kitchen cabinets is all about convenience and ease. 

As much as I love DIY projects, painting your cabinets is a big undertaking and I wouldn’t want to do it every year! So that’s why for the kitchen cabinets I recommend painting them a classic color that will look good for many years to come. 

A truly timeless kitchen cabinet look will look good even when you change up the wall paint, or other kitchen accessories. 

Cabinet trends from the past

To better show you the difference between a timeless color and a trendy one, let’s look at some cabinet trends from the past. 

Now I genuinely like a lot of these options, so I’m not saying these are bad looks or you shouldn’t do them. I am saying that they do feel specific to a certain time or moment, and don’t feel as classic.  But if that’s your style, go for it!

Here are some past cabinet color trends:

• High gloss finishes: this could be in any color, but the very gloss and shiny finish was a fad all on its own. This trend was fun but pretty high maintenance.

• Pastel colors: While this trend has come and gone many times over, it especially reminds me of the 1950s and the 2010s (think millennial pink). If you love it, go for it, because it’s sure to come back around!

• Dark wood: While wood cabinets are timeless (see more on that below) the very darkest finishes for wood cabinets had a trendy moment that has come and gone. Now this trend feels a bit heavy. 

• Dark colors (navy, dark grey): Again, just because it’s a trend doesn’t mean it looks bad! These colors are classic neutrals in most scenarios, but painting your cabinets dark navy and dark grey was definitely a trend for a while. 

What makes a color timeless?

I consider a color to be timeless when it has the ability to transcend trends and fads and can be a base over time for a variety of changes using accessories of different styles and colors.

Think of the colors that would make sense across different eras and fashion trends–those are timeless!

Timeless kitchen cabinet colors

In my opinion, the three timeless colors for kitchen cabinets are white, wood, and gray. They all are relatively neutral, providing a base for decorating with accent colors and accessories. 

They are also adaptable colors that enable easy updating with accessories as time passes. This means you can change up the look of your kitchen without completely redoing the cabinets. 

Note that some colors are both on the timeless list and the trendy list. The main difference here is in how dark the color is. Dark grey and dark wood are trends, but the lighter wood finishes and lighter grey are more timeless. 

Here are some of the most timeless kitchen cabinet colors:

1. White: White has a variety of options ranging from bright white to softer, warmer hues. White cabinets provide a lighter base that you can add flair to with brighter colors in your accessories. White will coordinate well with most countertop colors or materials.

2. Wood: Wood is a very traditional color, with a range of types of wood and shades available that can be adapted to almost any style of décor. Wood generally provides a welcoming feel, with warm tones, and can give a luxurious element to your cabinets.

3. Grey: Grey, similar to white, has many options of hues, and can dramatically alter the look of your cabinets depending on the shade selected. Grey also provides a neutral base for decorating accessories.

And I’m not the only one who thinks this! According to this Houzz Kitchen Trends survey, white, wood, and grey are the three most popular kitchen cabinet colors.

Final Thoughts

As we discussed, the line between a trendy color and a timeless one is sometimes subtle! But if you’re really dedicated to choosing a timeless look for your kitchen, I highly recommend wood, white, or grey cabinets. 

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