15 Popular Kitchen Cabinet Styles and Colors (And Why People Love Them)
What kitchen cabinets are in style now? If you’ve found yourself asking this question, you’re not alone. From Contemporary kitchen cabinets to Shaker cabinets—and every color and structure in-between—there are so many styles (and terms) that choosing the best kitchen cabinets for your home can often feel overwhelming!
But, don’t worry! Our expert design team has been scouring the latest trends and has put together this comprehensive guide to help you understand the best kitchen cabinet styles out there and why people are raving about them.
White Kitchen Cabinets
White kitchen cabinets are all the rage right now because they’re clean, simple, and match literally any type of kitchen space. With white cabinets, you can add a high-gloss or create a textured, antique look if they’re painted.
You can also find white cabinets without handles (so push-open and push-close) or with ornate designs and paneling if that’s what you prefer. With white kitchen cabinets, the options are endless but the color is uniform.
Shaker-Style Cabinets
Intended to be a shift from the fanciness to the functional, Shaker-Style cabinets are a more contemporary design, often found in a more modern kitchen, and often in light colors to complement rather than be the focal point.
The trademark element of Shaker cabinets is the flat-paneled doors with higher-quality wood: quartersawn oak, hickory, cherry, or maple. You’ll also often see rail frames on these kitchen cabinet styles and often paired with stainless steel and/or other modern elements to create the proverbial ‘white kitchen’ look.
Traditional Cabinets
In contrast to the Contemporary design, Traditional cabinetry is all about the dated, vintage look (without the distressed wood). Often sporting raised panels, arches, and sometimes beadboard details (wooden pieces of wood that look like ‘ridges’), this cabinet style is unfussy yet elegant.
You can often find Traditional cabinets in dark wood tones, classic maple, or painted to match the neutral colors of the kitchen space.
Grey Kitchen Cabinets
Many homeowners are shifting to grey kitchen cabinets simply because the color is easy to match and achieve in any type of kitchen space. Plus, a grey hue is less noticeable if your kitchen faces some wear and tear!
Grey cabinets can offset a busy kitchen or create a streamlined, minimalist look. You can also use grey to fade into the background while other elements of your design become the focus.
Country Style Cabinets
The focus of a Country-style kitchen is usability. As such, this style of cabinets prioritizes durability, often using hickory, maple, pine, or oak. Paint color for the kitchen cabinets is also often used to create a warmth and ‘homemade feel’ to the space.
In a Country-style kitchen, you’ll see a variety of whites, creams, reds, browns, or even a bit of mint/light blue on both the cabinets and walls. The cabinet faces will often have raised-panel doors, decorative panels, or even glass-front to give them the charming, Country character.
French Country Cabinets
The French Country look is charming and cozy with often ornate carvings on cabinet faces, arches, and decorative furnishings. Typically, most French Country cabinets are made with natural material, showing wear and grain. Some kitchens may even use distressing techniques on the wood to create a natural, antique look.
In these kitchens, you’ll often see beige, brown, and white/off-white, with pastel accents.
Rustic Cabinets
Rustic design is very traditional, often sporting darker colors, wood graining, and often maple, hickory, oak, or cherry. One of the most important elements of rustic kitchen cabinet styles is the color—natural and purposeful to create an authentic vibe.
While most kitchens sport a clean and ‘unused’ aura, rustic design is the exact opposite, creating a warm, welcoming feel.
Contemporary / Modern Cabinetss
Contemporary and Modern designs are very similar—minimalist yet refined. With this cabinet style, you will have a simpler, sleeker look without the variety of finishes, trims, crown moldings, or raised panels that are often common in traditional cabinetry.
Contemporary/modern aesthetic is also sophisticated in appearance with clean, tall front surfaces and typically in blacks, grey, or whites for a more ‘monochromatic’ feel in the kitchen space.
Off-White Cabinets
Off-white cabinetry offers an alternative to white cabinets that can (depending on the overall design of your kitchen), create a slightly warmer and/or vintage vibe.
With the off-white or cream color, you can also easily add other bold or accent colors to your space or opt to have everything a soft monochrome.
Glass-Front Cabinets
One of the more unique cabinet styles is Glass-front cabinetry which showcases the elements of your kitchen and creates depth (especially in smaller spaces).
Although the price tag can be a bit higher for this type of cabinetry—mainly because of the construction of high-quality glass within a wooden frame—this style offers an element of decor built into the cabinets themselves. Though Glass-front cabinets do require some cleaning, the style fits a wide variety of kitchen styles with ease.
Dark Kitchen Cabinets
More recently, homeowners are shifting into a more ‘Tuscan’ aesthetic, opting for darker cabinets and wood as opposed to the soft, clean vibe.
Dark kitchen cabinets—grey, blue, green, and most commonly, black—are matching darker backsplash, creating a statement, and cooling off kitchen spaces to bring some life, balance of light, and contrast to the space.
Raised-Panel Kitchen Cabinets
Raise-Panel kitchen cabinets are exactly as their name states! Rather than a flat, one-dimensional surface, this cabinet style has varied paneling and ridges, often coupled with eye-catching arches.
Raise-panel kitchen cabinets also often sport a unique finish and that gives off a ‘vanity’ vibe.
Retro Cabinets
Retro cabinets will probably surprise you! Often paired with unique elements of ‘throwback’ design (namely vintage decor and bright colors) these cabinets are actually more contemporary than anything else.
While the Retro style itself is a blast from the past, the cabinetry is often sleek and minimalistic. Of course, you can purchase Retro cabinets in many colors, most people will opt for the solid, simple construction over the flair.
Craftsman Style Cabinets
Craftsman-style cabinetry is all about simplicity, straight lines, and quality craftsmanship. What does ‘craftsmanship’ really mean? Well, when it comes to cabinetry, it’s all about high-quality materials and construction.
If you’re looking for what many call the ‘Arts and Crafts’ type of cabinetry, you’re opting for heavier woods, functionality, and precision. While a bit on the pricey side, this is arguably the highest quality cabinet you can invest in.
Mission-Style Cabinets
With minimalistic panels and straight lines, Mission-style cabinetry is elegant and durable. This style prioritizes craftsmanship and incorporates some of the highest quality wood and construction.
Those who prefer Mission-style cabinets often opt for the natural wood
finish for a more ‘homey’ aesthetic; however, you can stain the wood, too, if you like a deeper hue. Similar to Craftsman style, Mission-style tends to be on the higher end of the price range.
Choosing the Right Kitchen Cabinet Style for You
When it comes to finding the right kitchen cabinets for your home, you can typically break the options down into three categories: Modern (featuring neutral, white, and/or layered wood), Traditional (which is a bit cozier, elegant, and less edgy), and Vintage (which incorporates elements of historical style with distressed wood and often decorative molding).
Whether you’re remodeling your kitchen or just considering your options, we hope this list has helped you narrow down your choices and figure out what fits your space best!
As always, if you need any help, our expert design team offers a free consultation call!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marisa is a writer/editor, teacher, and bonus mama based in San Diego, California. She’s the founder of two small businesses and loves writing about anything related to career, home, organization, decorating, self-love, relationships, and parenting.
