Kitchen Overhaul: 7 Tips on How to Choose Kitchen Cabinet Colors

How to Choose Kitchen Cabinet Colors

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If you’re planning on remodeling your kitchen, then choosing your kitchen cabinet colors is an exciting and important step. Your cabinets are a focal point in your kitchen, so you’ll want to be careful as you decide on their appearance.

Here are seven good things to keep in mind when choosing the best color for kitchen cabinets.

1. Consider Your Kitchen’s Design Style

When you’re choosing your kitchen cabinet paint colors, one of the first things that you need to consider is the design style of the kitchen. Is it modern or more traditional? If it’s the former, some bold and more colorful can be a great way to enhance the style.

But for more traditional spaces, try sticking to something more neutral, like grays or whites. Cream colored kitchen cabinets are another timeless option that suits a home with traditional design.

2. Look for Inspiration

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry. One important part of choosing kitchen cabinet colors is finding inspiration. Looking through 2020 kitchen trends can be a great way to spark an idea.

By looking through existing images, you’re also able to see what a color looks like in different spaces. What looks great in one kitchen might not in another. By finding kitchen inspiration that speaks to you, you can confidently finalize your plan.

Looking for kitchen cabinet color ideas might even push you out of your comfort zone. It can be hard to picture what bolder, more unique color choices might look like in practice, so seeing them come to life may convince you to try something new.

3. Create Contrast With Your Kitchen Cabinet Colors

All-white kitchens are an option that never goes out of style, but don’t be afraid to use some color. Kitchen cabinets are the focal point of a kitchen, and you can create a compelling contrast between them and your counters or appliances.

Gray cabinets and white countertops are one classic option that creates a contrast that’s eye-catching, but not as dramatic as black and white.

When you use more neutral cabinet colors, you can create contrast through your wall color, appliances, or backsplash. There are plenty of options available, so design your kitchen according to your personal tastes and style.

If you’re looking for a lot of color, you can even create contrast with the cabinets themselves. Don’t be afraid to paint your cabinets more than one color — they might be light blue on one side of the kitchen, for example, and white on the other side.

4. Keep Your Wall Paint Color in Mind

You’ll want to keep in mind the existing colors that are in your kitchen.

This is particularly true when it comes to the color of your wall paint. You don’t want your walls to clash with your cabinets or for them to create a design that doesn’t mesh together.

You’ll also want to use a color scheme that works in the rest of the house — or in nearby rooms — to give your home a cohesive feel. This can be especially true when your kitchen is open-concept and flows into another space, like the living room.

But if you have your heart set on a cabinet color that doesn’t match your walls, don’t give it up. You can always repaint your walls and choose your new design based on your cabinets.

You can even completely redo your cabinets by choosing either semi-custom or custom cabinets — find out more about your options with custom cabinetry.

5. Look at Your Lighting

Just like it’s important to consider your kitchen’s design style, it’s also critical to think about the light that the space gets.

If your kitchen doesn’t get much natural light or has poor lighting options, then you don’t want to go too dark with cabinets.

Dark cabinets in a dark space can make it feel smaller. Compare that to using white or other bright colors in a kitchen with less lighting. These options can make the space feel open, inviting, and bigger.

But if you have a big, bright kitchen that gets a lot of light, you have more room to experiment. Dark kitchen cabinets can be a good choice in lighter kitchens, especially if you’re going for a more traditional feel in the space.

6. Wow With Wood

When it comes to choosing a cabinet color, don’t be afraid to keep it natural. While painting is a great option for many homes, you can stick to non-painted wood cabinets.

A darker wood — or darker stain — can be a dramatic look for your kitchen. A light wood can be a great neutral option that you can pair with almost anything.

7. Can’t Decide? Choose a Classic Color

Being adventurous can be fun, but there’s nothing wrong with sticking to classic colors for your kitchen cabinets. Think grays, whites, blues, and browns.

White cabinets will go well with almost any existing wall paint color and backsplash, making them a solid choice. They’re also bright and welcoming, which can help a kitchen feel bigger and more inviting.

Blues and grays are calming colors that make a space feel warm and inviting. This is a great attribute for a kitchen to have, since it’s the heart of the home.

Choosing one of these more neutral colors is especially important if you think you’ll be moving in the near future. That’s because you’ll want to pick a color palette that appeals to buyers and their wide-ranging tastes.

Something neutral makes it easy for homebuyers to picture themselves in a space, and it keeps them from having to do time-consuming tasks like repainting the cabinets to match their personal style.

Refresh Your Kitchen Cabinet Colors

Whether you go modern or opt for a more traditional look, your cabinets are the focal point of your kitchen and a way to express your style. By considering these tips, you can choose your kitchen cabinet colors with confidence and embrace your space.

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