The Most Popular Kitchen Cabinet Colors & Styles for 2023

Popular Kitchen Cabinet Colors & Styles for 2023

From classic cream to comfortable blues, designers are choosing warm cabinet colors and bold accents that communicate that the kitchen is a place where family and friends can spend quality time together. 

Here is a complete breakdown of the colors and styles that designers are using this year to help make this happen:

1.) White, Gray, and Cream for a Classic, Lived-In Feel

White kitchen cabinets will work with any kitchen style you want—whether contemporary, traditional, or modern—but other neutral colors like warm gray or cream-colored kitchen cabinets can offer you a bright, cozy, and lived-in feel, too.

This year, homeowners are also drawn to using light gray or off-white kitchen cabinet colors to show off another surprising element that they want to draw attention to in their kitchen, like a mosaic backsplash or elegant flooring design.

2.) Natural Wood with Organic, Earthy Elements

If you’d like to stain your cabinets, almost any stain you choose will make your kitchen feel more authentic and comfortable. But, if you want your kitchen to feel earthy and organic, use a natural wood color for your cabinets, then add natural stone or marble countertops and wood or glass décor.

All of these different materials and textures will help introduce nature-inspired elements to your kitchen space.

3.) Warm Color Accents

Warm colors like sunny yellows and deep reds are in style this year, and designers and homeowners are using them to provide surprise pops of color—but not just as an accent wall or cabinet color!

Gold, brass, and copper hardware can also be used as warm color accents, so you can add a pop of color just by switching out your kitchen cabinet hardware to one of these trendy finishes.

4.) Comfortable, Soothing Blues

A shade of blue is always among the most popular cabinet colors each year because it evokes the feeling that your kitchen is a place of comfort. This year, homeowners want to keep their kitchens both bright and comforting, which means light blue colors like baby blue are enjoying the spotlight. 

If light blues don’t match your home’s aesthetic but you still want to incorporate blue as a cabinet color, try a rich and striking royal blue.

5.) Easy-to-Maintain Pantry Organization in Any Coordinating Color

Organization tools are not always thought of as a distinct style. But with the emphasis on cozy, comfortable kitchens in 2023, having a usable space is just as important (and maybe even more important) as finding the perfect cabinet color and style for your kitchen. 

That’s great news for investors and homeowners who’ve felt pressured to create beautifully designed kitchens that are difficult to maintain! Showroom kitchens with unintentional clutter are officially out of style, while pantry organization tools (visible and invisible) are “in.”

There’s no need to choose between a popular kitchen cabinet style or color and an organized, livable kitchen space anymore.

6.) Muted Pastels Like Mint Green and Peach

Muted pastels like mint green have been growing in popularity since 2021 because they make your kitchen appear larger and brighter while offering an interesting twist from typical color choices. Now, soft, dusty pinks (like peach) are joining the trend. 

Homeowners are often drawn to subdued pinks when they want to inspire a youthful, cheery feel in their kitchen. Using a muted pink cabinet color is also a great way to bring warm undertones from other rooms into the kitchen.

7.) Dark Wood Stains for Luxury That Feels Like Home

If the rest of your home is decorated in a traditional style, consider a dark wood stain as your kitchen cabinet color. Then, add lots of lighting to make your kitchen feel both homey and luxurious.

Soft lighting will illuminate the beauty of the wood or laminate.

8.) Two-Toned Kitchens

You might already have a two-toned kitchen (a kitchen that uses two dominant colors throughout its design). Recently, homeowners have been experimenting with unique color combinations, like sage green lower cabinets and dusty pink upper cabinets.

Homeowners are also revisiting classic color combinations like matte black lower cabinets and white upper cabinets. 

Pick up samples of different color combinations at a hardware store to see what your kitchen might look like as a two-toned kitchen.

9.) Mixed Warm Cabinetry Hardware Finishes

Mixed hardware finishes are taking off! And, because warm color accents are so popular, gold, copper, and brass are the favored hardware choices this year.

If your kitchen is smaller, we recommend sticking with a mix of just two different finishes that have the same undertones, like gold and copper, or (if your kitchen has cool undertones) nickel and chrome.

Should My Kitchen Cabinets be Lighter or Darker Than the Walls?

When planning out your kitchen remodel, it’s good to think about how the colors of your cabinets and walls will work together.

Upgraded Home has a great method to help you decide whether to paint your kitchen cabinets lighter or darker than the walls:

• If you want your kitchen to feel smaller and more cozy, choose a lighter wall color than the cabinets. (Note: This will make your cabinets the focal point of your kitchen.)
  
  
• If you want your kitchen to feel larger and more open, choose a wall color that is just a couple of shades lighter or darker than the cabinets.

Updating Oak Kitchen Cabinets with Cabinet Refinishing

It’s true that oak cabinets saw a popularity dip after the 1990s. Many considered them outdated, but, as homeowners redesign their kitchens to feel more authentic, homey, and lived-in, oak cabinets are back in style.

Oak cabinets are sturdy enough to last through more remodels than veneers or laminates can. If you’d like to keep your oak cabinets, they can easily be updated to fit the vision you have for your next kitchen remodel through a process called cabinet refinishing. 

Cabinet refinishing is a comprehensive update of your current cabinets that lets you avoid the high costs of refacing them or purchasing brand-new cabinets. During the process, a professional will strip or sand off the lacquer, old stain, or paint, make minor repairs to the wood, and apply the new stain or color of your choice. 

After your cabinets are refinished, you’ll be able to enjoy your updated oak cabinets for years to come.

The #1 Cabinet Refinishing Service in Coastal New Jersey

If you’re ready to remodel your kitchen or update your cabinets for 2023, contact Oceanside Painting & Refinishing for a free estimate.

Our expert team will listen to your goals for the project, answer any questions you have about cabinet colors and styles, and deliver work that helps you create a kitchen space you and your family will love. 

Call Oceanside Painting & Refinishing today at 732-818-0092 or fill out the quick form below for a free estimate!