Brittany Bailey, Pretty Handy Girl; photographed by BHG
White cabinets.
Everybody wants them.
A lot of people have them.
And most new(ish) houses come with them.
But you don’t have to have white cabinets to give the illusion of a bright and airy kitchen.
The key is balancing colors and contrast to make the room reflect light naturally.
As I dream of my new kitchen that we are ever so slowly updating, I thought I wanted white.
White cabinets, white counters, white backsplash, white walls.
It all seemed so clean and cheery.
But the more I browsed inspiration photos, the more I found myself drawn to actual colors.
And just like that, the stubborn me that never changes my mind, changed my mind.
So now I’m flip-flopping between these six beauties.
Taupe
I’m crushing hard on this look from B&Q’s Cooke & Lewis Carisbrook Taupe Finish at diy.com. Paired with wood countertops and a white subway tile backsplash, it’s so natural and cozy.
Navy
Lately I’ve been a little obsessed with navy blue. Maybe it’s just a phase, but I can’t help swoon over this kitchen remodeled by Allie Phillips and shared at The Blog Issue. She really made Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy look A-mazing!
Celedon Green
The epitome of a beach house. I live nowhere near a beach, but I wouldn’t mind creating a relaxing coastal feel in my kitchen with this gorgeous color featured in a Massachusetts home by Country Living.
Black
I know what you’re thinking. Bless her heart, this Lela girl has lost her mind. Black won’t make my kitchen bright at all! Hear me out though, because black and white is not only a classic and timeless look, but by bringing in natural light and white textured stone, this room designed by Jenny Siebert, featured on Callier & Thompson, is anything but dark.
Light Blue
Light blue cabinets like these featured in Better Homes and Garden’s magazine really take a farmhouse kitchen to a new level. They add such a pretty pop to an otherwise neutral space.
Jade Green
This bold green is a gorgeous compliment to white and gold. I love the pop of color it adds to this kitchen designed by Redo Home and Design and featured by Style Me Pretty.
But you all know me oh, so well. I’m a lover of all things gray, so I’m leaning towards a deep and hearty gray with lots of wood and white accents.
Or navy. Or blue. Or green. Or black. Or fuchsia.
Okay, maybe not fuchsia…
Let’s just agree that I’m not ready to pick a paint color just yet.
Have you stepped out of the wood or white cabinet color box? What colors do you love to see in the kitchen?
Brittany aka PrettyHandyGirl says
Lela, the first image of the farmhouse sink is actually my kitchen. BHG came to photograph my house. Unfortunately they never linked to my website;-(. Would you mind adding a link to my site? Happy to share a post of my kitchen for you to link to.
Brad Gandy says
Hi Brittany! Thank you so much for letting us know. We will absolutely add the link you sent and always want to ensure that original creators are properly credited.
Deborah says
I love finally seeing come real “colors”. To me all white is flat with no depth. Pastel colors are light & bright too. My dream, white marble looking counters, green teal lowers, Aqua uppers with light wide plank wood floors, copper fixtures, unique whiteish black splash if any tile at all then I can change that color as time suites me!!
Brad Gandy says
Glad you enjoyed the article Deborah, and we love anything that can be easily changed, too.
Robert or S says
What is the brand for the Celedon Green ,please ? I have been looking at light greens for my kitchen and this one looks perfect !
Codi Crystal Seegers says
Cab you tell me what color the bottom cabinets are on the picture of the light blue option!? I’m trying to find that color so I get order samples and I can’t seem to match it to anything I look at?! Help please !
Sadie says
Love all the kitchen inspo in this post! I’m really loving the navy cabinet look. We’re having our kitchen cabinets painted in a few weeks and I think I’m going to go with a dark navy blue with gold handles. Thanks for your post!
Brad - Admin says
Thank you so much, Sadie! Your color choices sound sophisticated and luxurious, so I’m sure they’ll turn out great.
Darrielle Tennenbaum says
So many goodies for inspiration! I personally love the light blue one!
lela says
Thanks Darrielle! That light blue one is pretty amazing. It would make morning coffee even more relaxing!
Jennifer says
I’m planning a black and white kitchen???? I wanted to do gray and wood tones, but now that I’ve sourced cabinets, B&W end up in my price range without DIYing too much! Can’t wait to see what you end up with!
lela says
I totally agree, Jennifer. Sometimes you have to narrow down choices based on the budget. I think black and white will be gorgeous! I can’t wait to see yours, too!
Sandra gandy says
love the colors of all the cabinets.
lela says
Thanks Sandra, me too! Have a great day!