If you’re in the process of planning out your dream kitchen yet are stewing over your kitchen cabinet design, interior pros are here to help. Whether you have a modern kitchen and crave a minimalist look or find that you desire a kitchen with rustic elements, here are plenty of kitchen cabinet ideas for everyone.
Note that selecting cabinetry shouldn’t be an afterthought, as it truly impacts the state of your overall home. “I view cabinetry much like I do furniture, except that cabinetry packs a much bigger punch,” states Erika Jayne Chaudhuri of Erika Jayne Design + Build. “A simple chair can set the tone for the entire room, while kitchen cabinetry can set the tone for the entire house,” the Washington, DC, designer adds. “The choice of details, finish, and door style will be the driving force for the space.”
If you’re not sure how to determine the type of cabinetry that’s right for you, first consider your home’s architecture, advises Melanie Gowen of Melanie Gowen Design in Nantucket, Massachusetts. “Keep in mind ceiling height, room shape, and any period details that are important to either assimilate or contrast,” she encourages. Meanwhile, ensure that you also remain true to your individual preferences throughout the design process. “When considering finishes, hardware, and door style, make selections that will add depth to the design, and detail in a way that feels natural and true to personal taste,” urges Doniphan Moore of Doniphan Moore Interiors in Dallas.
What is the most popular kitchen cabinet style?
While kitchen cabinet ideas run the gamut, today’s kitchens often feature Shaker cabinets. The style “feels at home in both historic homes and new builds,” explains Sarah Lederman of Sarah Lederman Interiors in New York. Anna Popov of Interiors by Popov in Bellevue, Washington, agrees, noting that she has seen the thin Shaker door style appear more and more often. “This style fits perfectly into a midcentury interior,” Popov says.
What is the current trend for kitchen cabinets?
“It's clear that white kitchens are out and painted cabinets are in,” says Lederman. “In the past year alone, we have installed a sunny yellow kitchen, a moody navy kitchen, and a mossy green kitchen for color loving clients.” As you plan out your kitchen design, you may wish to opt for some color when selecting your kitchen cabinetry.
Additionally, textural intrigue is having a moment as well. Popov says that she loves to use ribbed or fluted wood doors for current kitchen cabinet projects. “These cabinet doors, when used sparingly, can add a significant impact and unique perspective to the overall design of the kitchen,” she continues. To integrate this style into your kitchen design, Popov recommends using this application on appliance fronts, tall pantry doors, and island back panels.
Today’s kitchens also lack upper cabinets. “We are constantly designing more kitchens with less upper cabinets and more open shelves,” explains Jeff Andrews of Jeff Andrews Design in Los Angeles. “The goal is maximizing storage with a less conventional approach. This opens up wall space for art and personal collections that make a kitchen more unique.”
For more interior design inspo, allow these 39 beautiful kitchen cabinet styles inspire a heart of the the home makeover like no other. You too can have a new kitchen look, even if it’s just a bright new paint color or fancy knobs.
1. Pair simple cabinets with open shelving
Emily Janak of Emily Janak Interiors in Jackson Hole, worked with her husband, Adam Janak of Northworks Architects, to design this kitchen, which features open shelving above the lower cabinets. “We used a very simple flat panel, overlay cabinet style in this kitchen for both ease and style,” Janak explains, noting that she didn’t desire anything “ultra traditional” within the space. She adds, “It also allows the backsplash and hardware to sing.”
2. Embrace an airy, open look
Tina Ramchandani of NYC’s Tina Ramchandani Creative chose flush, frameless cabinetry for this kitchen, painted in Benjamin Moore Super White, in her former home. “Because we opened up the kitchen, we wanted it to feel as though it was an extension of the living room, and frameless cabinets helped to keep the minimal, clean look we were working towards,” Ramchandi explains.
3. Try a two-tone look
“My clients needed a multipurpose cabinet in their new kitchen,” explains Emily Pueringer of Emily Pueringer Design Studio in Minneapolis. In came a two-toned cabinet with pocket doors, featuring stained white oak and Sherwin-Williams Palm Leaf. “I casually call this cabinet the ‘hidden mess zone,’” Pueringer states.
4. Rework an existing setup
Kevin Billings of Dexter and Plaid in Leesburg, Virginia, reworked the layout of this kitchen to accommodate his clients’ needs, and the cabinets got a facelift, too. “We reworked the existing raised panel cabinets that were in the kitchen, mainly for budgeting purposes,” Billings explains. “However, this style, when done correctly, can be a very timeless design.” Billings appreciates how the Sherwin-Williams pure white cabinetry pops against the island, which is painted in Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black “to add some contrast and help ground the kitchen space.”
5. Opt for something low profile
Alykhan Velji of Alykhan Velji Designs in Alberta, Canada, used what he calls a “slim shaker” cabinet in this kitchen, which happens to be located in his personal home. “It provides just a simple design detail to the cabinets, and because we had a considerable amount of cabinetry, I wanted the look to still be refined,” Velji comments. To balance the look further the designer added slim Emtek hardware.
6. Incorporate a reflective surface
The team at Marc-Michaels Interior Design, which has offices in Winter Park and Boca Raton, Florida, used both high gloss white and stained wood cabinet finishes in this kitchen. “It’s a great way to break up a large kitchen and make it feel grounded,” notes design director Shannon Callahan. “The stone that frames the custom stainless-steel hood adds interest and another tactile surface. The slab drawers and larger stile and rail on the lower drawer fronts show off the flaming of the wood grain, while the polished stainless drawer fronts add crisp reflectivity and draws attention to the range wall.
7. Get into the groove
Cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore Shady Lane shine in this kitchen by Cathie Hong of Cathie Hong Interiors. The San Francisco–based designer wanted to pay homage to the home’s midcentury modern architectural style when working on this space. “We opted for a modern flat panel full overlay style kitchen, but added some integrated groove finger pulls and groove details on the range hood and island end panels to keep it interesting and unique,” Hong says.
8. Make it Scandi
Hong incorporated a Scandinavian aesthetic throughout this home. “We used European-style full overlay cabinets with integrated oak circular pulls for a touch of whimsy,” Hong says, noting that the cabinetry came from Copenhagen-based ReformCPH. “The homeowners took a personal vacation to Copenhagen right when we started designing their home, and the inspiration they gained from their trip set the tone,” she adds.
9. Experiment with stained oak
Crystal Sinclair of Crystal Sinclair Designs describes the stained white oak cabinetry in this Victorian home’s kitchen as “a more modern take on farmhouse.” The designer, based in Tuxedo Park, New York, adds, “We wanted the kitchen to tie in with the charming details of the home but feel a bit more modern to tie in with the more modern furniture. We wanted something sweet, relaxing, and inviting!”
10. Install beadboard backing
Meg Braff of Meg Braff Designs in Locust Valley, New York, designed this Greenwich, Connecticut, townhouse to feature stainless steel cabinets beside the stove and white cabinets throughout the rest of the space. “The simple Shaker style cabinets have glass fronts, allowing our client to display her collection of blue-and-white porcelain and glassware,” Braff explains. “The back of the cabinets are finished in a beadboard, which we painted in a pretty soft blue to make the contents pop and add a bit more interest to the classic white kitchen.”
11. Take a cue from the outdoors
“The cabinets shown are flat panel, stained white oak cabinets that were the perfect selection given the ‘mountain contemporary’ aesthetic we were trying to achieve,” explains Sterling McDavid of Sterling McDavid Design in New York . “From the start of the project, I wanted wood elements present throughout the interior to complement the breathtaking nature surrounding the home.”
12. Tell your home’s story
Anne Hammett of Anne Pearson Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, wanted the kitchen in her own home to feel “traditional but still fresh.” And that meant adding some color to the cabinets. “We renovated a home built in 1942, so I wanted the cabinet style to reflect the home’s history,” she explains. “I did not want an all white kitchen, as it would feel cold or sterile because of the placement in the home.” Instead, Hammett painted her cabinets Sherwin-Williams Clary Sage and added a gold wire mesh insert on the top doors.
13. Implement simple upgrades
Sarah Lederman painted her apartment kitchen’s exiting Shaker cabinets in a contemporary hue. “We did a lightish refresh of the space, which had come to feel dated in terms of palette, by painting the cabinets a cheerful [Farrow & Ball Light Blue], swapping the hardware, and changing the countertops from black to a light Silestone,” the interior designer notes. “This allowed us to feel like we were putting our own mark on the space without investing in a new kitchen.”
14. Go for the bold
Gioi Tran of Applegate Tran in San Francisco was thrilled when his client was eager to embrace vibrance—specifically in the form of Benjamin Moore Orange—in her city kitchen. “When we presented the idea of a bright orange kitchen, she loved it, and we took it one step further and opted for custom églomisé glass cabinet doors,” Tran says. “The glass doors are so easy to maintain as églomisé is reverse painted, so the orange is inside, and the glass has an endemic high shine, so it's very reflective, which we love.” Best of all, the material is quite easy to clean too: All you need is a microfiber cloth and some diluted white vinegar to clean the glass, Tran comments.
15. Say Yes to MCM
“The cabinets are slab style with no framing chosen for clean simple lines and a midcentury look,” explains designer Melanie Gowen of Melanie Gowen Design, which is based on Nantucket. “They have a white acrylic sheen finish and soft close hinges.”
16. Think timeless and refined
When designing this Lake George, New York, vacation home, “the concept was to create a kitchen with the timeless heritage and refined durability of a Barbour jacket,” says Cindy Rinfret of Rinfret LTD in Greenwich, Connecticut. “Elegant yet warm details, like the loden brown leather inset edge in the recessed panel of the stained oak cabinetry, set this apart from your standard kitchen,” she adds.
17. Keep lines clean
Jeff Andrews opted to forgo upper cabinets as well as use beadboard front cabinetry in this kitchen. “It echoed the original wood wall paneling from the 1920s,” the Los Angeles—based designer explains. “Because it’s such a small kitchen, we were looking for clean, retro-inspired details.”
18. Showcase a classic Shaker style
Amy Sklar of Sklar Design in Los Angeles also kept history top of mind when working on this kitchen in Pasadena, California. “These cabinets are Shaker style, and we chose them for this kitchen remodel because it fits the original traditional style of this 1913 home,” she comments.
19. Create a cottage vibe
House of Jade’s Kristen Krason “wanted a kitchenette that had a distinct cottage vibe.” The cutout detail on the storage cabinet doesn’t just add aesthetic value, it also serves a key purpose: Providing ventilation for the ice maker inside.
20. Make it moody
Maureen Ursino of Ursino Interiors in Colts Neck, New Jersey, coated shaker cabinets in Farrow & Ball Tanner’s Brown. “We intentionally selected a deep moody brown to speak to the modern interpretation of the Tudor-style home,” the designer says.
21. Eliminate upper cabinetry
Painted cabinets from DeVOL Kitchens’s Real Shaker collection shine in a Georgian townhouse in East London. A vintage baker’s rack belonging to the clients houses pottery, plates, and more.
22. Let a bright hue shine
In this Matthews, North Carolina, home, Ashley DeLapp of Ashley DeLapp Interior Design painted pantry cabinets in Sherwin Williams Jitterbug Jade. “We wanted a more modern profile with a sleeker look to carry such a bold paint color,” notes the Charlotte designer.
23. Look to the countryside
In a Connecticut home, Christopher Peacock, who runs an eponymous firm, used custom-mixed colors on the cabinets, which happen to pay homage to the New York–based designer’s past. “This is my take on a fresh traditional look, a little more tailored than a typical raised-panel door and inspired by a church interior where I grew up in the English countryside,” Peacock explains.
24. Keep it flush
“Inset-style cabinetry, in which the drawer or door sits flush with the face frame, is the way that cabinets were built at the time my home was built—in 1915,” Ashley Goldman of the Gold Hive shares. “Maintaining historic elements is important when remodeling old homes.”
25. Add a high-tech twist
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The walnut doors feature flip-up hardware that makes it possible to open all of the upper cabinets at once. “These are electronically wired so you do not have to be very tall to open or close the cabinets,” Popov explains. “With the push of a button found near the bottom, the cabinets close with ease.”
26. Spice up your storage
Looking for clever storage ideas? In this kitchen by Zoe Feldman of Zoe Feldman Design in Washington, DC, salvaged blue and green glass inserts majorly transform the pantry doors. “These doors have a Gothic style that we used to give the kitchen a super bespoke, soulful feel,” Feldman notes.
27. Go knob-less
Clean lines “but with richness and contrast” are the star of the show in this downtown New York City kitchen by Kati Curtis of Kati Curtis Design in Manhattan. If you’re wondering where the drawer knobs are positioned, note that there aren’t any present. The lacquered white cabinets do not include hardware; rather, they are opened using a finger-pull. “The doors have a slim frame for added detail, while still working within a contemporary vernacular,” Curtis adds.
28. Draw inspiration from favorite furnishings
“The mullions on the antique mirrored cabinet doors were inspired by a similar style found on an antique Chippendale secretary,” says Raleigh designer Lindsay Speace. Better yet, the cabinets’ antique mirrored feature “reflects the chinoiserie paper throughout the room beautifully and creates the illusion of a larger space when viewed from the entry,” Speace notes.
29. Mix wood tones
Lisa Kooistra of Lisa Kooistra Designs completed a makeover of an older bungalow home and reworked the kitchen layout to offer additional storage capabilities. White oak flat-panel cabinets offer “a clean look behind the black wood shaker profile glass doors,” the Ontario, Canada—based designer states.
30. Liven up original cabinetry with new hardware
“The goal with this kitchen was to preserve the original cabinets and finishes but also accommodate a couple who does a lot of cooking,” Kati Curtis says of this space. After refinishing the home’s original floors and cabinets, she installed new dark bronze hardware and Carrara-marble countertops.
31. Don’t forget the trim
In his own design studio kitchen in Dallas, Doniphan Moore of Doniphan Moore Interiors combined an overlay and inset door style. Bleached sycamore veneers with a polyester finish make up the cabinet face, and a custom bronze trim surrounds the doors and drawers.
32. Fuse modern and traditional design
Sara Swabb of Washington, DC–based Storie Collective incorporated open wooden shelving and glass cabinetry fronts into the mix. “We knew the top most cabinetry above the open shelving would not be utilized on a daily basis; beautifully showcasing our client's crystal and glass collections here gives the space added depth and texture without being busy,” she says of this home in Wilmington, North Carolina.
33. Mix form and function
Jill Howard, who runs an eponymous firm in Charleston, South Carolina, turned to French architect Charlotte Perriand’s wall-mounted bookshelves when designing this cabinetry for a kitchen in her home city. “We loved the idea of having a place to display artful pieces while also maintaining easy access to everyday items,” Howard says.
34. Pair oak and fluted glass
“The style felt modern without being too severe, which wouldn’t have suited the historic home,” Feldman reflects. “The glass helped lighten up the full height cabinets while still blurring the contents inside.”
35. Extend the kitchen cabinet design to the hood
Michelle Berwick of Michelle Berwick Design in Ontario, Canada, introduced face-framed cabinetry with white oak trim into this kitchen. “The custom hood had the same white oak slat detail, keeping consistency,” Berwick says.
36. Alternate cabinet styles
Erika Jayne Chaudhuri of Erika Jayne Design + Build opted for a mix of painted Shaker doors and modern slab doors with frameless construction in this Bethesda, Maryland, kitchen. “In small and midsize kitchens, the extra space and easy access that frameless construction provides can make a big difference in functionality,” the Washington, DC–based designer says. “Horizontal grain slab doors are very contemporary on their own, but when mixed with a traditional door style provide just a pop of modern sensibility.”
37. Hide imperfections
In her own 20th-century Philadelphia home, Nicole Cole of Vestige Home chose to install open shelving above her Farrow & Ball Off-Black cabinets. “The cabinets aren’t in the best of shape and painting them a deep/dark color helps to camouflage some of the older imperfections and also provides a stark contrast and juxtaposition to the upper wall color,” Cole says.
38. Add flair with supports
Sara Hillery of Sara Hillery Interior Design in Richmond, Virginia, paired Shaker cabinets with column supports in this kitchen, located on Virginia’s James River. “We wanted to keep a natural yet playful feel in the space,” Hillery says. The column supports of course serve a practical function, but they also “decoratively play with the architecture of the home and area,” the designer adds.
39. Combine old and new
In her own kitchen, Amanda Neely of CBC Builds in Tulsa, Oklahoma, installed cabinetry with a recessed flat panel, which is painted in Farrow & Ball Studio Green at 50%. “We saved the original lower perimeter cabinets and drawer fronts, so we were trying to create cohesion between the old and new cabinetry,” she says. The Emtek hardware adds extra panache.
