2024 Best Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends to Sell Your House
The kitchen is the hub of the home. It’s where the action is. We spend alot of time in our kitchen. We use the kitchen counter and dinner table for homework, to hang out and get caught up at the end of the day. We want our kitchens to be not only functional, but to look amazing as well.
But did you know that the kitchen is THE one room in your house that can date a house the fastest! Potential buyers will make a decision to buy your house based on your kitchen. They will either fall in love with your kitchen and want to put in an offer, or if they fall in love with other features in the house, and feels your kitchen is a major renovation project and mentally take the kitchen renovation cost off the offer price to compensate for the reno.
The kitchen is the ONE room in your house that can date the house the fastest! Buyers will either fall in love with your kitchen and put in an offer, or if you kitchen is dated, buyers will fall in love with other features in your house, put in an offer and adjust the offer price to accommodate a kitchen renovation!
Kitchens, like all interiors, are taking a dramatic turn in color from the all white and all gray color trend where the cabinets, counters and backsplash were once one monochromatic color. It will be common to see either the uppers or lowers to be a different color, or a different color like a bank of cabinets above, or a kitchen island with a different color. They are quite minimalist in their looks with some sporting handle-less cabinets. An entire wall of pantries is also another feature that we saw last year in kitchen designs and still remains popular. Another design trend we saw last year that is still going strong this year is long kitchen islands. We also saw, last year, kitchens with two islands but this trend didn’t seem to get much traction. We see furniture in place of built-in islands in some kitchens!
Read: Why You Should Go to Open Houses in YOUR Neighborhood
Neutral Kitchen Cabinet Colors
Neutral colors is a go to and safe color for most homeowners. Neutral kitchen cabinet colors is no exception to this favorite choice. Whether it be wood or white, both of these kitchen cabinets are the top trend for kitchen cabinet choices whether you’re preparing your house to sell or styling to stay. If you’re not fond of an all white or all wood kitchen, the trend is to have a two-toned kitchen where one set of cabinets, could be wood, another set, white, and the island and pantry could also be one or the other.
Cream, Greige & Warm White Kitchens
Photo: Sherwin Williams
Cool White Kitchens
White kitchens are classic and timeless. They look refreshing and inviting. And they’re very popular among homeowners. However, the white on white on white trend of white cabinets, white counter and a white backsplash is changing. Too much white! We’re seeing marble slabs and colorful tiled backsplashes replacing the traditional subway tile backsplashes. The sterile high-gloss white kitchen is out. Homeowners want warmth in their kitchen.
Backsplashes and kitchen flooring are also popular areas to mix up the former favorite white + white + white choice with a different color or pattern.
Neutral colors is a go to and safe color for most homeowners when selling your house. Neutral kitchen cabinet colors is no exception to this favorite choice. Whether it be wood or white, both of these kitchen cabinets are the top trend for kitchen cabinet choices whether you’re renovating your house to live in, or preparing your house to sell.
Wood Kitchens
Wood kitchen cabinets are back!!! But fortunately, they’re totally updated and much more sophisticated than the cabinets we saw in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. They’re warm and inviting in the right space. An all wood kitchen looks great on its own, but its also a popular choice right now to tone down some of the other popular colors by using wood cabinets for the uppers, the lower cabinets, the pantry, the island, or a combination.. You will frequently see wood cabinets paired with white, blue, black and green cabinets.
Two-Toned Kitchen Cabinets
Two-toned kitchen cabinets have become very popular in the last couple of years and their popularity is continuing to rise. They not only look classy, but they’re a great way to break up a whole room of cabinets in one solid color giving the kitchen more interest. This works particularly well if you have an all gray kitchen that you have put in the past decade and you need to update it to sell your house or if you want to try a bold kitchen color cabinet but not sure you want your whole kitchen to be one bold monocratic color.
The way the two-toned kitchens look vary from kitchen to kitchen. A popular trend is to have the centre island in a completely different color than the rest of the kitchen. One color on the upper cabinets, and another color on the lower cabinets is also very popular. A third trend is to have a whole wall of cabinets as in a long pantry a different color than the rest of the kitchen.
If you have an all gray kitchen that you have put in the past decade and it dates your house, consider painting the upper or lower cabinets, or your island a different color, to update the look. Have it professionally painted if your cabinet painting skills are not quite par with a professional look. It will be worth the extra money in the long run.
Bold Kitchen Cabinet Colors
For those of you that want something more exciting than white or wood kitchens, choosing a trendy bold color will update your kitchen and make your kitchen pop! BUT! Just because a kitchen color is trendy, doesn’t mean its the right choice for your home!
Just because a kitchen cabinet color is trending , doesn’t mean its necessarily the best color for your neighborhood, your home, and what potential buyers are looking for in your neighborhood. The best way to find out the current kitchen cabinets trends in your neighborhood, is to check out the new house builds AND recent renovations that are going on near your home. Go to open houses & check online to see what the builders are putting into new houses, AND also just as important, what they are NOT putting into new houses. This is a GREAT indication of what the current kitchen color cabinet design & trend is in YOUR neighborhood. Don’t just check out one builder, but look at what various builders are doing.
Black Kitchens
Black kitchen cabinets is one of the latest and boldest trend for kitchen cabinet colors this year. Either you like them or you hate them but you must admit, they do look sexy. Black cabinets are very sleek and contemporary therefore they look best in houses, townhomes and condos that are up scale, contemporary and have a youngish stylish vibe. However, all black kitchen cabinets won’t suit every home and lifestyle. When you see black kitchens, they’re typically in a two toned kitchen where you see a combination of wood & black, or white and black.
All black kitchens were VERY popular a couple of years ago but they are not as popular now. We are seeing black being combined with another color or wood. Consider adding another color or finish in the kitchen island or pantry to break up the look like our picture at the top of this post. The homeowner has a very sleek black kitchen cabinets, broken up with color with a white quarts countertop with a pop of black on the edge, and does the pantry in a beautiful light wood tone.
Read: Should I Renovate My House Before Selling? What’s My Profit Potential
Green Kitchens
If you asked me a couple of years ago if I thought green was going to be a leading kitchen color trend in 2024, I would have told you, politely, you’re off your rocker.
Green tends to be one of the colors that you can’t live without or you can’t live with. Some people have a lots of green color in their house decorated in various shades of green because they find it soothing and it reminds them of the outdoors. Whereas others leave decorating with the color green in their house to the plants.
For those that love green, green kitchen cabinets are all the rage right now. Ranging from light green to dark green and every shade in between. BUT WAIT!!! Just because green is the trending color for kitchen cabinets right now, doesn’t mean its the best choice for YOUR kitchen. This is where you need to do your market research and check the demographics. Green kitchens tend to be in first time buyer homes and popular among a younger demographics than a more mature one with families and children.
Do you need design advise? A color consult? A staging consult? Check out my online design services here.
Gray/Greige Kitchens
Gray kitchens with a mid-tone gray or what I call the color cement gray is finally out! Whew! I didn’t like that one at all. We saw all gray kitchens with gray upper & lower cabinets, gray countertops & gray flooring for the better part of a decade. But as with any trend, it has a shelf life and it looks like the shelf life for all cement gray kitchens have expired. Personally I was never a fan of this cement gray kitchen, but I can help you with some color choices if you want to repaint your kitchen.
We are now seeing light shades of gray and greige in kitchens. We will also be seeing the gray mixed with wood cabinets, white or some color, for variety and interest. And the shades of gray that we are seeing are lighter shades. The mid-tone grays to dark grays as a solid color for the kitchen are out finally. I was never a fan.
Blue Kitchens
Photo: Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2024 Blue Nova
Blue kitchen cabinets is a trend that has been around for a few years. Whether is a pretty aqua, a popular navy blue, or another shade of blue, blue cabinets are a favorite among homeowners. Both Benjamin Moore & Sherwin Williams have a shade of blue as their color of the year this year and showed their color on kitchen cabinets. HOWEVER, just because a paint color is trending doesn’t mean its the best choice for YOUR home. Blue cabinets are best suited for coastal regions, country cottage and pretty much anywhere near water. If you live in a cookie cutter suburban neighborhood, or a downtown landlocked city, blue may not be the best color choice for your home.
Photo: Sherwin Williams Color of the Year 2014 Upward
Navy blue kitchens are a classic. They are currently not the trending color for blue cabinets this year, but if you live in a coastal area, blue might be a good fit for your home.
If you’re looking at selling your house within 1 – 2 years, DON’T put in a design trend in your home that is on its way out! Just because a color is trending on HGTV doesn’t mean its the right color for your neighborhood & demographic!
Read: How to Choose a Kitchen Cabinet Color
How to Choose a Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color
Last year, a new client asked me to drop by to help her pick a carpet for her family room. As we walked through her kitchen she casually mentioned that she needs to do something about it. The kitchen was originally to the house but she never really liked the kitchen cabinet color. Instantly I could see why.
Her kitchen was stunning. It was a gallery style with two long counters that any cook would be envious of. Her quartz countertop was a jet black color. Her ceramic floor tiles were a cool white with gray veins running through it, but her kitchen cabinets were a warm off-white. The neutral colors clashed with each other. The kitchen cabinet colors need to co-ordinate with the fixed elements in the room, in this case the flooring and the bold countertop. Her kitchen was a classic style and in great condition. It did not need renovating. So the least expensive option, at this point, was to correct the mistake, which was painting the cabinets are more complimentary color.
Should I paint my kitchen cabinets before selling my house?
Your kitchen cabinets are dated and you’re wondering if you should paint them before selling your house. Your cabinets are worn looking and could definitely use a refresh before you list your house. Is it worth it to paint your kitchen cabinets to sell your house? According to Zillow and HGTV, painting your kitchen cabinets to sell your house will definitely increase the sale of your home. It will give your kitchen a refresh and not give buyers an excuse to move on and look at the next house, or worse, come in with a low ball offer to compensate for the work of renovating your kitchen.
Choosing a kitchen cabinet color can be tricky. Its not just about picking a color that you like, although that does play a part in the decision making process. You also need to take into the consideration the fixed elements of your room such as your backsplash, countertop, and the color of your floors. Ignoring any of these fixed elements could be disastrous and result in picking the wrong kitchen cabinet color.
Does this feel overwhelming? Need some helping choosing a paint color?
I can help you with that with my online e-design services.
How does it work? Once I have received your payment, I will send you a questionnaire within 24 hours asking you a few questions about your kitchen, and show you how you need to take pictures that I will receive. Once I review your information, I will provide you with your personal consultation with 3 -5 business days with 2 – 3 paint color choices, plus a Samplize board for you to test the color, and DETAILED instructions on how to test your paint.
Check out my online kitchen cabinet paint color consult here.
Should you have kitchen cabinets professionally painted or paint them yourself?
If your kitchen cabinets are in good kitchen, the cost of painting them to update the color and refresh their look will cost you less money than a complete kitchen renovation. Should you have them professional painted or do them yourself? Kitchen cabinets are tricky to paint. If they are painted well, as in professional painted, they will add value to your home and attract buyers to make offers. If they are painted poorly, it could actually devalue your home which defeats the purpose of painting them in the first place. There are painting companies that specialize in kitchen cabinet painting. They will remove your doors and drawers and paint them on their premises. They will come into your home, tape off the kitchen and only expose the cabinets for painting where they will paint onsite.
When cabinets are professionally painted, they can look like brand new cabinets and increase the value of your home. Check out various kitchen cabinet painters, get references and at least 2 – 3 quotes. Use a professional kitchen cabinet painter. Using a painter that doesn’t specialize in kitchen cabinets is risky. Your relator may know of a couple of reliable painters.
Other Kitchen Trends That Are In & Out for 2024?
- Long kitchen islands are still in. Some islands may be up to 7′ long if you have the floor space in your kitchen are in!!! We saw double islands trending last year but they didn’t seem to take so we’re not seeing them this year! What we are seeing is furniture like a stand alone table with a shelf underneath instead of an island.
- Fancy oven hoods are in! Who knew this would be a trend. And some hoods are in colors that you would least expect.
- Kitchen garages to hide appliances were all the rage last year but some are saying this trend is out for this year. Keep your eye out for this trend to see if its taking or not. Personally, if you have the space, why would you not want to hide your appliances?
- White backsplashes are out, particularly subway tiles. Marble slabs are in and colorful tiles.
- Open shelving has gone out. We knew they would go out eventually. They’re high maintenance, always cleaning and dusting and they didn’t hold enough dishes.
- Granite countertops are out.
- Two level countertops are out! But they have been out for awhile really!
Hi! I’m Debi Collinson. Designer. Color Consultant & Real Estate Investor.
I grew up looking at blue prints, going on construction sites and helping my dad, an Engineer|General Contractor and Co-Owner of a Design|Build|Engineering firm pick out paint colors for his buildings. Since 2006, I have been styling & staging hundreds of homes to make them look like they belong in a magazine page whether the client is styling to stay or staging to sell.
In my spare time, LOL, I buy “fixer uppers” to fix up & either sell for a healthy profit or to rent. I’m currently looking for my 10th “fixer upper.” Sign up to receive my e-mails of how to make your home stunning, how to sell your house for top dollar AND how to become financially independent one fixer upper at a time! Read my full story including my design credentials here.
