White kitchen cabinets are a timeless and versatile choice that can work in almost any kitchen design. With their clean, bright aesthetic, white cabinets create a light and airy look and make the space appear larger. They also serve as a neutral backdrop that allows other elements of the kitchen décor to shine. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about choosing, designing, and styling white kitchen cabinets.
What are the Benefits of White Kitchen Cabinets?
There are many excellent reasons to choose white cabinets for your kitchen:
Brighten Up the Space
The light and bright quality of white cabinets helps reflect more light around the kitchen, opening up smaller spaces and making them feel more expansive. This makes a white kitchen a fantastic choice for small kitchens, galley kitchens, or apartments. The light bouncing off the white cabinets gives the illusion of a larger space.
Timeless Look
A white kitchen is a timeless choice that is unlikely ever to feel outdated. While trends come and go, crisp white cabinets are a classic look. They are especially popular in modern and contemporary kitchen designs.
Versatile Neutral Backdrop
White kitchen cabinets act as a neutral backdrop that provides the perfect foundation for adding pops of color, texture, and personality through other elements like tile, appliances, hardware, and accessories. Their versatility allows you to change the look of your kitchen easily over time just by switching up décor elements.
Brighten a Dark Room
The reflective nature of white cabinets helps add light to naturally dark kitchens with little natural light. Their luminosity can make these types of kitchens feel open and airy.
Visually Expand a Narrow Kitchen
Arranging white cabinets in a streamlined design in a narrow kitchen helps expand the feel of a tight space, making it appear wider. The light reflecting off the cabinetry plays a visual trick that makes the walls seem further apart.
Lighten Up a Low Ceiling
White reflective cabinets can also give the illusion of a higher ceiling in kitchens with low ceilings. Their brightness helps draw the eye up and bounce more light around.
Clean Look
Crisp white cabinets promote a clean, minimalist look in the kitchen. Their neutral color doesn’t compete for attention. Everything has its place, which leads to a more organized space.
Easy to Clean
White cabinet surfaces are easier to keep clean. Grease and grime don’t show up as easily as on darker cabinet colors. They can just be quickly wiped away.
Promote Hygiene
In addition to being easy to clean, the light color of white cabinets enhances visibility of messes. This leads to better cleaning habits and improved kitchen hygiene.
Lighten Heavy Cabinets
The eye-tricking reflective quality of white paint can help heavier cabinet styles visually recede and not appear so bulky and imposing.
Work With Any Color Scheme
White cabinets work with absolutely any color palette, making it easy to incorporate white into any kitchen design style. Their versatility means they look right at home in modern, traditional, cottage, minimalist, eclectic, industrial, and other kitchen schemes.
Increase Resale Value
White is one of the most popular cabinet colors because of its broad appeal. White kitchens are sought-after by many home buyers. Choosing this timeless color is a smart investment that can increase the resale value of your home.
Popular Styles of White Kitchen Cabinets
White cabinets beautifully complement a variety of cabinet door styles. Here are some of the most common types of cabinets that look stunning in crisp white:
Shaker Style
The classic Shaker style with its flat center panel and clean lines has enduring popularity. White Shaker cabinets have versatile appeal and work in everything from modern to traditional kitchens. Their simple design lets them blend seamlessly into any setting.
Slab Cabinet Doors
Slab cabinet doors with their sleek, seamless fronts provide a minimalist and contemporary look. White slab cabinets in glossy or matte finishes create a polished modern aesthetic.
Raised Panel Doors
Traditional raised panel doors add detailing that defines cabinet fronts with dimension and depth. White raised panel cabinets provide a light but grounded look well-suited for classic kitchen designs.
Beaded Panel Doors
For a cottage or country kitchen, white beaded panel cabinets have charming vintage appeal. Their decorative recessed circular accents harken back to bygone eras with nostalgic design.
Glass Front Cabinets
Combining glass fronts and white cabinet boxes or frames imparts an open, airy quality with great visibility of contents. This lends a lightweight element to any kitchen.
Textured Woodgrain Doors
Textured laminate white cabinet doors offer affordability but mimic the visual warmth and interest of real wood grain. This adapts traditional kitchen style to any budget.
Arched Panel Doors
Arched or cathedral style cabinet doors provide graceful curved shaping. White cabinets with arched detailing can make a kitchen feel bright yet sophisticated.
Choosing the Right White for Your Cabinets
Not all whites are created equal when it comes to kitchen cabinets. Small nuances in undertone and depth of color can make a big difference. Consider these common white cabinet shades:
Bright White
A very clean, crisp shade without yellow or gray undertones. It offers great contrast and pairs well with colors like navy blue, charcoal, and black for a bold modern style. The lack of warmth can feel clinical, so bright white works best in small doses.
Antique White
Muted and weathered with a subtle yellow/beige undertone. Provides a softer farmhouse or cottage look. Its sheen resembles aged painted wood. Warm antique white is ideal for a relaxed vintage style.
Cream White
Hazy shade with pronounced yellow/beige undertone. Somewhere between white and ivory. Cream white cabinets impart a softer, more subtle look than stark bright white. This cozy hue is often used in traditional and country kitchens.
White Dove
A pale warm white that avoids looking dingy. White dove has just a hint of gray tone that keeps it clean without appearing clinical. It offers light reflectivity with more character than bright white.
Swiss Coffee
A very light beige-tinged white. Swiss coffee has enough color to warm up white without overpowering it. Provides a neutral but minimally creamy backdrop suitable for both modern and traditional spaces.
Chantilly Lace
An almost imperceptibly pale grayish white. Chantilly lace reads as a clean white on cabinets but has a vaguely cool undertone. It works nicely with stainless steel and chromium accents.
Linen White
Subtly grayish white shade with a hint of tan. Linen white offers a sophisticated mood that serves as an alternative to stark white. Pairs beautifully with marble and light wood grains for neo-traditional elegance.
Countertop Colors That Go With White Cabinets
With their versatility, white kitchen cabinets coordinate beautifully with a wide range of countertop materials and colors. Here are some top options:
White Countertops
Matching bright white countertops and white cabinets creates a seamless, expansive look. The streamlined combo works perfectly in modern and contemporary kitchens. Quartz, marble, and laminate all come in crisp white tones.
Light Gray Countertops
Subtly gray countertops in hues like fog or raincloud look refined against white cabinets. The cool tones complement stainless steel appliances for a sophisticated contemporary aesthetic.
Dark Gray Countertops
Vivid dark gray or charcoal countertops make a striking contrast against snowy white cabinets. The bold but neutral combo allows fun pops of color in accessories. Soapstone and granite are natural stones that come in darker gray shades.
Beige Countertops
Warm beige or tan countertops bring subtle contrast while matching the undertones of antique white cabinets. Concrete, butcher block, and marble countertops offer beige movement.
Black Countertops
For serious drama, black granite, soapstone, or quartz countertops pair beautifully with bright white cabinets. The contrast is strong yet elegant. Add in black hardware for a luxe monochromatic look.
Butcher Block Countertops
The natural brownish warmth of wood countertops offsets crisp white cabinets for a relaxed rustic feeling. Butcher block wood pairs seamlessly with farmhouse style.
Marble Countertops
Elegant white or gray marble countertops bring organic movement and subtle contrast next to white cabinets. Gray, white, and even black marble varieties all complement white kitchen cabinets.
Flooring Options for a White Kitchen
Flooring can make a major impact in an all-white kitchen. Here are some excellent flooring ideas that enhance white cabinets beautifully:
Light Wood Flooring
The warmth of light natural wood flooring offsets stark white cabinets nicely. Materials like maple, birch, ash, and oak bring in texture. A natural wood floor imparts timeless appeal.
Dark Wood Flooring
For more contrast, dark stained hardwood flooring pops against white cabinets for definition. Options like walnut and hickory bring lovely richness. Distressed wood floors add vintage character.
White or Light Tile Flooring
Matching white tile or stone floors and cabinets create a seamless look. For subtle contrast, use large-scale tile in a pale gray, beige, or alabaster. Marble tile also complements white kitchen cabinets.
Black and White Tile
A classic checkerboard tile floor offers just enough contrast for interest without overpowering all-white cabinetry. Use with a simple modern design for bold definition.
Colored Tile
Make a style statement by pairing white cabinets with vibrantly colored tile flooring. Vivid hues like cobalt blue, emerald, or mustard yellow floor tile can look incredible next to snowy cabinetry.
Polished Concrete Floors
The industrial chic look of polished concrete floors provides an edgy counterpoint to pristine white cabinets. The matte texture also contrasts nicely against cabinet shine.
Vinyl Flooring
For an affordable option, sheet vinyl flooring comes in wood, tile, and stone looks. Choose a light vinyl wood pattern or subtle stone-effect vinyl to complement white kitchen cabinets.
Backsplash Ideas for White Kitchen Cabinets
Creative backsplash tile design allows you to enhance and accessorize all-white cabinets. Consider these striking options:
All-White Backsplash
Matching bright white cabinetry with a glossy white subway tile backsplash and white grout creates a super sleek modern look. The mirrored effect expands the space.
Beveled White Tile
Dimensional white tile like penny rounds, hexagons, fish scales, and 3D shapes add beautiful texture and light play. Pair with crisp white cabinets and dark grout.
Gray and White Backsplash
Combine white cabinets with a backsplash mixing white and gray tiles. Use shades like fog, dove gray, and silver gray for contemporary contrast. Mixing tile shapes also adds interest.
Marble Backsplash
Elegant marble backsplash tile comes in a range of whites, grays, and blacks that complement white cabinets beautifully. Carrara marble offers a versatile white background.
Multicolor Glass Backsplash
For bold contrast and a fun pop of color, use a vibrantly colorful glass tile backsplash with snow white cabinets. Try bright gem tones or neon shades.
Patterned Tile Backsplash
Patterned and decorative backsplash tile in motifs like Moroccan fish scale, floral, or geometric patterns makes a stunning style statement. Choose colors like blue, green, black, or metallic.
Natural Stone Backsplash
Backsplash materials like quartzite, travertine, slate, and pebbles in soft earth tones bring organic texture. Mix warm beiges, taupes, and grays for variety.
Black Backsplash
Make a dramatic design choice with bold black backsplash tile against white cabinets. Try glossy brick-shaped subway tile or dramatic large-scale porcelain slab tile.
Hardware Ideas for White Cabinets
Cabinet hardware offers the perfect opportunity to accessorize white kitchen cabinets. Clever choices in finish and shape make a big impact.
Gold Hardware
Warm metallic gold hardware in matte, brushed, or polished finishes adds a touch of glamour and luxury to white kitchen cabinets. Gold beautifully highlights white.
Aged Brass Hardware
On-trend aged brass hardware has vintage appeal paired with white cabinets. The muted finish with rubbed patina offers just the right amount of sheen.
Nickel Hardware
Brushed nickel or satin nickel hardware looks refined and sleek with white cabinetry. The cool silvery tones work nicely with stainless steel appliances.
Bronze Hardware
Dark oil-rubbed bronze offers bold contrast to snowy white cabinets. The rich brown color and hint of metallic shine impart a lovely aged look.
Matte Black Hardware
For high contrast punch, matte black hardware pops beautifully against white cabinets. Use in modern spaces or to create an edgy vintage diner feel.
Polished Chrome Hardware
Super clean and shiny polished or brushed chrome hardware keeps white cabinets looking ultra crisp and fresh. Great for a modern feel.
Copper Hardware
On-trend rose gold and copper hardware finishes lend a blush-colored warmth to white cabinets. Brushed copper is more subdued while polished copper makes a vibrant statement.
Vintage Hardware
Refinished antique hardware, reclaimed wood handles, or new hardware mimicking old styles add cottage character to white cabinets. Try porcelain knobs and bin pulls.
Glass Hardware
Clear glass cabinet hardware maintains visibility and brightness while adding just a hint of contrast. Use rectangular pulls or faceted crystal-style knobs.
Contrasting Hardware
Make cabinet hardware a bold accent by choosing a contrasting color to white cabinets. Try shades like cobalt blue, coral, chartreuse, or burgundy.
Painting vs Refacing vs Replacing Kitchen Cabinets
There are three main options if your current kitchen cabinets are showing wear but you desire a fresh white look. Consider the pros and cons of each choice:
Painting Existing Cabinets
- Pros: Most affordable option. Preserves existing cabinets. Wide color selection. Low commitment, easier to change.
- Cons: Very labor intensive. Risk of imperfections. Frequent touch-ups. Decreased cabinet durability over time.
Refacing Existing Cabinets
- Pros: Moderately priced. Preserves structure and integrity of cabinet boxes. Less messy process. New fresh exterior.
- Cons: Limited to working with existing cabinet framework. Partial customization. Labor intensive installation.
Replacing Cabinets Entirely
- Pros: Total customization. Latest storage designs. Highest quality cabinets. Exactly the look you want. Increased home value.
- Cons: Much more expensive than other options. Disposal of old cabinets. Long remodeling process, high disruption. Permanent commitment.
Design Tips for an All-White Kitchen
White kitchen cabinets offer a gorgeous blank canvas to work with. Follow these tips for creating a beautiful and functional white kitchen design:
Mix Finishes
Combine white painted cabinets with a few unfinished wood elements, like open shelving, wood counters, or a butcher block island. This adds warmth and texture.
Include Neutrals
Accent white cabinets with neutral tones like warm wood flooring, beige/gray countertops, and stainless appliances for balanced contrast. Avoid overwhelming the white.
Add Pops of Color
Liven up all-white kitchens with vibrant pops of accent colors in small doses. Try a colorful backsplash or mix in bright accessories like turquoise bar stools.
Play With Scale
Design interest comes from mixing up cabinet sizes, shapes, heights, and depths. Try tall pantry cabinets, extra thick countertops, and custom-depth wall cabinets.
Lighten Heavy Elements
Stark white paint lightens heavy cabinet frames, wide islands, thick countertops, and bulky range hoods. Visually slim heavy elements with white.
Include Open Shelving
Transparent open shelving shows off pretty dishware while keeping the space feeling open and not too crowded with cabinetry everywhere.
Consider Glass Fronts
Glass-front upper cabinets maintain an airy look. For lower cabinets, use just a few glass-front doors strategically, like on end cabinets to create a more open floor plan.
Add Architectural Interest
Use trim molding, fluted panels, decorative legs and corbels, and other interesting architectural elements to enhance traditional white cabinets.
Embrace Minimalism
For a pared-down modern aesthetic, opt for unfussy slab cabinet fronts without hardware. Keep walls and backsplashes super clean and uncluttered.
Styling Tips for White Kitchen Cabinets
The right accessories and styling take a white kitchen from boring to beautiful. Here are some great ideas for showcasing white cabinets:
Display Pretty Dishware
Show off your prettiest plates, bowls, and teacups in glass-front cabinets or open shelving. Crisp white dishes look lovely against white backdrops.
Use Green Plants
Lush green potted plants provide fresh life and dimension. Try a trailing ivy in high wall cabinets, a fern on the windowsill, or a citrus tree for real greenery.
Add Metal Elements
Shiny chrome, stainless steel, silver trays, and mercury glass vases give sleek contrast to white cabinets. Modern metals impart an industrial edge.
Incorporate Natural Wood
Wood cutting boards, butcher block islands, and live-edge wood platters bring warmth. Even small touches like wood spoons or a set of chunky napkin rings make a difference.
Include Ceramic Accents
Handmade pottery, ceramic cookware, and stoneware mugs in Earth tones like terracotta, cream, gray, and rustic give white cabinets a grounded feel with artisanal texture.
Use Baskets for Storage
Woven baskets or rattan bins add an organic touch to cabinet organization. They conceal clutter while complementing white cabinetry.
