6 Kitchen Cabinet Colors That Are Quietly Making Your Home Look Outdated

Kitchens do a lot of heavy lifting. They're one of the most functional rooms in the home, but we also want them to look beautiful since we spend so much time there.

Cabinets play a major role in both function and aesthetics, and their color can really set the tone for a space. It's helpful to pick the right one, as it's not something that you'll want to change often; if a color falls out of favor, your beautiful kitchen will quickly look dated.

Today, designers say that popular, timeless colors have warmth and depth to them and interact beautifully with natural light, stone, and wood. By contrast, some shades can age your space—here are a few to avoid.

Stark White

Stark white kitchens may photograph well, but designers say they’ve been on the decline. On cabinetry, bright white can read as boring and can also show fingerprints and scuffs.

“[They] can feel very sterile, stark, and flat, and they aren’t the best option in terms of wear and tear either,” says Joyce Huston, co-founder and lead interior designer at Decorilla.

Use instead: Cream, ivory, bone, sandy beige, warm off-white.

Sage Green

Sage green has been everywhere for the past several years, and designers say that it's finally become oversaturated. While still pleasant, it now reads as trend-driven, rather than timeless. “Trends are moving to darker, moodier greens, which is why I’d put sage green on the outdated list,” says Huston.

Use instead: Forest green, olive, moss, green-brown tones.

Gray

Once considered a safe neutral, gray is now one of the quickest ways to make a kitchen feel flat. “A medium gray is tricky to work with because it doesn’t play well with natural light, so kitchens can easily feel drab and dreary,” says Huston.

Use instead: Greige, mushroom, putty, charcoal, near-black gray.

Yellow

Designers say that yellow hues are among the most difficult to modernize. The undertones can clash with surfaces and even limit material pairings.

“Yellow cabinets were popular about 20 years ago, maybe longer,” says Tammy Cailliau, owner of Tampa Bay Granite. However: “[They're] difficult to pair well with granite or marble slabs."

Use instead: Soft cream, dull white, warm neutral whites without yellow undertones.

Teal

Teal cabinets feel highly location-dependent, and their appeal rarely extends beyond coastal or vacation settings.

Teal was popular at one point and still lingers in some areas, says Cailliau. “It might have more staying power near the coast, especially in vacation rentals, but beyond that, it’s debatable.”

Use instead: Muted blue-greens, petrol blue, slate blue, blue-gray tones.

Honey-Toned Wood

Warm wood is back—but not the orange-leaning finishes of the 1990s. Designers say honey-toned stains instantly date a kitchen and feel overly glossy by today’s standards.

“That orangey-yellow shine is out. More natural, silvery, or muted wood finishes feel far more elegant and forgiving with wear," says Bill Ferris, president and founder of Decor Outdoor.
Use instead: Natural oak, muted walnut, ash, matte or low-sheen finishes.