1Stick With an Earthy Color Palette
Kate StarkelFor a home with a lot of beautiful woodwork, choose a cabinet color from an earthy palette to enhance the timeless, moody aesthetic. Designer Amanda Jacobs chose the smoky green Vintage Vogue from Benjamin Moore for this Kentucky bungalow's kitchen cabinets to give the room a more storied feel.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
2Split the Lower and Upper Cabinets
Haris KenjarFurther emphasize the different colors in your overall palette by choosing two different hues for the upper and lower cabinets in your kitchen. This southern California kitchen would've remained all white had designer Brian Paquette not chosen to paint the lower cabinets the home's signature green—which just so happened to perfectly match the barstools as well.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
3Add Vented Cabinets
Haris KenjarIf your home lacks a proper laundry room and your appliances live in the kitchen, hide them away with vented cabinets. Designer Katie Hodges's Hollywood Hills home didn't offer enough square footage for a separate laundry space, so she snuck in one using these chic custom cabinets coated in Farrow & Ball's Mouse’s Back paint.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
4Keep It Rich
Lisa PetroleIn designer Ashley Maddox's formerly untouched midcentury home that she renovated with her Magnolia colleague Hilary Walker, Maddox went with a rich, dark walnut for her cabinetry. Not only does this kitchen cabinet idea keep the space timeless, but it contrasts so deeply with the white walls that it forces the eye to the cabinets.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
5Make It Hazy
Alanna HaleAdd dimension to your glass cabinetry by choosing a fluted glass for the outside. The textured glass in this kitchen cabinet idea reflects light differently than regular glass, creating a hazy look that overlays whatever's stored inside. Designer Noz Nozawa chose black and brown with an orange undertone for her cabinets, giving the room a cozy, warm feel.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
6Keep It Minimalist
Ngoc Minh NgoGo with light-colored, no-frills cabinets to embrace a minimalist kitchen. In designer Susannah Charbin's Long Island home, she wanted the outdoors to be the focus of the property, letting the view from the kitchen windows do the talking rather than what's inside.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7Choose a Native Material
Jessica Klewicki GlynnHonor the environment surrounding your home and choose a native material for your cabinetry. Designer Tom Scheerer chose pecky cypress wood for much of this Florida kitchen space because the tree is native to the wetlands.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
8Mix It Up
Simon BrownAdd brightness and whimsy to your space by painting your cabinets different playful colors. Designer Kit Kemp didn't keep with traditional hues in her kitchen—she chose a sunny yellow (Babouche by Farrow & Ball), a pastel coral, and a baby blue that can't be seen here.
9Choose a High-Gloss Paint
Nate Sheets Photography LLCNot only does this deep maroon high-gloss paint on the cabinets match the Viking range in this historic Kansas City home, but it reflects enough light to make the space appear larger. This bar, designed by Annie Kern (along with the rest of the home), perfectly captures the moody vibe of the house.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
10Paint Them Pink
ALI HARPERA muted pink for a moody, gray room adds the perfect amount of color to a space without feeling out of place. This kitchen cabinet idea in this Nashville home's butler's pantry adds so much warmth to the room. Architect Erin Cypress from Pfeffer Torode and interior designer Liz Bonesio created a colorful, bright space for their artist client, and the terra-cotta pink became a theme throughout the entire house.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
11Hide Away Appliances
In this wet bar by Keia McSwain, storage is swapped for hidden appliances with brass cabinet fronts. Adult and kid beverages can be stored separately in convertible, under-counter refrigerator drawers from Signature Kitchen Suite. Plus, a hidden, smaller drawer on top is perfect for stashing away treats.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
12Make Your Cabinets Work for You
While it may seem weird to store all your tableware in drawers, it's becoming increasingly common as people are forgoing upper cabinets altogether. This kitchen cabinet idea by Urbanology utilizes pegs to customize each drawer's interior.
Related: The Best Kitchen Drawer Organization Ideas
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
14Play Tetris
In House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home kitchen, this cabinet interior utilizes every square inch by shuffling around shelf heights to fit each book and container exactly. No wasted space here.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
15Avoid Doors
There's nothing worse than walking into the kitchen only to find every cabinet door left open. In this family home's pantry, designer Meta Coleman decided to make that problem a thing of the past by avoiding doors completely. Now, everyday items are within easy reach, and matching baskets keep clutter to a minimum.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
16Stained-Glass Panels
Adam Kane Macchia“Stained glass cabinets were once a popular choice but fell out of favor in recent years,” designer Margarita Bravo says. “However, they are making a comeback as homeowners seek to add a touch of elegance to their kitchens.”
Take it from this soft, monochromatic pink kitchen by Baxt Ingui Architects, which was designed for the 2022 Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse and features cabinetry with stained glass.
17Dark Stained Wood
Adam Kane Macchia“It works as a counterbalance to all the saturated colors in our interiors right now, lends a 'been here forever' vibe, and aligns with our yearnings for the comfort of our grandparents' home,” says Studio Dearborn founder Sarah Robertson of dark stained wood cabinetry. This kitchen cabinet idea from the designer is a prime example.
18Stained White Oak
Hagan HinshawTo match the floors of this home in Leeds, New York, Shapeless Studio stained the new white oak cabinetry. “It keeps with the home’s warmth and makes everything feel a part of the building,” says designer Jess Hinshaw.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
19Skirted Cabinetry
Noe DeWittIf you have open cabinets and don't love the way they look, a simple hack is to DIY a curtain to cover them. Opt for café curtains, or measure and cut your chosen fabric accordingly and then hang it from the bottom of the counter with a rod. In this kitchen, designer Phoebe Howard matched the curtain pattern to the ceiling wallpaper for high impact.
TOUR THE ENTIRE HOME
20Pastel Cabinets
Jeff Herr Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below