Cabinet Color Trends: Goodbye Gray!
The new lineup of 2021 cabinet colors is beautiful and I’m so excited to share them with you!
Paint color for kitchen or bathroom cabinets is a BIG commitment I know!
I just made over my own kitchen cabinets and took a long time to make a final color decision.
Maybe you are starting to think about what may work for your kitchen or bathroom cabinets and love the new trends.
It’s always fun to see what the new color trends and I am here to share what I see for 2021!
2021 Cabinet Color Trends
What was REALLY obvious gray – like the basic cool gray is definitely out.
I have seen this coming for a while and talked about it in my Best Kitchen Cabinet Paint Combos post (if you are looking for a white this post is for you).
Greige and beige have been on the horizon for a few years, which warms up the undertone of a cool gray.
Here is a picture of what I pulled for the post to show what greige is:
This is an example of a lighter greige, but the newer shades are deeper and now are moving more toward a warmer beige with yellow undertones.
Colors shift tones every several years, until they look completely different 10 years later.
“The cabinet color that is REALLY NEW for 2021 are shades of blue green with a hint of gray.”
I live around the corner from Lowe’s Home Improvement corporate headquarters and knew of a local store that was getting a “store of the future” kitchen and bath design center.
This is where all of their first colors for the new year appeared with samples and the designer was SO excited to show me the new colors.
Color trends are color trends and the cabinet manufacturers are the ones who put their stamp on what the new colors will be year to year.
While I was the VP of Marketing & Sales at Amerock (cabinet hardware), I worked with the cabinet manufacturers on finish trends.
TRUST ME they do lots of in depth research to predict and commit to cabinet colors years ahead.
The major cabinet manufacturers at Lowe’s are BIG brands that have lines at kitchen and bath dealers too.
So don’t discount the big box retailers because they will focus on carrying the trend colors just as much as high end custom kitchen and bath showrooms.
In staring at the large wall of colors, there was one color that called to me as NEW.
When I grabbed for it she said YES, we just got this in a few days ago!
We both gravitated to what I was calling “green, blue, gray” and she pulled the two best ones for me.
Pretty right? They look SO new and beautiful, but yet at the same time safe and classic too.
If you’ve seen pictures of my home on Instagram I LOVE blues, but these soft greens are next in line for me.
After seeing these colors, I wanted to dig deeper to see what else is new…not just what I love.
Pin It for Later!
Best of the Best 2021 Cabinet Colors
There are some clear stand out colors that are new for 2021.
Mainly I’ll focus on painted finishes because that is MY specialty 🙂
“Coffee stained wood tones are then new trend for cabinets in 2021.”
A clear 2020 trend is mixing natural wood finishes with colored cabinets.
Most new kitchens are doing combination looks with stained islands, beams, furniture built-ins, and hoods.
So I’ll throw what I see as the BRAND NEW WOOD TONES that complement the new painted colors.
Top 2021 Cabinet Colors
- Grayed green blue
- Greige to Beige
- Forest and yellowed greens
- Grayed blue
- Deep bronze
- Coffee stains
Even when looking at the stained woods they have elements of coffee and are moving away from gray too.
The nice thing about the newer stains is they complement a wide variety of colors.
A deeper brown based stain delivers a ton of warmth and lots of depth to the wood grain.
NOTE: All cabinets are available at Lowe’s. Under each one I’ve listed the brand and color name.Check your local store for actual colors in person, as they will differ on a computer monitor.
Grayed Green Blue Cabinet Options
Each one of these has a little different undertone, so it is SO important to see the samples in person.
I threw in a pale option too that is from the same family, if you like more of a pastel finish.
Greige to Beige Options
Forest and Yellowed Green
Grayed Blue
Deep Bronze and Coffee Stains
Ironically enough, the “Peppercorn” finish looks just like Sherwin Williams 2021 Color of the Year too: Urbane Bronze, SW 7048 (245-C7)
This deep bronze color is the new black alternative for kitchen and bath cabinets.
After looking at all of this together, what I see reflected is a new general color direction for cabinets.
In studying 2020 Lighting trends, it was also apparent that woven woods and natural elements are an ongoing trend.
All of the 2021 cabinet colors are reflecting these natural elements that I’ll call: Back to Nature
However, these colors are more muted than in previous years with undertones of warmer colors.
“With a pandemic and cocooning in our homes, it is no surprise that soothing muted colors that bring the outdoors in are prevailing!”
Muted and warmer colors are also a general theme in the interior paint world for the coming year (I’ll have a general 2021 paint trend post soon!).
I hope you found this post helpful, if not interesting!
Like I said paint colors are my thing and this was a pleasure to write and share this with you 🙂
NEW: 2021 BEST OF THE BEST PAINT COLORS
Here are some of my past paint color trend posts for you to peruse:
If you are looking for more cabinet paint colors or more CLASSIC colors:
OR maybe you would like to see the colors in my home?
I have a variety of home tours that can be found here: Porch Daydreamer Home Tours
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You will know the right sheen for every project…
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Until next time…
Porch Daydreamer
Tracey
I am painting my vintage kitchen cabinets and plan to use Repose Gray. What sheen is attractive? I’ve noticed that the new cabinet doors at Lowe’s are more matte that semi gloss. What sheen do you recommend?
For a kitchen, I always recommend Valspar Cabinet and Furniture Enamel in Semi-Gloss, so it’s durable and can be wiped clean. That’s what I’ve used on all of the cabinets in my home and it’s definitely not too shiny. You can tint Repose Gray into it…I just did when I painted my entertainment center and it looks beautiful! Read this post: Valspar Cabinet and Furniture Enamel Review.
Can you please tell me what the following paint color numbers are and where to get them?
Beautiful colors, Thank you so very much for sharing : )
Grayed Green Blue – Color #
Grayed Blue – Color #
Peppercorn – Color #
Where to purchase?
Please visit the complementary post with paint colors that I have linked: 2021 Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color Trends
We’re doing a cabin on a lake with plenty of trees and rocks on the property. Trying to keep it natural and woodsy yet with 2021 trends. Your article was most helpful. If you have any suggestions for this application, we’re all ears.
Love all the paint info and all your DIY’s! One question about cabinet painting that I haven’t seen on your site . . . Painting the inside of your cabinets. Well they smell of paint? And if they do will that dissipate, any basic time line or ideas how to get rid of that smell? Keep up the great work.
Bless you, Nancy
Keep the doors open overnight for a week and the smell will disappear 😉
I always love reading your insights to paint colors and trends. In my home, I’ve always gone with warmer neutrals so I never really embraced the gray trend. The closest I came was with my boys’ bathroom where I went with a dark charcoal gray color for their cabinets. I’m excited to see the colors you shared. We’ve been planning a master bath makeover for awhile and now you have me thinking about colors for the cabinets. I’m definitely pinning this! Thanks Tracey!
Shelley
So nice to hear from you Shelley and glad this helps. I’m excited to write the paint color match post…just need a minute to get to it 🙂
This is a wonderful post and I enjoyed learning about the new colors for cabinets. Will there be new trends for knobs?
Hi, Cecilia! Hmmm, that’s a great idea for a new post and I’ll make sure to add it to the list!
I’m loving the Schuler Cabinets in Peppercorn. I have walnut kitchen cabinets (from the 70’s) and unfortunately can’t afford to redo my cabinets. However, I wish there was a paint/stain that could create that same look for my top cabinetsas well as for my bathroom cabinets which are the same. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or ideas that could help me achieve this look? I also love your posts and your taste is so much like mine. Keep up with all your creativity. You are very much appreciated.
Thank you, Diane
Thank you! I LOVE that color too. My plan is to write a new blog post as an add on to this with paint colors that match the factory finishes. Maybe that will help? Stain is too hard because the wood will dictate the color.