2023 Cabinet Color Trends: Bye Bye White!
Are you looking for the latest cabinet color trends for kitchens? Here is your extensive guide to the best cabinet paint and stain color trends.
If you are new to Porch Daydreamer, paint color is my expertise PLUS predicting the annual color trends.
If you are looking for what is on trend for kitchen cabinet colors in 2023, you are in the right place! Please don’t shoot the messenger, but yes white has been all but eliminated as a “trend color”.
Ready for 2024? Check out my latest posts or read to catch up on what was hot in 2023 (they are still hot in the new year!)
2024 Paint Color Trends
- 2024 Cabinet Color Trends: Hello Color!
- 2024 Paint Color Trends Influencing Interior Design
- Must Have 2024 Paint Color of the Year
Cabinet colors don’t radically change each year, but instead shift and expand. So don’t worry, you can still paint your cabinets white – mine are and staying that way!
The colors don’t change all that much from year to year because kitchen and bathroom remodels, renovations, and new home builds are long lasting.
Interior designers keep up with the color trends and it’s fun as a home owner to know what is in and out each year.
Cabinet color trend life span
Trend colors typically last 3 to 5 years on average. Colors will shift and expand each year.
Major stain and paint color shifts happen about every 5 to 7 years. 2021 was that big shift and colors have evolved in 2022 and 2023.
Check out: Ultimate Guide to Updating an Outdated Kitchen
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The typical kitchen remodel happens after 10 to 15 years of use…that’s a long life!
Funny enough, I decided to remodel my kitchen after living in my home 11 years – RIGHT ON TRACK.
Annual Cabinet Paint Color Trends
Knowing that the major paint colors don’t shift all that often, I think it’s important to do a quick review of the 2021 and 2022 cabinet color trends.
What happened in previous years is the foundation for the new cabinet color trends in 2023.
Feel free to click through and get more details on 2021 and 2022, before heading to the 2023 cabinet color trends.
Here are the major cabinet color trends that emerged in 2021.
2021 Cabinet Color Trends
- Grayed green blue was the HOT new color.
- Cool grays faded away replaced by warm gray or “greige”.
- Nature inspired forest and yellow greens emerged.
- Coffee colored stains replaced honey hues.
- Deep bronze / dark brown replaced black.
- Cool grayed blues are a new neutral.
Here is a review of the major cabinet color trends for 2022 and as you can see pops of color were added to the mix, building on the earthy neutrals in 2021.
2022 Cabinet color trends
- The new color is RED both fiery red and berry.
- Deep jewel tones were added in a variety of colors.
- Coffee stains move darker and rustic driftwood added.
- Nature based yellow greens with gray undertones reign.
- Blues are expanded in cool tones both light and dark.
- Warm whites are balanced with pure bright white.
- Gray is gone and replaced with greige (warm gray).
Using this cabinet color trend summary from the past two years, let’s dive into the 2023 cabinet color trends!
2023 Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends
Since paint colors and predicting color trends are my expertise, I did EXTENSIVE research on 2023 paint color trends, attended Sherwin William’s Colormix trend forecast, plus developed the best of the best interior paint colors for 2023.
Combining all of that information together, I was able to develop a total of 24 cabinet paint colors for you to consider as you design or re-design your kitchen.
In addition to paint colors, I’ll also give you a quick summary of the new stain colors too!
2023 Cabinet Color Trends: Stain and Paint
The changes as we move into 2023 are subtle at the core, but there are some BRAND NEW COLORS!
As a reminder, cabinet colors are far fewer and typically more conservative than the trend options for interior walls (see the 2023 interior paint color trends here).
The cabinet manufacturers work with the paint manufacturers to develop new colors to coat their cabinets, so it makes sense that the the trend colors align.
However, it is going to take longer for the trend interior colors to move into cabinet manufacturer’s options and be adopted by the masses. This takes several years!
2023 Cabinet Stain Wood Trends
We will go through in detail ALL of the colors, but first we are going to talk about wood stain options in 2023.
Last year the term “coffee and charred” was used to describe the tone of the new trend stain colors. The previous year included distressed and driftwood finishes.
New in 2023 is the addition honey tones and shades of what I’ll call “whiskey”.
Think of stain colors that are named cognac and rye, along side stain colors named spice. What does that mean?
Just like in the 2023 interior paint trends WARMER colors are now on the scene.
In 2022 cabinet wood stains were built on coffee hues and charred wood finishes, but in 2023 honeyed hues of amber colored whiskey are the hot new trend.
Porch Daydreamer
2023 Wood Stain Trends for Cabinets
- Amber toned wood in pine, oak and maple are the new trend for stained kitchen cabinets.
- The MIX of wood tones and solid colors is the most important kitchen design trend in 2023.
- Warmer wood tones will be the forward trend to watch, as they are paired with dark moody hues and pops of bright jewel tones.
Wood Kitchen Cabinet Trends: Don’t expect to see all stained wood cabinets, but instead wood cabinets used as accents between painted cabinets in deeper tones or paired with bright pops of color.
Porch Daydreamer
You may be wondering are stained wood cabinets trending? Or should you put all stained wood cabinets in your kitchen. The answer is absolutely not.
2023 Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends
My favorite part of the trends is PAINT COLOR! Not to worry, these colors can be used in the bathroom too.
So whether you are planning a total renovation, build or a simple remodel I’ve got the 2023 colors for you to consider as you plan.
As you read earlier, WHITE was completely minimized in the trend palettes for 2023.
Think of WHITE now as an ACCENT or BACKDROP for other colors. What is replacing white?
Let’s discuss…
In 2023 white cabinets are being replaced with beige, mushrooms and taupes. Warmer earth tones are the new trend creating cozier kitchens. Be warned…beige will instantly make a space feel smaller.
Porch Daydreamer
When you look at this mix are you wondering where did the color go?
That was my first thought, but it’s really because the last two years did bring forth a lot of color.
This year it’s a VERY neutral heavy palette using color as an accent. Let’s dig into the mix and see how these colors all work together.
2023 Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color Trends
- White has all but disappeared and been replaced with new neutrals greige, beige, mushroom and taupe.
- Jewel tones are a big trend for cabinets paired with whiskey colored stained cabinets for warmth.
- Forest greens reign and are becoming a staple in kitchens from light to dark with yellow and gray undertones.
- Black is back! But it’s soft and warm not cool and dark.
- Deep and moody browns, blues and grays are a new neutral staple for a cozy vibe.
- Cinnamon and spicy reds plus vibrant blues are the hot new accent colors.
Remember though, we are BUILDING on the colors from 2021 forward so don’t forget those colors are STILL hot in 2023. Don’t ignore them and focus just on this year.
What got me a little nervous is the honey colored cabinets that we ditched from the early 2000’s, but it’s been 20 years so they are making a reentry.
What is MUCH better now is how honey stained cabinets are being mixed with beautiful jewel tones and deep dark shades. So not to worry!
If you have honey cabinets, just paint PART of the kitchen cabinets a new color to update it instantly.
A quick way to update a 20 year old kitchen with honey colored cabinets, is to paint the island or a bank of cabinets in a deep jewel tone or dark and moody color to instantly move it into 2023.
Porch Daydreamer
PAINT COLOR Matches to the 2023 Cabinet Trends
24 Colors: 6 Neutral, 6 Green, 6 Dark and 6 White Options. Includes all manufacturer details to sample the paint colors at home!
Popular 2023 Cabinet Paint Colors
Now let’s look at the 2023 cabinet paint colors by group.
I’ll be dividing them into 4 sections, to make it a little easy to follow and understand.
- White and Neutral Cabinet Paint Colors
- Light and Dark Green Cabinet Paint Color
- Jewel Toned Cabinet Paint Colors
- Dark Toned Cabinet Paint Colors
There is a ton of kitchen design inspiration to follow, so enjoy!
Best Neutral Cabinet Colors in 2023
Should I not have painted my creamy cabinets white? Not a chance because they were the wrong shade of white as the new trends go.
You will never go wrong choosing white as the base for your kitchen cabinets.
They never go out of style just shift in tone. If you want a warmer feel to your kitchen try a one of the newer shades in taupe or mushroom.
If you can afford to update your brown toned granite counters, you could instead update your cabinets with a new shade of beige instead!
Ah nature inspired greens from light to dark! It’s interesting since there was no denying the 2022 interior paint color was green! You will see it more and more of green as a go-to color for kitchens.
There’s something about the pandemic and stay at home movement that solidified bring nature based colors indoors.
Green is an easy color to use in a kitchen paired with ANY wood tone and mixed with white for a fresh new look.
Mother nature uses green as a base and you can too. Who loves gold cabinet hardware with green like I do? A classic!
Best jewel toned Cabinet Colors in 2023
OK on the opposite end of bringing nature indoors is brightening our mood and living spaces.
Bring on the pops of vibrant jewel tones or spicy reds to liven our mood instantly.
Level set these dopamine inducing colors with rich wood stains and black to anchor them.
What’s interesting about the 2023 cabinet color trends is deep and bright hues are offset by warmer wood tones. The earth tones ground each color so they are more livable in large and small kitchens.
Porch Daydreamer
OK, so here’s where the struggle begins for me because this dark palette has very little to no light reflecting value.
My advice for anyone and everyone considering using dark and moody paint colors is to use WHITE as your balancing point to offset the dark colors and bring more light into your kitchen.
Add wood tones in furniture, accessories, shelving or with beams to complement these deep colors.
A NEW 2023 kitchen trend is DRAMATIC marble veining and would look stunning paired with this color palette.
PAINT COLOR Matches to the 2023 Cabinet Trends
24 Colors: 6 Neutral, 6 Green, 6 Dark and 6 White Options. Includes all manufacturer details to sample the paint colors at home!
Wow! That was a lot to cover and I sure hope you found all of my detailed trend color analysis helpful on your kitchen design journey.
Colors have shifted dramatically, so consider your decision carefully.
My advice? Don’t follow the trends and choose what you love and can LIVE with so you are happy.
That’s what I do at my home 😉
Designing a Kitchen? Check out even more helpful information.
Are you having trouble choosing the right length Cabinet Hardware for drawers and doors?
want to know the right length to use?
cabinet hardware size guide!
Kitchen tutorials:
Organize Cabinets with Pull-Out Drawers
How-to Add Soft Close to Any Cabinet
3 Easy Ways to Brighten a Dark Kitchen (in a weekend)!
Kitchen Remodel Facelift REVEAL!
Cabinet Painting TIPS
NO-SAND Method to Painting Kitchen Cabinets
This no-sand kitchen cabinet painting tutorial is for ANY type of cabinets that were previously stained, coated with polyurethane OR painted.
The Best Cabinet Paint You Need to Know About
The one cabinet paint I recommend for both kitchens and baths because it is durable and requires NO top coat!
How-to Paint Cabinets and Get a Smooth Finish
For the beginner! Tried and true tips for getting the smoothest finish possible, when painting cabinets.
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Until next time…
PORCH DAYDREAMER
Tracey
Hi! I recently painted a cabinet I bought on clearance with Valspar Cabinet paint and this is my new go-to paint for furniture! I haven’t had much luck painting furniture lately and it was frustrating me so I went to your post about painting cabinets and furniture. I am so glad I did and all of your tips really helped! I wasn’t able to upload photos but the cabinet I bought was $149 at Home Sense. It was missing legs and not the right color for the space where I wanted to use it. I painted it black and added metal legs bought on Amazon. The whole thing ended up costing around $200 which isn’t too bad since I got exactly what I wanted. Thank you so much!!
Hi, Candice! So glad the project came out so well and you love the paint. It’s a game changer.