THE FUSE

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Research shows that the state of a home’s kitchen can be a make or break factor in getting an offer at your full listing price. Between materials like counters and major appliances, it’s often the most expensive room in the house to remodel. But did you know that cabinets typically account for around a third of the budget? Which means there’s a whole lot riding on making the right decision, from style to color.

“Poor kitchen cabinet colors can actually have a genuinely meaningful impact on a home’s resale value,” says Caitlin King, CEO of Wrap Your Kitchen. “A recent study by Zillow found that homes with kitchens finished in buyer-favorite hues could lead to offers around $1,600 more than those with less preferred colors … outdated colors could drop resale value by up to almost $4,000.”

Plus, choosing wrong can be a costly correction — repainting cabinets isn’t always easy and often requires special techniques, tools, labor, and experience. For instance, I personally opted to keep my builder-grade cabinets in my small kitchen to cut down on renovation costs and paid a well-negotiated $2,900 to change the awful original color. Yikes!

So learn from my mistake. Opt for new cabinets in the right color from the get-go. Here’s what home design pros recommend for your kitchen cabinet colors if you’re worried about future resale value.

Two years ago, experts began feeling fatigue from seeing so much of what’s been colloquially named millennial gray. “It’s waning, particularly in the kitchen space; homeowners are moving away from the cool, flat grays that have long defined modern design,” King says, and Brit Angelesco, executive vice president at ZLINE, agrees. “It had its run as the go-to neutral. It was safe, versatile, and easy to pair with nearly anything. But design is moving in a warmer, more expressive direction,” she says.

“I think what happened is that everything went to millennial gray and white, and a color photograph of a room ended up looking like it was taken in black and white,” says Ariel J. Baverman, a Realtor with Baverman Property Consultants at Coldwell Banker Realty Atlanta. “There was no personality, warmth, or homey-ness, and there’s definitely now a revolt against that as warm colors and tones are coming back in,” she says.

But that doesn’t mean gray in general is totally out, but rather “evolving,” Angelesco says. “Think deeper, more dimensional grays or those with green or taupe undertones that add warmth and complexity,” adding that thoughtful contrasts in color and material can really make all the difference. And Baverman says it’s still a color that can be made to look great with accents chosen to warm up the space, like with things like art and cookware (including her colorful Le Creuset collection).

“Light and open is still in style, but lately, I’m hearing from many clients that white-on-white is too much,” Baverman says. It’s fallen into the same bucket of sterility millennial gray has, especially when high-gloss or flat whites are involved. “They can feel stark and impersonal, especially when used throughout an entire kitchen without variation,” Angelesco says, and King has noticed that the ultra-sleek look has lost its shine — and not just figuratively.

“Pure white cabinetry or finishes can quickly appear dated or impractical, especially in high-traffic spaces,” says Michael Elliott, senior vice president of design & construction for Hilton Grand Vacation properties. “It tends to show wear more easily and lacks the visual richness our guests associate with contemporary design,” adding that sterile or monochromatic schemes can really lack emotional warmth. “In today’s design climate, homeowners want their kitchens to reflect a sense of warmth, personality, and style — not just functionality,” Angelesco says.

This is a trick question. There are very few hard no’s for kitchen cabinet colors because “we have to look at context,” Baverman says. “I’ll probably never say ‘don’t ever use X color,’” she says, because for instance, “if the home is a mid-century modern with modern-style orange cabinets that go with the vibe of the house, it might get a pass. But if they’re ’90s off-the-shelf cabinets that are bright orange in a very traditional house where every other house in the neighborhood is also traditional with a neutral kitchen,” it won’t do well on the competitive analysis when it comes time to make a deal. That, or buyers will just go with the choice that needs less work.

On the other hand, yellow pine from that era is quite literally dated; Baverman has learned to tell its age immediately because “the finish changes color over time due to sunlight exposure.”

Dark cabinets with heavier trim and “the brown granite with the black dots and speckles in it,” Baverman describes, “is a very specific, time-indicative style,” too. “It might be fine and well-maintained, but people aren’t going around looking for a 2007 kitchen. Buyers want something that has been updated.” That look was simply too widespread to avoid association with the building boom of the early aughts.

For Hilton Grand Vacation kitchens across the country, Elliott has been introducing “richer, layered tones that create depth, which in turn enhance value and long-term appeal,” he says. “Our goal is always to design spaces that feel both luxurious and livable.” That’s exactly what homeowners are looking for today, too.

While Baverman agrees that warm wood tones are making a comeback, she adds that “a lot of newer high-end kitchens are showcasing light woods with quartzite counters or exotic stones, relying on cabinet quality and style to make it contemporary.” However, for brand-new construction, she’s still seeing a lot of “classic” white cabinets and gray, but as the pros mentioned, the specific tones are leaning a bit warmer as an emphasis on contrast, variety, and balance overtakes the stark, ultraclean look.

Finally, for more contemporary styles, “bold cabinet colors like black, navy, and green are increasingly popular, adding a striking ‘wow’ factor to modern kitchens,” Elliott adds. That’s probably why this was one of the biggest kitchen design trends of the year.

“In terms of longevity, mixed materials and finishes are here to stay,” Angelesco says. “Homeowners are blending metals, integrating natural textures, and using color as a storytelling tool in their spaces.” However, in Baverman’s experience, you can’t bank on a trend, no matter how timeless it may seem in the moment.

“If you’re looking to sell, that’s when you look at what appeals to most people to increase interest in your house,” she says. “But if you’re making it your home, don’t just do what everyone else is doing. Do what you like and makes you happy. Just make sure the design is thoughtful and cohesive. Make sure the colors, tones, and vibe go with the backsplash, countertop, and wall color. That’s what makes people feel comfortable.”

And ultimately, it’s that feeling of comfort, of coming home, that makes your house invaluable.

What do you think about these kitchen cabinet color choices? Let us know in the comments below!