Is it just me, or is there anyone else out there who hates white kitchens?
I mean, every time you turn on HGTV and watch a program where people are house hunting, the first thing the female says is, “And I want a white kitchen. I HAVE to have my white kitchen!!!” Did this woman ever clean a white kitchen? Does this woman have children? Does this woman have pets? Does this woman EVEN COOK? Or does she just want a white kitchen as a status symbol to show her friends because she thinks that’s the latest thing? As someone who has been in the design industry and keeps up with industry trends, sorry to tell you – but white kitchens are going away.
I understand that design is subjective, and you like what you like. But seriously, do you think the way the kitchen looks after the Property Brothers have just staged your home and you’re seeing it for the first time, is the way the house is going to look after the cameras go away and you’re actually living in the house?
I remember when my grandparents bought a beautiful new house that had a white kitchen with light beechwood cabinets. The counters were white, and the floor was white. A white kitchen does make the room look larger, and maybe that’s where the trend started. And it does look shiny and bright when it’s brand new. But a room needs to have function as well as form. And white kitchens are EXTREMELY difficult to keep looking clean and new.
During that time, my grandparents were in their 80’s and had no kids or pets (unless you count my uncle….). The arthritis in my grandmother’s hands was pretty bad during her later years, so my grandpa had to do the cooking and cleanup. You might say Grandpa was a little OCD. This was a man who believed in wearing out the carpeting evenly, so when he would go up or down the stairs, he would alternate walking on the outer part of the carpeted stairs instead of walking up the center because he didn’t want the center to look worn out too quickly. (Okay, so maybe he was a LOT OCD!)
I remember him and my uncle, OCD Jr., constantly wiping up crumbs from the counter and floor because they were visible all the time against the white background. They said they would never have done that again if they had known.
But ultimately, what makes a house a home is the love you put into it. And the little touches that reflect who you are as a family. Don’t get something just because it’s a trend or because you think you will be the envy of all your friends. Trends change. Style has cycles that come and go. The only reason to buy into a trend is if you plan on selling in a few years and want to get your money back by having the latest and greatest. And even when a trend cycles back decades later, there is still a new spin put on it that makes it look different than before.
So, if you understand the newness vs. the reality of what it means to have a white kitchen, and you still really want one, get a white kitchen. But I still hate them…
But I think it’s all about relationships, so the color of your kitchen won’t matter if there’s not family and friends gathering there. So, make some good food, create new memories, and nurture those relationships. As they say, “The way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.”
Yes!! I refuse to even have white walls in my house because I think they’re boring. But to your point, who the heck wants to clean a sparkly white kitchen ?
Love how crisp and clean all white is. I have a white kitchen and dont find it any harder to keep clean then any other kind of kitchen, you just notice when its dirty…I want my kitchen clean so I would clean no matter what color it is. My bedroom is all white with green plants and white down comforters, just love it!
I love how white kitchens look when all shiny and new. But I agree, it’s not going to stay that way for long and it would drive me insane. I am trying to talk my bf into a medium wood tone for our new house we are building soon!
I have always wondered why anyone would want a white kitchen! I always ask the TV when the kitchen is white “how are you going to keep it clean, by not using it?” I think have these people really thought this through and often wonder if they regret the decision later after the cameras are gone.
i do not have white cabinets and will not even entertain the idea, if i get my wood cabinets painted it will be color!
We bought a house with a white kitchen, it was the only drawback to the entire house. This year we are paining the cupboards Nantucket Blue and changing the backsplash. We cook, have two kids and a big dog – the white kitchen is never white!!
Amanda, I say do what pleases you and what you can live with. When I was younger my mom always advised making design and color choices based on what would be good for the resale value of the home. But you have to like and live with your choices until you decide to sell. Colored cabinets are popular right now – particularly blue shades. And also splitting color or doing something different on an island.
I am showing my partner examples of how timber or brick add warmth to a kitchen. We’re not even renovating or buying a home…. just love looking at houses. In Australia, every darn kitchen looks white white white. Totally agree with your article! For me, it is about white being too clinical. It feels like a dental surgery. Needs elements of warmth and nature! Or some contrasting cabinets:)
Kendall, yes – clinical is a good word for it. As well as using wood elements to add warmth, I am also someone who loves contrast, and wood adds a nice contrast to a white kitchen.
It’s 2022…white is not going anywhere. I’m currently house hunting and so many new model homes are being built with all white everything in the kitchen. I hate it. I know browns and beiges are out but this bright white fad is just terrible.
Alyssa, they are showing a lot of mixed cabinetry now – mostly blues, greens, or grays, but with white still being used. I understand, particularly in small houses, how white makes spaces look larger and makes everything look clean and new. But it doesn’t stay that way, particularly if you cook a lot or if there are kids in the house. I still say that since you are the one living in the house, use what you like in the house. If you sell it down the road you can decide at that point whether to change things to make it easier to sell. Hopefully, in your house hunting, a new build will come with some wood options if that’s what you prefer.
I have been a nervous wreck! We are changing the footprint of our kitchen somewhat, but refacing our cabinets. Also going to do new countertops, sink, flooring. I HATE white kitchens and I have always loved deep rich wood. I’m looking at possibly doing the new island in blue and maybe some blue in the backsplash. I’ve just been bummed because when I finally get to redo my kitchen…white is the trend.
Trish, as much as we like to do what’s trendy, you’re the one who has to live in the house. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about your choices. If you’re set on white cabinets, perhaps you could add the warmth of wood you desire with a butcher block island, faux wood ceiling beams, a wide-plank rustic wood or LVT flooring.
I still hate white kitchen cabinets. Boring, hard to keep clean, looks like a hospital, lacks creativity. Difficult buying a new house as all the builders want to sell you a cheap white kitchen cabinet. Bring on the warmth again!
I agree! We moved into our custom retirement home 3 1/2 years ago. I knew from the beginning I did not want a white kitchen. No matter how hard I try, I always seem to make a mess when cooking. My plan was to have light walls, medium cabinets, darker countertops, and lighter porcelain floors. I went with medium oak cabinets because I have always loved oak. My husband wanted hickory, but that is too funky for me. We looked at hundreds of countertops and ended up with a medium patterned portofino granite because I liked it and it fit my vision. For the backsplash, I ordered glass subway tiles in 3 colors to coordinate with the granite, and we installed it ourselves. Nothing about my kitchen choices is “on trend,” but I loved it then and I love it still. We hope to be here 20 years, so we can always remodel to sell at that time!
Yes!!! I hate white kitchens too and especially white cabinets with white subway tiles and white and grey quartz countertops. It’s too overdone and boring. My sister in-law just remodeled her kitchen with white cabinets and white and grey countertops and backsplash and it already looked so cheap and outdated to me. Another trend I hate is “modern farmhouse”.
When I look at house for sale online as soon as I see a white kitchen I am turned off the house. I detest white kitchens and prefer dark wood so right away if I like the rest of the house I think of how much more I would have to spend to redo the kitchen from that sterile white into a warm homey wood and then reject the house..its not easy to find anything today without a cold white kitchen. P.S, the cabinets in my current home were a light oak and I paid 10,000 to have them refinished into a dark wood because since I live here I want to have a kitchen that is warm and beautiful so guess I ll continue living here
Carol, I recently purchased a 1930 Cape Cod-Farmhouse style home. Imagine my disappointment when I saw that the Kitchen had white cabinets! A lot of the big-ticket items were replaced in the home, but being an old house, it still needed some other updates. Since money doesn’t grow on trees, I opted to do those other updates and to save the Kitchen update for a later time. One thing a previous owner did when adding on to the Kitchen was to put an island right in the center that housed the sink and dishwasher, which means that the plumbing is right in the middle of the room instead of on a wall. Since that will be a major undertaking at some point, I’m choosing to live with it for now and will add some copper accents to give it some warmth.
I hate white it’s hard to keep clean and it’s lack of color. give me bright,bold color ( except white, green black or beige)
agree the white kitchen fade is way overplayed today in homes for sale. I prefer warm light wood cabinets and nice warm colorful countertops and backsplash. Neighbor selling home with all white kitchen and too clinical for my taste.
I hate white kitchens too. I also think quartz look very cheap and ugly. And subway tiles look dirty too me, especially white tiles with the grey grout. White looks very boring too me and it doesn’t give a cozy vibe. I’m so happy that people are moving away from white shaker cabinets and starting to introduce some color. Whenever I see a home with a white kitchen, quartz countertop, subway tiles, a midtone brown wood floor and beige or gray walls. I immediately think YAWN, It’s so overdone that it seems outdated to me.
I have a white kitchen and of course it shows dirt, food smudges, etc., easier, that’s a no brainer. But my question is this…why would anyone not want to clean up spills or stains as they happen regardless of if your kitchen is orange, yellow, black or pink? Having jelly stuck to a knob or sticky cabinet doors “because no one will know” is gross.
White kitchens look sterile and totally lack in warmth and character! Natural wood cabinets, regardless of what type of wood or stain. are far more attractive and give the kitchen the warmth and character they should have since the kitchen tends to be where people tend to gather. Lighting is what makes a kitchen bright. I don’t want to cook or gather in an operating room and all white makes it feel like a hospital operating room!