White Kitchen Ideas for Your Home Remodel

11 Tips for Making Your White Kitchen Stand Out from the Crowd

A large curved kitchen island offered so much more seating capacity than its previous set up, in addition to visually opening up the space between the kitchen and great room.

There’s nothing quite like a fresh white kitchen to make you feel right at home. A far cry from the darker Tuscan style kitchens of a few years back, white kitchens are, well, happy. Bright and full of promise (who doesn’t dream of whipping up the perfect smoothie on a spacious granite counter?!), you simply can’t go wrong with a white kitchen.Not sure how to incorporate white into your cooking realm? Take a look at these white kitchen ideas and you’ll find that white is anything but a one-size-fits-all color.

RELATED: How to Determine Your Kitchen Remodeling Budget

1. Use Gray Countertops

Install all-white cabinets (upper and lower) with a light gray countertop to break up the white visually. Your color scheme stays bright and cool but the counter doesn’t get lost in a sea of white.

All-White Cabinets with Grey Granite Countertops
All-white cabinets with gray granite countertops  /  Source

RELATED: Are White Kitchens Timeless or Trendy?

2. Create Balance with Darker Stools & Fixtures

Anchor all-white cabinets with darker counter stools and bold light fixtures to make a statement while still staying within a neutral color palette.

White kitchen cabinets and countertops with rattan stools and black light fixtures
White kitchen cabinets and countertops with rattan stools and black light fixtures / Source

RELATED: Neutral Paint Colors We LOVE

3. Split Your Cabinet Colors

Use white on the uppers and another (darker) color on lowers. This helps to keep your kitchen feeling open and airy, while still providing a bit of contrast and giving balance to the white canvas.

Kitchen with upper white cabinets and lower navy blue cabinets with brass fixtures
Kitchen with upper white cabinets and lower navy blue cabinets with brass fixtures / Source

4. Choose a Unique Backsplash

Install a backsplash in a contrasting color or pattern to add in a unique focal point.

Green hex tile backsplash with brass faucet and open shelving
Green hex tile backsplash with brass faucet and open shelving / Source

5. Layer Patterns & Textures

Keep your kitchen within the same white color palette, but use layers of different patterns and textures to make it interesting and vibrant.

White monochrome kitchen with white hex tile backsplash and black faucet
White monochrome kitchen with white hex tile backsplash and black faucet.

RELATED: Tile Tips and Inspiration

6. Use Interesting Window Treatments

Make window blinds or curtains stand out in a complementary but contrasting shade or texture to draw the eyes towards the windows and natural light.

Natural woven window shades complement an all-white kitchen
Natural woven window shades complement an all-white kitchen / Source

RELATED: Simply White vs Chantilly Lace – Comparing Top White Paint Colors

7. Embrace Color Pops

Make hardware stand out by using brass or a unique color pop (or, how about choosing appliances in an exciting shade?!) – a white canvas is the perfect opportunity to get creative.

Brass hardware and light fixture with unique aqua range
Brass hardware and light fixture with unique aqua range / Source

8. Add Warmth

Incorporate wood elements to bring warmth to a cooler white room.

Butcher block countertops and wood accents add warmth to a white kitchen
Butcher block countertops and wood accents add warmth to a white kitchen / Source

RELATED: The 10 Best White Paint Colors That Go With Oak

9. Keep It Monochrome

Use a white sink to keep the all-white look streamlined.

A white porcelain sink makes for a streamlined look in a white kitchen
A white porcelain sink makes for a streamlined look in a white kitchen / Source

RELATED: Quartz vs. Granite, How to Choose the Right Countertop for Your Kitchen

Get your Peel & Stick Paint Samples – HERE!

10. Paint Your Walls in a Contrasting Color

Keep your cabinets white, but use a different paint color on the walls to provide contrast and make your cabinets stand out.

Sage green wall paint makes white cabinets pop
Sage green wall paint makes white cabinets visually pop / Source

RELATED: The Benjamin Moore Color of the Year, October Mist

11. Make Your Kitchen Island a Statement Piece

Use a different color for your kitchen island – make it a focal point that anchors the room and draws your eyes to the center.

A blue island in an all-white kitchen gives contrast and added interest
A blue island in an all-white kitchen gives contrast and added interest / Source

Kitchens are the focal point of a home. No matter how small or out of the way they may be, people almost always end up migrating to them (that’s where the food is, after all). So why not make it bright and inviting? A white kitchen is timeless and classic, and you can always incorporate small changes (think hardware updates or a new wall color) to seamlessly update it from one year to the next.

Need help choosing paint colors for your new kitchen look? Here is my free guide to choosing paint colors with confidence. 

Cheers

By Megan Johansson, Contributor to Carla Bast Design

Hi, I’m Carla

carla-bast-interior-designer-and-blogger

I’m glad you’re here! You are in the right place if you are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of embarking on a remodeling or interior design project. Living with an outdated home and don’t know where to start? I’ve helped families like yours update their home and create spaces that reflect what’s important to them for over 25 years.

Join me!


I’ve been honored to be featured in and receive awards from:

The Spruce

Apartment Therapy / Cubby

Houzz / Best of Service & Design

Minnesota Chapter ASID – First Place Award

MSP Magazine, Best Use of Color

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Hunker

Home Crux

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