A Catalogue of the Best Kitchen Cabinet Design Styles

When your next kitchen project comes around, it’s time to talk kitchen cabinets. These are a central detail for any kitchen so it’s important to consider all the available options. The sheer number of choices may seem a bit overwhelming at first blush, but there’s nothing to worry about. Choosing the upgraded cabinets that are right for your lifestyle and your kitchen’s aesthetic can be quite a fun process. It’s your kitchen-based adventure where you figure out what works, what doesn’t, what sparkles, and what you like.     

A Golden Pairing to Marble At

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more glamorous combination than this. There’s just something so natural about putting gold and marble together in one room, and this kitchen design is proof. The expansive counters of pure white marble are elegantly accented by gold faucets, gold racks, and yes, gold handles on every single cabinet. The rich dark colors of the cabinets themselves are the icing on the cake, and every surface of this kitchen just says “luxury”. 

Texture and Color Combinations that Add Some Understated Glam to Your Kitchen

Dark Wood Finished Kitchen Cabinets 

Speaking of dark finishes, there are plenty of ways to play around with dark colors to produce something truly exclusive and high-end. Dark blue kitchen cabinets for instance can be paired with a wide range of different design styles. For example, the amazing combo of dark blue cabinets made of the finest hardwood, combined with a high-end countertop material such as butcher’s block or natural stone just can’t be beaten. Because they aren’t over the top, dark-colored cabinets are at home in a traditional kitchen just as much as they are in a minimalist one.   

Matte Dark-Toned Kitchen Cabinets for Chic Simplicity

Modern Kitchen Cabinets

When it comes to a streamlined design, the modern style is the way to go. Modern kitchen cabinets do away with all the intricate elements of more traditional styles. They do not have carvings, moldings, or fussy trim, and other ornamentation. What they do have is a simpler, cleaner look with straight lines, neutral colors, and understated hardware. Of course, you can always spice things up by painting your modern kitchen cabinets orange or yellow, but a “classic” modern kitchen is better suited with whites, grays, and blues. A lacquered finish will make the cabinets look sleeker still. 

Create a Classic Kitchen Sleek, Modern Cabinet Finishes

Traditional Kitchen Cabinets

Minimalism isn’t for everyone, and sometimes it’s good to go back to the old-school. Traditional cabinets are based on classic motives from European kitchen cabinetry. As such traditional kitchen cabinets are usually made of wood with rich colors that are often also embellished with carved ornamentation and intricate molding. The cabinet doors themselves usually have panels that are arched at the top, and some of the panels are glass so that the china they contain can be displayed. It’s classy, yet understated, and that’s what’s so appealing about it. 

Traditional Kitchen Cabinets that Exude Timeless Elegance

Farmhouse Kitchen Cabinets 

Farmhouse style is pretty popular these days, and a farmhouse-style kitchen just wouldn’t be complete without some rustic cabinets to match. Farmhouse cabinets can use some neat materials such as reclaimed wood, cast iron, shiplap, tin, and are often adorned with rugged colors such as charcoal grey, black, and white. When all these details come together you’re left with that iconic “worn” look that is so prized in farmhouse design. It’s the perfect choice if you’re going for something less glitzy and more down-to-earth. After all, we can’t all have our country mansion, but we can bring that country feel to the city.

How To Create A Ranch Style In The City

Frameless Kitchen Cabinets

When you choose your next kitchen cabinets, you’ll have two choices when it comes to hinge design: framed or frameless. Framed kitchen cabinets have an added frame at the front of the cabinet and where the hinges and doors attach. Frameless cabinets are made up of a single panel that is attached directly to the hinges, which means that the cabinet doors are thinner. The benefits here are obvious: a thinner cabinet door is lighter, less complicated, and gives you more storage space. You can do some cool things with frameless cabinets, such as make them sit flush with the cabinet frame when closed for a nice minimalist look.   

Create the Illusion of a Larger Kitchen With Smooth, Seamless Cabinet Surfaces

Slab Kitchen Cabinets

When you want the smoothest of smooth lines, slab kitchen cabinet designs are unrivaled. Slab kitchen cabinets have no protruding handles; instead, they use inset handles so that all you see when looking at the cabinets is a flat clean wood surface. These panels can be made of hardwood or composites, and typically come in neutral colors with lacquer or glossy finishes to further emphasize the lustrous look. This makes for a stark look, but it can be warmed up with finishes that reveal the wood grain. Plus, slab kitchen cabinets are easy to clean because you’re just wiping off a flat surface. 

Ultra Modern, Ultra Clean - The No-Grab Kitchen Cabinets

Shaker Style Cabinets

Shaker style design is famously simple, smart, and utilitarian. It comes from a religious group of the same name that originated in New England sometime in the late 1740s. One of their other famous inventions is the peg rail. As you might expect, Shaker-style cabinets carry over the same utilitarian principles with sturdy, high-quality wood and simple dark colors such as greys, blues, and browns. This is complemented with sound brass handles and faucets.   

High-Quality Wood and Muted Colors for An Elegant Shaker Style Kitchen Cabinet

Cottage Style Kitchen Cabinets

The charm of the country cottage is a nice thing to add to any home. It maximizes coziness, homeliness, and comfort all while giving you simple, practical fixtures. Cottage-style kitchen cabinets are no exception to this rule. The typical cottage-style cabinets come finished in white with rustic brass hardware. The aesthetic looks best in a bright and airy kitchen as the cabinets help to reflect sunlight and make things more luminous. Combine this with cabinets that have traditional design cues and you got yourself the perfect cottage-style kitchen.  

Bringing the Cottage to Your Home With Brass Adorned Kitchen Cabinets

Beadboard Kitchen Cabinets

This is another take on the traditional design style. Beadboard kitchen cabinets are styled after the traditional beadboard that used to be in wall designs. They look similar to traditional paneled kitchen cabinets albeit with several parallel vertical lines which are the “beadboard”. This styling works very well with brass cup pull handles, which is good news if you want something traditional-looking but still unique. As with cottage-style cabinets, beadboard cabinets are usually white, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with other colors such as emerald green, or navy blue.  

Consider the Beadboard Kitchen Cabinet Aesthetic for Something Charming and Unique

Full Natural 

Lovers of biophilic motifs will love the look of earthy kitchen cabinet design. This cabinet design uses sturdy hardwoods such as cedar which is naturally resistant to rot and insects. This means it doesn’t have to be treated with any chemicals of any kind. What you’re left with are bare wood cabinets that emphasize that natural and sustainable cabinet aesthetic. Natural wood kitchen cabinets don’t need paint or a glossy finish, making them suitable in kitchens of different design styles.  

Emphasize The Natural Aesthetic With Hardwood Cabinets

Craftsman Style Kitchen Cabinets

The Craftsman movement in design reintroduced individuality, honesty, and authenticity to the American home in the wake of the industrial revolution. The supporters of the Craftsman style sought to restore the value of a laborer’s hard day’s work which they felt was being devalued by the Industrial Revolution. They believed this should be done by emphasizing handcrafted high-quality goods in their design style that are free from excessive ornamentation. So it is no surprise that Craftsman style kitchen cabinets are sturdy oak, high quality, simply designed affairs that are bereft of Victorian-style decorations. Put simply, it’s straightforward and functional. 

Elements of A Craftsman Style Kitchen

Eclectic Style Kitchen Cabinets

Unlike more traditional design styles, eclectic design is free of rigid rules, which allows for a lot more experimentation. All you need is a vision and an openness to trying new and unconventional things with your interior design. This is a unique design that can turn out looking pretty exceptional. For example, you could forgo upper kitchen cabinets for some simple wood shelves, giving you a unique open storage solution for your glasses. For the lower cabinets, some practical farmhouse-style oak cabinets would do very nicely. Top this off with some white marble for the ultimate fusion kitchen cabinet style.   

Don’t Hesitate to Bring Some Vibrancy and Character to Your Kitchen

Urban Rustic Kitchen Cabinets

The country isn’t to everyone’s taste, so why not go urban instead? Using reclaimed wood allows you to create this sophisticated aesthetic that emphasizes natural materials and a contemporary urban style. What that translates to is fancy, dark-stained wood cabinets that shine with polish. This is complemented with a simplified slab look that is free of any protruding handles — perfect for those who want to evoke a “Midtown Manhattan apartment” look.  

Give Your Cabinets A Sophisticated Country Vibe