This guide is full of gorgeous 2026 kitchen ideas and inspiration. Whether you’re planning a full renovation or small updates, this article will give you lots of ideas for kitchen cabinet colors, backsplash, warm wood islands that are neutral, organic modern and transitional to makeover your kitchen.
A kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the space in our house where we cook, connect with our loved ones and eat. But often, a renovation tends to be very expensive. It’s not the kind of space that you’d want to spend money updating often. This guide includes 2026 kitchen trends that designers predict are more classic (at least 7-15 years). To find popular cream kitchen cabinet paint colors, check out this article.
Disclosure: Some images have been generated using imaginative AI to depict style trends
Beige and Cream Kitchen Cabinets
The most popular kitchen cabinet color in 2026 will be beige, cream and taupe. Benjamin Moore Simply White and Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige have been popular choices for kitchen cabinets the last few years. These colors can be used in many different style kitchens. The main reason they are so popular is that they are a great alternative to white cabinets, but they warm up a space.
Creamy cabinets also bring a lot of light and warmth into the kitchen compared to stark white cabinets. The cheapest way to update your kitchen is to paint your cabinets a soft cream. Check out the most popular cream kitchen cabinet colors.
A Return to Wood Oak Cabinets
Wood cabinets are a high end look that need a bigger budget then painted cabinets! Mid-tone wood cabinets are very popular in kitchens for 2025 and 2026. This return to wood, after many years brings natural materials back to the kitchen.
If you have a limited budget, you can choose to add just a wood island, or lower cabinets, paired with creamy cabinets.
Timeless Kitchen Styling
Styling a kitchen is one of the most inexpensive ways to bring character to your home. Think of similar colors when styling your kitchen counter. High end homes often mix dark wood, brass, woven textures, and marble.
White and Light Wood Kitchens
White kitchens are your best bet for a timeless neutral kitchen. Whereas in the past, white kitchens were stark, modern and cold, the recent trend of complementing white kitchens with wood warms up the space.
Another emerging trend is wood kitchens with black counters. This is a more dramatic and modern look.
A Countertop Hutch for Storage
Countertop hutches will be one of the biggest trends in kitchens in 2026. These are a mix of function and beauty. Most often, there is a mix of panel and glass cabinets.
A counter hutch takes up counter space, but these also make for a great appliance garage. Check with your local electric code on outlets in closed cupboards.
Green Kitchen Cabinets will remain popular
If you’re looking to add a pop of color to your home, green will remain a popular color for kitchen cabinet doors. There are so many different shades from sage greens, to grey-greens or even blue tones.
Two toned kitchens are out, but dark islands are in!
Two toned kitchen with the upper cabinets and lower cabinets painted a different color were popular in about 5-7 years ago. However, that trend has been replaced with the upper and lower cabinets all one color, and a dark wood island. This kitchen has sage green cabinets, but it also looks stunning with creamy cabinets and dark wood.
Shaker Style Cabinet Doors
The last few years have seen a huge shift to shaker style doors from the ultra modern flat panel doors. Most often, these are seen as inset doors (when the doors sit inside the cabinet frame). These doors give clean lines for a modern traditional look.
If you’re looking to replace your cabinet doors, you can also replace any type of door with overlay shaker doors. Simply measure your existing doors. There are lots of local companies (you can find on marketplace) or online retainers like Nieu Cabinets who will delivery new doors to your door.
A Comeback of Raised Panel Doors
If you’ve been lucky enough to hold off a full kitchen makeover, you may be in luck! You will see a huge return of raised panel doors in 2026. These are more ornate doors, but this detailing is being welcmed back after many years of simple kitchen design. These cabinet doors lend themselves to cottage core style kitchen, or also a timeliness modern organic kitchen, depending on how you style the kitchen.
Bold Veined Kitchen Counters
Dark bold veining is a trend that started last year that will continue to be extremely classic. Designers are calling for this trend to be so long lasting because it’s seen in classic design in Italy and India. Use it as a counter and extend it to the backsplash for a more opulent look
Black Counters add Drama
Although white counters have been a popular choice for many years, there is an emerging trend with black counters. Opt for a dull stone like a soap stone counter.
If all black counters is too dark, opt for a black island with white for the perimeter counters. This adds a dramatic contrast in a ktiche.
Zellige Tile Backsplash
Zellige tiles have become the new subway tile. Which means, subway tiles are out. Zellige tiles can be square, but rectangular zellige tiles are more popular. Zellige tiles have various shades of the same base color, usually cream. While Zellige tiles are typically seen stacked horizontally, designers have been experimenting with different patterns like horizontal, herringbone, and even a mix between a stack and horizontal pattern. Their popularity is due to the organic shape which makes it an easy tile to DIY, since the grout lines don’t have to be perfect.
Extending Wood Flooring to the kitchen
Floors are another major surface in the kitchen. LVP and engineered hardwood have come a long way in function. Many wood floors are now waterproof. When we were growing up, wood was a permeable membrane which meant that tile was the only option. But now, you can keep the same wood flooring throughout the main level of your home. Opt for a mid-tone wood floor, or a chestnut floor. Make sure they do not have a strong yellow or red undertone.
A Dramatic Plaster Range Hood Design
While stainless steel hoods were popular, with the return of brass and polished nickel, steel hoods now make a kitchen look dated. Plaster hoods are the new trend in 2026 kitchen design. There are affordable options from DIY to custom made kits. This is definitely one easy element to change up if you’re looking for small kitchen upgrades.
Brass Hardware adds Class
Brass hardware gives a kitchen a beautiful upscale look. The hardware is like the jewelry of the kitchen. A designer trick is to mix handles with knobs.
Polished Nickel Faucet
Mixing brass hardware and a polished nickel faucet gives the perfect touch to french country kitchens, neutral kitchens, and modern organic kitchens. The contrast of the warmth of the brass and coolness of the nickel give a kitchen a sophisticated flair. Don’t be afraid to mix metals in your kitchen
Contrasting Island Counter
An easy way to make your kitchen look modern and high end is to use a contrasting color island counter versus the counter on the perimeter of the kitchen. You can choose a combination like a black island vs white perimeter island, or a warm wood island and white perimeter island. Add style with these woven bar stools and shapely pendant lights
Long Marble Shelf
Floating shelves in the kitchen are outdated. We got tired of the dust on these, and impractical storage space. Instead, a long shelf, often in marble is a beautiful option. This pairs beautifully
With a marbled slab backsplash. Using the same marble bring continuity in the kitchen.
Coastal kitchens will remain popular
A coastal kitchen brings in elements of the beach like rattan, wicker, marbles, whites, oak wood and sometimes a hint of blue. An easy way to all these elements to a kitchen is with seating. Add light wood stools with a wicker or woven seat
Panel ready appliances
Panel ready appliances have become more affordable as more people opt for them in their kitchen. The downside is that you cannot have smart features like a water and ice dispenser, or a screen on your fridge. It’s a tradeoff to have a high end luxury kitchen
Hiding appliances away
Less clutter on the countertop has always been sought after. Appliance garages, pantries and appliance cupboards have become more popular over time. The objective is to have a little station where you can tuck away all your appliances, but also have them easily accessible. You’ll need an electrician to help with the wiring to ensure it’s safe and up to fire code.
Small Kitchen Ideas
To add more function into a small kitchen, opt for an prep counter island, instead of one where you add counter stools to eat. This increases the area for food preparation, adds storage like drawers and cabinets, while giving the high end look of an island. Using the same color and style of cabinets brings continuity into a small kitchen
Don’t forget the ceiling
The ceiling is the 5th wall, and is often forgotten about. Consider adding wood beams or shiplap to the ceiling as a design element. There isn’t much space in a kitchen to have visual interest with wallpaper or a wall treatment. This is why the ceiling is the perfect focal point.
Microwave drawers
We’ve moved past microwaves above the stove. While a microwave hidden in a hutch is a good option, in 2026 you’ll see a lot of designers adding microwaves to the kitchen island. This is a bit more concealed and a good way to use the island space.
Dairy Table Instead of an Island
A dairy table is a shapely large table. Instead of an island, use a dairy table as a prep counter. This looks great in smaller spaces since you don’t have the bulk of the island cabinets. It also makes the space seem larger.
Another alternative to large islands is to add a kitchen table. Replicate the same coutnertop and wood tones as the kitchen for a cohesive look. It still doubles as a prep counter, but can be a great space saving solution.
Butler’s pantries aren’t hidden away
In the past, a butler’s pantry was a space meant to be hidden. No one should visit it, except for the help. But butler’s pantries have become such a huge design trend. Not only are they functional with acrylic storage bins, but they are also beautiful. Use the same cabinetry and counter as the main kitchen. Add interesting undermount lighting. Some are even a full service second kitchen! You can even pick a beautiful color you wouldn’t think of using in your main kitchen
Coffee Bars for Entertaining
A beautiful limewashed corner tucked away in this kitchen is functional, but also beautiful. Keep the coffee bar minimal with cupboards underneath to hide away coffee supplies.
Charming Pantry doors
Instead of a regular white slab door, add design to your pantry door. Restored wood doors make for an interesting design. The glass can even be frosted if you’re worried about the mess being visible from within the kitchen.
Concealed Pantry doors
Concealing a door as a cabinet is a clever way to make the kitchen look larger. With seamless cabinets, the space looks more expansive as there is no visual break. Instead of a traditional door to the pantry, cabinet doors can be attached to look like a door. It will definitely surprise your guests!
Arch Doors in the Kitchen
Arch doorways have become a popular trend in homes. This is a subtle way to enhance any opening. To bring an arch into the kitchen, you can add an arched pantry door, or if you have a hallway that leads to the kitchen, that’s the perfect spot for an archyway
Pendant Lighting
Pendant lighting over a kitchen island gives such a beautiful soft glow. You can add 2 or 3 light fixtures above the island. These pendants are oversized. Brass lighting looks stunning when paired in a kitchen with brass hardware.
A fabric or wicker shade brings a coastal element to the kitchen. It’s also a good way to add more texture to a kitchen as it can look flat with all the cabinets.
How to design a kitchen with these trends?
You may be looking at these trends and thinking, but how can I add all these elements to my kitchen? You don’t have to! Focus on 3-4 of these to incorporate into your kitchen. If you have questions or ideas on other kitchen elements I missed, leave them in the comments!
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