Is the White Kitchen Passé?

Despite a 4% decline from last year, white remains the most popular color choice for kitchens, according to the 2021 Houzz survey. This is followed by wood tones and then gray. But the bigger news is that many multicolor (often bold) kitchens are steadily growing in preference.

Reasons cited are that homeowners want to personalize the room and have less concern about resale or what the next buyer wants.

Colors and different materials and textures now appear in myriad ways. Cabinetry is appearing in pine green, robin’s egg blue, and navy. Pink tiles are back but in a soft rather than bubblegum ‘50s hue.

Designer Katja Van der Loo of Papyrus Home Design is wallpapering kitchens again, which might introduce a mix of colors.

Some designers mix it all up: In one kitchen, blackened steel countertops with marble backsplash and laminate cabinets, and in another, salvaged wood, laminate wall surface, quartz countertop, and stainless steel toe kick.

Even appliances come in colors. How about a red range with blue cabinets. Some designers predict orange and magenta will be huge, along with more perimeter and island cabinets and countertops displaying different palettes, a trend from years ago that is re-emerging.

It'll be fun to see the kitchen trends change and emerge in 2021.