Unexpected Cabinet Colors That Give Your Kitchen Personality

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Subtle and gray kitchen cabinets are a color trend that made sense in 2015 but now feels totally overdone. People are starting to miss colors in their decor, swiftly departing from the neutral tones that make every single kitchen look the same. Even the so-called maximalism is making a return, with some viewing minimalist spaces as too sterile, preferring a home that shows clear signs of being lived in. If you can relate to this shift in collective preference for decor, you might have already started flirting with the idea of boldly colored kitchen cabinets.

Before you settle on any particular shade, think about the general energy you're expecting from your kitchen space. If the goal is to create something vibrant and lively, pick daring hues like electric blue or cherry red. Another option is to fully color-drench your kitchen, matching the walls (and nearly everything else) to the cabinet colors. On the other hand, if you have a preference for a bit more toned-down energy, pastel tones like mint green or baby blue will be your perfect match. In this article, we're bringing you very specific color shades that create a kitchen with a strong character and an unforgettable, anything-but-boring cooking space.

Easily one of the boldest colors you can go for, turquoise green is without much competition in the "glossy and bright" category. It makes a loud statement with its aquatic feel, and should you pair it with metallic hardware, you'll get the perfect blend of old-fashioned and modern. If you're brave enough to go the color drenching route with this one, a tiled turquoise backsplash would be a nice touch, too.

There's something about a 1950s kitchen that just hits different. Mint-colored cabinets are a great way to revive the '50s era, especially if you pair them with other decor elements from the decade, thus designing a retro kitchen of your dreams. There is some wiggle room with the shades, too — from significantly bright to a mellow pastel, you get to pick just how bold you want to go.

Purple has confidently been making its way into modern kitchens, with lavender being the most popular shade, especially for the cabinets. But what if we went for something more daring? Eggplant purple has a depth that isn't really present in softer tones. This audacious aubergine instantly becomes the main attraction of the whole space. If you're on the fence about it, though, you could look into plum shades of deep purple instead, which come with the same depth but less shimmer.

The unlikely color that's making its way onto kitchen cabinets for a trendy look is a very surprising mustard yellow. It might sound a bit bonkers at first, but give it a chance. Waking up on a cold, gray Monday morning isn't all that bad when there's a warm-toned yellow kitchen waiting for you.

For those who like slightly colder tones, lemon yellow is a great alternative to the warmer mustard shade. It's also yet another color with a strong retro vibe, though you can quickly modernize it by going for a flat, minimalistic cabinet design. That said, if you do prefer the retro route, definitely throw some lemon-printed wallpaper into the mix — we love this one from Blooming Wall.

Red kitchens are frequently popping up in modern interiors, but the vibrancy of cherry red is reserved for those who have no fear. It's the ideal backdrop for ultra-modern appliances, embracing the energy of tech-forward smart homes, all while remaining warm enough to feel like a home, not a catalog kitchen. It also pairs fantastically with black or white hardware and most countertop materials.

If cherry red is modern and urban, red wine is traditional and rural. It's the perfect shade for anyone who wants an unexpected color without going too over-the-top. The deep hue makes the kitchen feel comforting as well as elegant. Match it to lighter colors for hardware, walls, and countertops to avoid making the space too dark.

Any shade of orange would probably be seen as unexpected for kitchen cabinets, but there's something specific about carrot orange that makes it stand out. In the '60s and '70s, the color was a staple for kitchen cabinets in socialistic Yugoslavia. Today, it can offer a sentimental note if you have Balkan ancestry or simply a comforting autumnal hue in your cooking area. As long as you don't pair it with dark wood, it's not going to look dated. 

Find a more youthful color for kitchen cabinets than electric blue, we dare you. With a strong spirit of playfulness and creativity, this shade is the ultimate backdrop for cooking with your kids. Cookie dough ice cream sandwich, anyone? That said, the hue's eye-catching vibrancy can quickly overwhelm the space, so it's wise to contrast it with gentler tones. A pastel pink backsplash or light wooden countertops go a long way.

Speaking of gentle tones, there's nothing softer than baby blue. This popular nursery shade is rarely seen in the kitchen, and it's time to change that. It can give a neutrally styled space a brilliant pop of color without dominating it. It feels coastal and breezy, a style you can emphasize even further with white or same-colored hardware.

Pink kitchens are definitely coming back in style, but among the many trendy shades, none is more unexpected than coral. This color is simultaneously bright and soft, elegant and bold, decidedly not boring and still not over-the-top. Its versatility is exactly why you can comfortably pair coral cabinets with light or dark decor elements, but they'll especially pop out against a white background.