One Easy Paint Style Can Update Any Type Of Kitchen While Saving Time And Money

Your kitchen is cordially invited to a black tie affair: Get ready to dress it up with the "tuxedo" design. This is where you paint the upper cabinets a light color and the lower cabinets a dark color — classically white and black, but the duo could also be anything from cream and dark brown to pale blue and navy. The look is high-impact and modern-chic, while the clean contrast keeps it timeless. If you're looking to refresh your kitchen without a full remodel, the tux look is the way to go.

Mixing light and dark kitchen cabinets gives the room depth and allows you to play with a bolder color without making your entire kitchen too dark. You get the best of both worlds: the light color that makes your kitchen feel spacious, bright, and airy; and the dark color that feels elevated and artful. Picture standing in an all-white kitchen — feels a bit clinical and sterile, no? Now picture standing in a kitchen where all the cabinets are dark, and suddenly it's dreary and claustrophobic. But a clean split of both? Now we're talking. There's interest and dimension, without needing to go too far or too bold.

The best part is, you can DIY this or even hire a painter, and it will still be a pretty affordable, quick, and easy way to completely transform your entire kitchen. Since you're working with your existing cabinets instead of replacing them, it can cost far less than a full renovation. It will look brand new, no renovation needed. The biggest decision is choosing which color duo works best for your kitchen.

When deciding what colors you want to use in this tuxedo aesthetic, consider the other elements of your kitchen. This is especially important when you are in fact avoiding an entire remodel. The paint will work wonders on transforming the space, but still needs to work with what with you're not changing, like appliances, counters, and floors. 

White upper cabinets and black lower cabinets are great with silver or gold hardware, any color-pop appliances, stone counters, and gray, black, or white floors. But if you have wood counters and floors, you may want to lean a bit warmer with ivory, cream, or beige, and chocolate brown; or opt for white with navy. You can also play with fleshing out a tonal palette: Think very light gray upper cabinets and charcoal lower cabinets with counters and floors in varying shades of gray. 

Depending on your kitchen's other design elements, you could explore everything from white and hunter green to the softest dusty rose and a saturated, dark burgundy. The one thing to remember when adding 2-tone cabinets to your kitchen is that they'll make the space feel larger, no matter which color pairing you choose.

Decor is another great way to perfect your kitchen's tuxedo design without taking on a full remodel. Reflect the two-tone palette with matching curtains, table linens, and area rugs, or choose a third color-pop accent for pieces like vases and plant pots, fruit bowls, and candles.