Decorating & Design
Design Debate: Are White Kitchens Boring Or Brilliant?
Updated on April 21, 2023
Over the years, we’ve seen our fair share of white kitchens, and many of you have even written in to tell us you’re bored of the traditional all-white look. But there are so many ways to add interest to this classic style. So, we’ve compiled some of the best white kitchens that have graced our pages and we want to hear what you think: Are white kitchens boring or brilliant?
In this two-tone kitchen, clean white subway tiles and a custom hood vent are a classic choice, while dark-hued lower cabinets and a Bertazzoni range bring the wow factor.
This kitchen is anything but boring. Design firm Collective Studio opted for unexpected features, like a curved stand-alone pantry with custom half-moon handles, veiny Arabescato Corchia marble, and playful lighting.
A white brick arched range hood is a clever way to maintain a white aesthetic, while adding subtle texture to your kitchen.
Designer Barbara Wigmore wanted to deliver a timeless kitchen to her clients, but instead of opting for an all-white space, she added in texture and character with European-inspired elements. Keep scrolling to see what she did!
The white brick range hood creates a heritage feel, while a wood and marble island warms up the space.
To update this white kitchen, designer Mazen El-Abdallah chose to keep the existing cabinets, replace the backsplash and counters with Paonazzo marble, and add in sculptural lighting. “Sometimes, the instinct is to rip everything out,” says Mazen. “But it was nice to take a moment and question whether it was necessary, even from an environmental perspective. We entirely transformed the kitchen, and it has no lesser of an impact than if we had started fresh.”
Take cues from this minimalist creamy white kitchen that gets its character from whimsy wall tiles, architectural lighting, and cool bar stools.
In this California kitchen, designer Nicole Salceda chose white cabinets and counters, but went bold with a dark and moody island and range. Brass accents and white oak shelves also help warm up the space.
Food Blogger Olivia Ribas needed a light and airy kitchen for her food photography. Instead of opting for pure white, her kitchen features a gorgeous mix of white cabinets, reeded wood, and beautiful marble. “I didn’t want anything that shines when I shoot a video. It’s also better for food photography because it minimizes reflections,” she says of the matte finish on the counters and backsplash.
When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a statement vent hood (that gold sheen!) and European-inspired herringbone floors. The sleek white cabinets are swathed in Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace.
“Just like the walls of an art gallery, it’s the details you add that make white kitchens interesting,” says designer and homeowner Stephanie Houghton. A striking Frida Kahlo-inspired print by Brazilian artist Jonas Tucci makes a bold impression.
Hardware-free white cabinetry creates a clean look in this family kitchen. The matte black herringbone backsplash gives the space some depth.
Designer Christine Ralphs makes a case for embracing gold in her condo kitchen. Gilded metal stools, brass drawer pulls and a matching vintage wire sunburst are like the finishing accessories to an all-white outfit.
“The thing about all-white interiors is that if you don’t add natural elements, it gets very flat,” says designer Ami Mckay. “We wanted the house to have depth and contrast.” So, she layered in plenty of greenery and wooden accents.
The 12-foot-long kitchen island is wrapped in Neolith for a hint of drama, while white lacquered cabinets and subway tile act as a clean slate.
Like a flick of eyeliner, black trim makes the crisp white cabinets pop in this Hollywood Regency-inspired kitchen. To amp up the drama even more, designer Katherine Newman chose an ebonized mahogany island and a round pink island.
With the popularity of open shelving on the rise, kitchens are being layered with impactful art and meaningful keepsakes. Photographs by South African visual activist Zanele Muholi add interest to this all-white kitchen.
Designer Sam Sacks gave a modern Ikea kitchen a bohemian transformation in her quaint cottage with natural wicker, rattan and wood accents. A gold backsplash above the oven adds a touch of unexpected glamour.
This modern Scandinavian-inspired kitchen masters the minimalist aesthetic with all-white cabinetry and countertops, accented with moody charcoal paint on the walls above.
Don’t shy away from letting your personality shine in an all-white kitchen. An eclectic mix of bar stools, hexagonal tiles and subtle pops of pattern (from the Roman blinds to the rug) give the space personality.
Wicker and rattan bar stools are reminiscent of a charming Parisian café in this condo kitchen. Designer Alanna Dunn layered the small space with brass accents and graphic hits of black to take it from cookie-cutter to Instagram-worthy.
Take a page from Vancouver blogger Alison Mazurek‘s book, and kit out the space above your cabinets with colorful books and trailing plants to elevate an all-white kitchen.
If you’re lucky to have a covetable collection of art, like designer Clare Forndran, give it the attention it deserves next to a white kitchen for the ultimate gallery effect.
Black, white and gold is a classic color combination that never goes out of style! Designer Orsi Panos maxed out storage in this small, Scandi-style kitchen, so there’s a place for every condiment and spice.
Minimalists, rejoice! This crisp kitchen is covered in glossy cabinetry with no handles (except for the integrated fridge) and warmed up with satin brass finishes.
Who says a white kitchen has to be boring? Custom cabinets with ridge detailing make the trad galley kitchen feel fresh. “We used Caesarstone for the counters and backsplashes,” says designer Allison Willson. “Though not a budget component, it’s practical and you’re not paying the cost of marble slabs.”
For photographer Tracey Ayton, the Pinterest-worthy kitchen is an excellent backdrop for shooting content. Look at all of that natural light!
Designer Lindsay Mens Craig found the perfect balance between classic and contemporary in this Georgian-style home‘s storied white kitchen with mullon detailing on the uppers, light-as-air lantern pendants and mesmerizing stone.
You can’t help but smile when you look at this Toronto kitchen. A bubbly cast-resin chandelier exudes whimsy. “And I love the color of the backsplash tile — it’s the perfect gold,” says homeowner and Snob founder Denise Zidel. “I needed that extra shine in the kitchen.”
Homeowners Sylvia and Koko spend a lot of time in their hardworking kitchen — and we can see why. It gets major style points with a marble vent hood, Wolf cooktop and statement pendants.
In this 135-year-old Italianate farmhouse‘s kitchen, dark window frames, upper cabinets and sconces are a graphic contrast to the white lowers and glossy subway tile.
“It looks white but, actually, the cabinets have a blush undertone and the walls are a mauve-gray for warmth,” says designer Natasha Penzo of this high-fashion kitchen. Brass pendants, hardware and detailing are the cherry on top!
Every space needs at least one vintage (or vintage-look) item, and in this compact condo kitchen, it’s an opulent chandelier. It adds the right amount of sparkle to the Shaker-style white cabinets.
Look to the great outdoors when dressing your white kitchen (think: natural materials, like these woven bar stools, and subtle pops of green)!
In this timeless kitchen, recessed-panel white cabinets get an edgy upgrade with a dark countertop on the island and a matte vent hood with beautiful detailing.
You don’t need a plane ticket to bring the easy breezy vibe of California style to your kitchen. This white island is framed with warm wood and beachy pendants for a look that embracing laid-back living.
Blond woods on the ceiling, shelves and bar stools give this bright white kitchen innate warmth.
The kitchen in this French Colonial home includes a striking arch painted in a grey-white, which frames the windows and vent hood nicely.
A striped runner adds a cheerful dose of color underfoot in this all-white kitchen.
A black restaurant-inspired lighting system lifts the eye up toward the whisper of purple hidden in this white kitchen’s walls.
In this crisp kitchen, simple Shaker-style cabinets are paired with humble butcherblock countertops and beachy pendant lights.
Brass hardware dresses up this Nova Scotia kitchen’s white big-box store cabinets, while a rich rug and black door add even more interest.
A curb backsplash with plenty of veining brings interest to flat-front white cabinets.
Olive trees and a fireplace oven up the wow factor in a big way in this white kitchen.
Unique birdcage-like pendants bring whimsy without overwhelming thanks to this kitchen’s simple palette.
A pair of oversized polished-nickel gooseneck lights and a grouping of cheerful blue stools make a memorable statement in this white boathouse kitchen.
Energize a classic white kitchen by introducing exotic tile, a warm metal faucet and lantern lighting.
Textured faux-grasscloth wallpaper (made of vinyl!) is a practical yet pretty choice in a white kitchen.
Die-hard fans of the white-on-white kitchen will love this space’s gleaming floor tiles, herringbone backsplash and glossy cabinetry — all done in bright white, of course.
Two charcoal grey cabinets flanking this otherwise white kitchen bring in nice contrast and dimension.
High-contrast black and white fans will love this industrial-meets-minimalist loft kitchen.
A vibrant striped kilim rug and vintage island table bring interest to an otherwise white-on-white kitchen.
Metallic backsplash tile plays off this white kitchen’s chrome accents nicely.
Spraying the wood cabinets in this kitchen white gave the homeowner the bright kitchen she was envisioning at a fraction of the cost of new cabinets.
For ultra-minimalists at heart this spare condo kitchen is everything you need and more (or less should we say?)!
Walnut shelves and subtle veining in this kitchen’s marble backsplash help break up the expanses of white.
The white enthusiast who calls this kitchen home chose to forgo upper cabinets in order to display her all-white dishware collection.
Floating above the stove, this inky black vent hood is the perfect counterpoint to white cabinetry and counters.
Tall hundred-year-old Egyptian doors are a worldly foil to white Shaker-style cabinets.
Honed bluestone floors and a black Caesarstone counter on the island give a white kitchen depth.