Designers Say These 6 Cabinet Colors Will Be Taking Over Kitchens in 2026

Kitchens are hard-working rooms that ideally blend two key ingredients: style and function. Cabinets cover a significant amount of horizontal and vertical wall space in a kitchen, so selecting the right color is essential. Following many years of all-white kitchen cabinets, the pendulum is now swinging towards warmer neutrals, nature-inspired greens, and stained woods.

From grounding mushroom paint colors to natural wood tones of walnut and white oak, the 2026 cabinet trends are bringing warmth back into the kitchen. The growing popularity of butler's pantries and sculleries is making way for a fun new color trend—experimenting with a bold shade such as a saturated jewel tone in these closed-off areas of the kitchen. Whether you're planning a full-scale kitchen renovation in 2026 or want to refresh your existing cabinetry, these are the top kitchen cabinet color trends you can expect to see in the new year.

1. Warm Neutrals Like Mushroom, Stone, and Putty

"Cabinetry will favor matte finishes in nuanced warm neutrals that reveal craftsmanship and material richness," says Laura O’Brien, interior and kitchen designer and founder of O’Brien Harris. After the longtime popularity of crisp whites, the designer predicts a continued shift toward softer, warmer neutrals.

"Deep grounding shades like mushroom, stone, and putty with subtle brown or green undertones are poised to be favorites, offering a sophisticated yet approachable aesthetic," O'Brien says. She explains that these colors allow natural wood grain and precise joinery—things that are hallmarks of handmade cabinetry—to be a design focal point rather than just something that's hidden beneath high-gloss surfaces.

2. Nature-Inspired Green

Nature-inspired colors and materials have been growing in popularity, so it's no surprise that green is expected to make an appearance on kitchen cabinetry in 2026. "Green is on the rise in a big way in rich colors, but people are opting for nature-inspired, rather than gem tones," says Teri Simone, head of design and marketing at Nieu Cabinet Doors.

Simone predicts we'll be seeing rich forest greens with grey undertones, marking a shift from the jewel-toned green cabinetry that was trending a few years ago.

3. Stained Wood Cabinetry

"Stained wood cabinets will certainly continue to grow in popularity," says Paul McManus, president of McManus Kitchen and Bath. He notes that paint has dominated kitchen design for so long, that it's only natural for the pendulum to shift in the other direction.

"Painted cabinets will never be out of style, but wood tones can feel more personal and they hide dings and scratches a little better than paint, so they age a little more gracefully," McManus shares. He says walnut and white oak are currently the most popular wood colors and the shades he expects to see grow in popularity in 2026.

4. Two-Tone Cabinets

If you're a fan of two-toned kitchens, you'll be happy to hear the cabinet look is here to stay in 2026. "The two-toned cabinet trend will stay strong—for example, using natural wood cabinets or open shelves on the upper portion, paired with a bold, powerful color on the lower run of cabinets," says Nancy Davilman, principal designer at ND Interiors.

Another way you can introduce the two-tone cabinet trend into your kitchen is with a contrasting island. It emphasizes the island as a focal point and sets the scene for statement pendant lights.

5. Shades of Brown

Cool grays were a solid staple on kitchen walls and cabinets for many years, but shades of brown are bringing warmth back into the heart of the home. "We’re seeing rich browns like espresso, chestnut, and clay, which go beautifully with the trending Taj Mahal counters, as well as hardwood floors, and anchor your space with a wood tone without actually using real wood," Simone says.

6. Jewel Tones in Private Kitchen Areas

Experts say 2026 won't see a complete departure from jewel tones, but they will shift to different areas of the kitchen. McManus expects deeply saturated jewel tones such as eggplant and dark teal to continue to be popular kitchen cabinet colors in 2026. "I think they will be reserved for private areas like the butler's pantry or a scullery, maybe a bar or speakeasy room, not in the main kitchen," he says.

Davilman shares that there is a growing interest in closing off certain areas of the kitchen to make it feel more tidy and streamlined. "This goes beyond the traditional appliance garage and now includes separate scullery kitchens where meal prep can happen out of sight of the main space," Davilman says.

The designer notes that butler's pantries also fall into this kitchen trend. Since these spaces are visually separated from the rest of the kitchen, they offer a great place to experiment with a bold color choice, such as a luxuriously deep jewel tone.