The 15 Hottest Kitchen Cabinet Trends for 2021

Nothing defines the look and feel of your cooking space quite like your cabinets, which is why many of the newest kitchen trends for 2021 are firmly focused on what goes into your kitchen cabinets (and drawers, and shelves). From confident pops of colour to floor-to-ceiling storage to the triumphant return of warm-tone wood, these kitchen cabinet design trends are the ones to watch for 2021.

kitchen with white and black upper cabinets and large centre island

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Side by Side

Different-coloured upper and lower cabinets have been trending for some time, but one of the more popular kitchen cabinet ideas this year is a stylish side-by-side colour combo – as Scott McGillivray and Sarah Keenleyside beautifully demonstrated with a mix of white and black upper cabinets for this Family Home Overhaul kitchen.

sophisticated modern kitchen with black floor-to-ceiling cabinets and white double islands

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Totally Stacked

This year, many of us have embraced our inner home chef, which means more time spent in the kitchen – and more gadgets and tools to store. To keep all those items organized a la Marie Kondo, go for floor-to-ceiling cabinets with an extra row of uppers (as this sophisticated Property Brothers kitchen by Jonathan and Drew Scott beautifully demonstrates).

kitchen with pale blue cabinets looking into open-concept living and dining areas

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Blue Hue

What is the most popular colour for a kitchen? While bright white continues to be a kitchen classic, soft shades of blue and green – especially when used in kitchen cabinet design – are trending this year. Case in point? These lightly tinted blue kitchen cabinets used by Sebastian Clovis and Tiffany Pratt in this Family Home Overhaul kitchen are a new neutral.

bright green kitchen cabinets with grey backsplash

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A Pop of Colour

A pop of rich, vibrant colour goes a long way in your home decor – which is why colourful kitchen cabinets are such a big trend this year. If you want to go super bright with a vibrant or unexpected colour, you can always balance the boldness with a neutral backsplash or wall.

White breakfast table with black leather chairs, white wood and glass pane island with black granite countertop, cupboards in country style kitchen, black granite tile flooring

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See Things Clearly

Do you have a collection of coffee mugs that you just have to show off? Are you proud of your plate collection? Glass-door cabinets add to the airy feel of a kitchen, and let you show off your favourite items. One caveat: this is the kitchen cabinet trend to avoid if organization isn’t your forte.

kitchen with oak cabinets and large island with green stools

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Warming Up

Wood is making a major comeback when it comes to kitchen cabinets. As Jonathan and Drew Scott showed with the stunning warm tones of oak cabinets in this Property Brothers: Forever Home, wood has a place in today’s kitchen cabinet design. The trick to keeping the look 2021? Showcase the material with clean-lined design and contemporary finishes.

galley kitchen with dark-wood and navy cabinets

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A Dark Mood

Feeling moody? When it comes to your kitchen cabinets, that can be a good thing. As Sebastian Clovis and Sabrina Smelko showed with this Save My Reno kitchen, a deep palette mixing dark-tone wood and richly hued colour gives kitchen cabinets modern drama.

farmhouse kitchen with white cabinets and wood shelves and hood

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All in the Details

If all-out wood cabinets aren’t your thing, another way to incorporate warm wood in the kitchen is by using wood accents to balance neutral-hue cabinets – as Samantha Pynn, Kate Campbell and Dave Coleman showed with this farmhouse-chic kitchen on Family Home Overhaul.

modern kitchen with cream cabinets and gold-tone hardware

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Pretty Pulls

Changing up cabinet hardware is an inexpensive way to update the look and feel of your kitchen, so choosing luxe pulls (like the gold-tone hardware Samantha Pynn and Sebastian Clovis used in this Save My Reno kitchen) is a kitchen cabinet trend to try this year.

white kitchen with mixed cabinet hardware and patterned backsplash detail

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Mix-and-Match Hardware

Clean, classic white cabinets get a dollop of trend-right dimension from a mix of cabinet hardware. We love how Hilary Farr mixed delicate round knobs with substantial handle pulls for a subtle mix in this stunning Love It or List It kitchen.

modern white kitchen with white cabinets and navy island

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Sleek Surfaces

On the opposite end of the spectrum, clean-lined kitchen cabinets – totally sans hardware – continue to trend. For a fuss-free kitchen aesthetic, you can’t go wrong with handle-free cabinet designs. Feeling the vibe? Here are some other minimalist kitchen design ideas to inspire you.

creamy yellow cottage kitchen with stainless steel appliances

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Creamy Colours

Warmer colour palettes (think earth tones) are a major design trend for 2021 in general, and those soothing hues are making an impact on kitchen cabinets, too. Look for creamy yellows (like Scott McGillivray used in this dreamy Scott’s Vacation House Rules kitchen) and sagey greens to cook up an organic feel.

modern kitchen with mint cabinets and white island

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Something to Hide

Matchy-matchy goes to the next level with this super-streamlined kitchen cabinet trend: integrating appliances (like the fridge and dishwasher) with fronts that match your cabinets creates a sleek all-in-one look. Here are stylish ways to (subtly) hide your kitchen appliances.

modern white kitchen with minimal black cabinets

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Black and White

Want to infuse a lot of drama into your kitchen design, without turning to a vibrant colour palette? Sometimes, the answer is black and white. Black or charcoal cabinets provide plenty of contrast in an otherwise minimal, white kitchen.

modern white kitchen with under-cabinet lighting and two-tone cabinets

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Light Up, Under

Under-cabinet lighting fit perfectly in a sleek, modern kitchen – but it has a practical purpose, too: a sleek bar of lighting makes it easier to see what you’re cooking when you’re prepping in a low-light kitchen.