White will always be relevant. What is changing is the size of the kitchens and the number of cabinets used.

Fewer people cook but want kitchens that look as though they do cook. I think the trend will be for walk-in pantries to hold not only foodstuffs, but a variety of kitchen equipment and dishes.

Fewer cabinets will be used especially wall cabinets.

Those big huge kitchens with double islands are growing extinct. No one wants to have to clean those huge kitchens or pay all that money for cabinets & stone counters when a walk-in pantry is so much cheaper to construct.

I'm the original poster. So I live in California Los Angeles near the beach.

The exterior of the building is 'historic' and it's in historic neighborhood but everyone redoes the inside to make it look trendy, modern etc. (Right now we have gutted the 1960s kitchen which has mismatched tiles from the 1980s and original 1920s cabinets mixed with white tile counters done in yellow in the 1970s. )

I was spedning about $20-30k on kitchen. I've remodeled about a dozen homes before so I get good deals on labor/material. Also in Los Angeles quartz and cabinets are cheap and good quality because there's so much flipping going on.

intelinside1, of the three pictures you posted most recently, I like the first one. It is modern enough to suit your space, while still having universal appeal. I think the second one might be too modern to have universal appeal, and the third one (while lovely) might not be modern enough for your space.

So this is a house you are flipping, not your home? A friend here was advised not to paint go with white because in her experience white shows wear faster than hard wood. I would assume that would go for any painted color.

Jane, Nicole Curtis installed those kitchens years before they aired. By the time we see it on hgtv the trend ship has already left the port in higher end markets.

Also as to the demolition kitchens, I just pulled the first five listings there are scores more less detailed. Those same kitchens that you say are too detailed would have been tooted as classic white kitchens on garden web as recently as 2017. There is no such thing as a classic or timeless kitchen, sorry ours too will be oh so dated in just a blink of an eye. Style and preferences will always be fluid.

intelinside, so what style your house is, how you'd define it?

I understand was built in 20 s..next to the beach..should be nice property. If I was a buyer in LA (I'm in So Cal too)-I'd appreciate kitchen going with the original idea of the house a lot. And depending on a house-it can be different kitchen. Or several types of kitchen that would work.

Nor everybody who remodels does a sensitive enough job. My house wouldn't want a white kitchen, like, at all. It's styled Spanish Ranch

but if it was a bungalow, a beach cottage, in short, something else-it'd be a different story

same thing with countertops. Some stones/materials will always work in house such and such, and some will look a bit odd. After a while.

what's trendy might change in 5 years..especially it being a coast..coasts always pick up trends faster.

go with your house and it will look like it belongs.

If your house is a craftsman, put in Shaker cabinets, craftsman matte tile backsplash and marmoleum floors. You’ll never have to worry about trends.

@april the style of the exterior is sort of a 1960s version of a colonial socal style. I think it looks like colonial it looks kind of like this but definitely not as ni ce.

I want a more contemporary/ecclectic/transitional interior I don't want the kitchen to be colonial

well..I'd struggle with defining what's "colonial" kitchen-since colonial styles of houses are different-depending what was a country that "colonized"..)) or ok, influnced the style in the beginning. that's an interesting topic.

I also think that many folks do kitchens that have nothing to do with reality of the country of influence..like French Country, or Tuscan..it's their romantic notion of how kitchens there probably are. That's how they get something overly decorative etc.

but back to your house-is it your house pictured? I think it's a whole range of things you can do here. Marble does seem appropriate..both paint and stain would work. I think.

(I happenned to see, couple times, amazing contemporary kitchens in very traditional houses too-but the houses had very very good bones, and were pictured in Living Etc, AD, and the likes. So that extreme can be pulled off too..but one needs a darn good canvas, imo

interestingly, putting very trad kitchen in a modern house usually won't work)

If you want it to be more.. relating in several years-look at all the details ..don't put all the things trending for years already together-white plus marble plus chevron plus industrial pendants plus Darlana chandelier..well you get the picture. After you establish general direction (stain?paint? countertop? flooring-in relation to the rest of the house?)-work out the details. Since it's often the repetition of same details that starts being annoying to people. They repeat what they like too closely. And in everything. Then it's like in a nightclub-all girls are nice, blond, and in minis..I'd have a real trouble knowing whom I'd like to dance with))

Was it built in the 1920’s? Is it Spanish Colonial Revival? I’d find a cabinet style close to what you tore out. Instead of herringbone floor and marble-look quartz, consider terra cotta floors, Malibu tile backsplash, etc. Old California is important, influential, and gorgeous.

If you put in finishes that align with the original architecture of the house, then you’re timeless and classic. White shaker + waterfall counters = espresso cabinets + busy granite. You’ll be doing the same thing you did before and regretted.

Personally I think white cabinets are fine, but agree I would stay away from the marble look counter. I also would NOT do white floors. Having had white floors once I would never want them again and personally would never buy a house with while floors unless it was priced to redo them. White shows EVERYTHING and anyone with kids or pets isn't going to want that, unless they have time to be sweeping constantly and mopping daily, which I don’t!

judging from the picture-it's not Spanish Colonial

It does strive to be a colonial-it's just not Spanish. I can see some mix. Maybe some elements were changed throughout the years too. It's a nice house anyways.

given of course the house on the picture is the OP's house

I'd be very interested to hear more comments as I'm definitely a novice in American architectural styles, and I'm just learning, but I'm very interested in knowing more

Hey There: White in a kitchen will be never out of style - it just depends how you skin the cat. A great way to have a friendly and clean look is by having glass in the upper doors as you have shown. Or you can have white on the top and light grey/brown wood on the bottom to make a kitchen more interesting. For the countertop go light but not white white...there are nice galaxy stone which are of white or light grey with many sparkling enclosures...keep the kitchen bright for sure.

One last word - build the kitchen that you would love and keep cooking for the next 5 years - you will never please every buyer so please yourself.

Good Luck on your project.

It's like a typical colonial (not spanish colonial) but a stuccoed east coast colonial house with a Socal twist.

Really I just want inside to be more transitional-contemporary-ecclectic

Thanks for the comments guys.

Luckily I'm not just remodeling this to sell it. We're remodelling to enjoy it for 2-5 years then we will resell it at that point. Great comments. I think white kitchens are timeless if done right

You cannot accurately predict trends and 2-5 years away is not only far but a 3 or more year time range. I would suggest well-built and timeless. I wouldn't worry about predicting what is or not trendy down the road. What makes sense for the style of home and and enjoy.

I had white cabinets in the 1990s until I moved in 2009, and I never want them again - they show every bit of dirt, and I don't want to spend that much time trying to keep them clean.

For me, timeless cabinets would be birch, bleached maple, or ash. Natural wood has more value than a painted or lacquered finish, and it can be bleached for a lighter look. I think a lot of white cabinet just look cheap, unless they are high gloss slab. I also would not want to be expected to pay for a kitchen upgrade that I did not like - I would prefer to upgrade myself to something I like. We've been looking at houses in Palm Springs, and I rule out ones with kitchens that are updated not to my taste.

"they show every bit of dirt, and I don't want to spend that much time trying to keep them clean."

The dirt is there regardless whether the cabinets are white or something else. Whether a person prefers to see the dirt easily--and therefore wipe it when it's seen--or leave it there unseen and not cleaned, is personal preference.

Timeless would be the opposite of trendy. Some people don't mind trendy. It makes them feel fresh and they have a plan for when the trend ends, such as make changes or stay in the trend they personally like, despite what is now new.

Timeless looks such as well designed white or wood cabinet kitchens don't require a change to look appropriate over many, many years.

A small bit of dirt (such as a fingerprint) doesn't bother me if I can't see it, but if I can see, it does bother me. I keep a microfiber cloth near the microwave so that I never touch the stainless steel button to open the door. If I touch it with a bare finger, I can see a fingerprint, and then I have to clean that off. I have better things to do with my time than continually wiping fingerprints off of cabinets. I clean them about once a week and am satisfied with that.

I love my warm Hickory. I believe in form and function and not trends. Actually, that is what genuine artists do--they see form and function, and things flow naturally from that. Hickory is a very tough wood--holding up well to a lot of use. I liked the granite I choose b/c it was a nice contrast, though most people can't see that it has hues of green b/c it's really green granite not black with different natural flecks in it. Most people would say it's black. The function part was important too. Granite can take a 500F pan from stove or the oven--marble can't--it's just weaker. It's safest for pastry. I got bull nose for it too b/c it's smooth and safer for children/people no hard edges, and there are subtle curves blended into many aspects of the redo--such as turned legs and curvilinear handles. So you see/feel lines with curvilinear form. You can feel it more than see it if you are artist and know what I mean. Honestly I am seriously tired of the Chip and Joanna white kitchens ad nauseum. White is not clean unless you don't really use your kitchen for actual cooking--many people today are more for show than go--OR unless you are wiping those whites down regularly--and that means a lot with kids, cooking, and projects. When I see the prissy white kitchens, I am reasonably sure they don't get used much on a day-to-day bases for serious cooking.

I so enjoy this thread (for real) and would love to see your kitchen with hickory cabinets and the dark green granite.

Wondering how it is going? Pictures to share.. intelinside1 ?

White cabinets are no harder to keep clean than dark wood ones are. What you are referring to is white cabinets do not HIDE the dirt the way darker ones do. Me? I prefer to see the dirt and wipe off the cabinet. I don't want dirty cabinets or countertops in my kitchen. And yes, I DO cook!

If you are still working on your remodel why don't you consider painting the bottom cabinets flat black. The look is timeless, on-trend, and easy for a potential buyer to change if they don't like it.

I know this an old thread, I'm just curious to see if anyone thinks white is still in style.

We have a contemporary ranch home with Glossy white flat slab cabinets. We knew a more modern home would be harder to sell if that time comes. In our area of custom homes I don't think there are too many white kitchens. Mostly wood and darker interiors.

As for the upkeep, our white cabs are easy to wipe down when something shows. I enjoy cooking and we rarely eat out so a well used kitchen.

@lindacottonwood the house we just purchased is a contemporary style cape cod. I love the quality and the color (lightish brown I guess?) of the cabinets but I was considering changing them out (also to a gloss white). My current kitchen has gloss blue/gray cabinets and I love them. Everyone who came to see the house once on the market commented on how much they loved our kitchen hence my reasoning for using them again but in white. Would you care to share a pic of your cabinets?

Like @lindacottonwood, we chose glossy white flat slab cabinets; they're with a mix of white (very lightly veined) quartz countertops and dark wood counters and shelves. They're definitely more modern than most people like in our area but suit our 1970s contemporary. Cooking is my hobby, and I'm pretty messy but it's easy to clean it up each night. I think if you go with white, it's important to bring in other materials and textures.

I just asked a similar question for my kitchen remodel. Thanks for reviving!

Salina I will have my DH take a photo in the morning. BBL

Salina,

I have those blue/gray cabinets in my laundry room. Love them too.

@Hannah Wolfson I love to cook also, I make lots of curries too but I'm not too concerned about white because I just spray and wipe as I go. What do you use to clean your doors? I just use Mrs Meyer's but wondering if there is something more suitable. Your countertop/cabinet combo sounds lovely, do you care to share a pic, I'm looking for inspiration if I do end up changing out the cabinets.

Salina Here are the pics of my white glossy cabinets.

Wow! Very nice!

My home is 10 years old. I have Taupe cabinets but not white. I still love them but I am more traditional. It’s “old world feel”. If I actually lived on a farm I think I would love farmhouse style. They do remind me of the kitchen my Mom had when I was young. But I remember she really wanted those Harvest Gold or Avocado green appliances (she never got them). I will be remodeling an 80 year old craftsman here soon and I have no idea how I am going to do that kitchen.

White kitchens are not timeless contrary to what someone mentioned above. I guarantee white will fall out of trend and look outdated in a few short years. Install what you like and don't pay attention to the trends. Any woodwork that is painted makes it easier for the installer as they don't have to pay attention to fit and finish. Caulk makes them the carpenter that they're not. To me, white cabinets look cheap.

This is just my opinion. White shaker style cabinets are such a classic, will they truly ever be out of style? Maybe, but I don’t care.

These are picture from the Filoli Mansion, built in 1917. Like this kitchen, my cabinets will be inset cabinet doors, hinges that show (those are fake nowadays, but add visual interest) some of our top cabinets will have glass cabinet fronts and all the doors will be shaker style. So, maybe my kitchen will looked dated but it’s a dated I can live with.

This is an interesting thread. Here it is 2021 and I peruse multiple realtor listings and I see a preponderance of all white kitchens with white "marble" quartz carried up and through the backsplash, even in very high end, multimillion dollar homes . It is a tranquil look, and not cheap to execute. Quartz has been going strong for many years now, and seems to be ever gaining popularity. I notice that floating shelves and framed medallions between stove and hood are less commonly featured. We are remodelling and our selling horizon is between 2-6 years. Hopefully the ktichen will still have appeal.

This may or may not help you but, in my humble opinion, painted cabinets of various styles have been around forever and aren’t going anywhere. Neither are stained wood cabinets. The key thing is that your kitchen should be well designed, highly functional , well cared for (ie, clean) and should be in harmony with the architectural style of the rest of your house. Nothing is worse esthetically than a kitchen that fights the rest of the house!

Whoops, I forgot I had told @Salina months ago that I'd add a photo of my glossy white slab cabinets. The thread became active again and reminded me! It's a poorly shot and poorly staged photo. There is a white quartz countertop on the island (not shown). The house is a 1970s shed-style contemporary, with lots of angles and mostly white walls; we wanted the kitchen to blend into the background. As others have said, what matters most is fitting the kitchen to the house. We never would have done this kind of kitchen in our 1920s bungalow!

We just put in Shaker-style cabinets, and I used Sherwin Williams Dover White paint color. I used the same hardware from the second picture that you shared. They turned out really pretty.

Hannah, thanks for uploading your photo; I like how your kitchen has turned out ! I would love to see a pic of your White Island. We are considering to have our small island Silestone Statuario perimeter counter & feature wall( with black hood & white floating shelves Silestone Desert Silver) . Contractor thinks this would look best, Kitchen is opened to dining room with genuine calacatta table with black marble base; but our house is small so we wonder if one Countertop colour is prudent?

I concur with all the other eloquent posters asserting the importance of harmonious flow. There often are budgetary & marketability factors to consider.

White Shaker cabinets are timeless and beautiful, as are white subway tile with black black grout.

What is NOT timeless and beautiful are trendy expensive items like farmhouse apron sinks, black faucets, glass tile etc...anything that makes it clear the exact year the renovation was done. If you want trendy, stick to items easily replaced, like drawer pulls and knobs, pictures, even paint.

Plain slab cabinet doors with hidden pulls look like a dentist's office...it's a kitchen, not a surgical suite.

FYI: All those kitchens are way too busy, way too much going on, especially in the backsplashes, and the idea of a white kitchen floor is laughable. And please stop making a big deal out of the range hood which for some reason has become the focus of the room!

Hannah, I love it. The wood floors make it warm and not too sterile. I'm loving the shelf by the window too.