27 White Kitchen Ideas That Make a Sleek and Serene Statement
A white kitchen is like a white plate: a warm, welcoming backdrop that makes everything appear a little more delicious. Still, there are ways to do them right—it’s not just picking out the cream-colored option in everything from cabinets to paint colors. When handled incorrectly, white kitchens can feel a bit sterile, so textural layers become key to infuse warmth and personality into the room. Of course, interior design style also plays a big role in the many white kitchen routes one can take. In a modern home, a cool hue with lacquered white cabinets and stainless-steel fixtures could make a clean statement, and the traditionalist may opt for rustic wood ceiling beams, walnut floors, and copper pots hung from a ceiling rack.
Whatever you’re craving when it comes to white kitchen ideas, these examples prove the enduring versatility of the classic white kitchen. In the following article, find inspiration from 27 AD-approved projects and get expert advice on white kitchen execution from interior designers across the country.
Is a white kitchen a good idea?
When you’re going through a remodel, decisions about high ticket items, like kitchens, can be paralyzing for homeowners. “White kitchens are classic, and I think they are still lovely and current,” says Gainesville, Georgia–based interior designer Maggie Griffin. Still, some designers—like Minneapolis designer Emily Anderson of O’Hara Interiors—note that the all-white kitchen may feel sterile and lack coziness. “Adding color, texture, and wood tones helps to make it feel more inviting to all,” Anderson says, a move that works well in a small kitchen in the city or a modern farmhouse. “Nowadays, there has to be some sort of contrasting cabinet, a painted island, or [some] white oak.” Ultimately, like most things in interior design, the decision should come down to personal taste.
Are white kitchens still in style in 2024?
White kitchen designs can definitely be in style in 2024—especially if you make them as personal as a secret family recipe. “While the kitchen is a shared gathering space, it’s still a place where you can express your individuality,” Anderson says. “So for 2024 I expect a mix of white and something else…. For example, earthy/pastel green is popular right now. Blues are often seen as another ‘neutral,’ and green and taupe are trending this way too because they have a cozy ‘hygge’ feeling.”
Can I have an all-white kitchen?
You can have whatever your heart desires, of course, but we do recommend perusing white kitchen designs until you find something that you’ll like for a significant chunk of time. Revamping a cookspace is not cheap, so you’ll want to invest in something relatively classic. “White kitchens are renowned for their clean and space-enhancing effect; however, if styled incorrectly they can often give off a more clinical feel,” says Jen Nash, head of design at Magnet Kitchens. “To combat this, it’s a good idea to complement the color with natural woods, marble accents, and some colorful accessories to make the room feel more inviting and timeless.”
How do you modernize an all-white kitchen?
There are as many ways to modernize an all-white kitchen as there are spices in the spice aisle. Employing a pop of color with unexpected cabinet knobs, a gleaming faucet, or textural touches—such as rattan woven pendant light or antique painting—can supply a note of Instagrammable cool factor. Or consider painting or installing one element of the kitchen in a saturated hue. “If you have an island, it’s easy to modernize a white kitchen,” Anderson says. “You can paint the island a different color or you can add more color with your backsplash, counters, fridges, freezers, fabrics, and other soft finishes. You can pull in more color and coziness if not everything is white.”
Photo: Charles S. White1/27Let woods and metallics dazzle
Overhead wood beams are as snug as a fairytale. At his home in Amagansett, New York, talent agent Sandy Gallin warmed up an otherwise pure white kitchen with reclaimed-timber beams and lined the floor in dark wood planks, a move that balances the airy feel of the walls and cabinets.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn2/27Add a historic aura
Let there be light. In the historic Livingston, New York, home of architect Jim Joseph and musical theater composer Scott Frankel, the white cabinets were fashioned from antique windows (look closely, and you can see the original wavy glass inset). Unexpected pendant lights and stone floors add a historic aura in white kitchen designs like this.
Photo: Sang An3/27Get textural
When in doubt, a natural fiber runner rug and bowls of fresh fruit can make textural movie magic in a white kitchen. In this cookspace—designed by Carrier & Company in Southampton, New York—a bespoke pot-rack light fixture suspended over the island displays a collection of copper cookware, gleaming and ready to be put to good use.
Photo: Roger Davies4/27Cozy it up
Fashion designer Jenni Kayne and her husband, real estate agent Richard Ehrlich, have a ceiling of reclaimed timber bringing warmth to the modern kitchen of their Los Angeles home. Architecture firm Standard helped make it one of the most used rooms in the house, with the compelling mix of French industrial pendant lights from the 1920s and white-lacquer cabinetry. “It’s where we reconnect after a long day—the perfect spot to relax,” Kayne previously told AD. “Frankly, we’d be happy just living in there.”
Photo: Michael Moran5/27Keep it clean lined
Sometimes, spare wins. For a Manhattan apartment with sensational views of the East River, interior designer Jennifer Post conceived minimalist interiors to allow the serene surroundings to take center stage. “I tried to keep it as non-kitchen-looking as possible—no hardware, clean lines on all my cabinetry, and lacquer finishes,” Post says.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn6/27Add a shimmery backsplash
“White sets such a beautiful tone,” says decorator Suzanne Kasler of the color scheme she used in her refined Atlanta home, which she renovated with residential designer William T. Baker. The tile backsplash is by Waterworks, and the barstools are from Kasler’s line for Hickory Chair. Glass-front cabinets display tableware, while an adjacent wall of storage tucks other items out of sight.
Photo: Oberto Gili7/27Embrace airy light
In the kitchen of a Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, house by Mark Cunningham, cabinets painted in a white from Ralph Lauren’s now discontinued paint line are paired with reclaimed oak shelves and ceiling beams. Abundant windows allow sunlight to flow freely, warming up the scene.
Photo: Jenifer McNeil Baker8/27Supply timeless touches
“When designing the house, I really paid attention to what the other older, classic historical homes in Lakewood, Texas, look like to ensure there are those little influences here and there,” says Eddie Maestri, principal architect and owner of Maestri Studio in Dallas, who designed this almost-farmhouse kitchen within a Dallas new build. “We wanted the house’s interior architecture to have the same charm and feel as an older home. Thus, we kept the kitchen bright and simple, letting the architectural details speak for themselves. Currey & Co pendants add a touch of rustic flair against the backdrop of the custom cabinetry and hardware, with the artwork adding that gentle touch of country charm.”
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Photo: Dustin Halleck9/27Keep the counters sleek
“This kitchen features a sharp palette of black and white cabinetry with classic applied molding throughout for a chic, Parisian feel,” says Devon Wegman, founder of DGI Design x Build in Chicago. “The minimal quartz backsplash and waterfall countertops help give this space a clean and modern look.” Herringbone wood floors underfoot juxtapose a timeless quality, as does the woodwork adorning the white walls, upper cabinets, and lower cabinets. In lieu of a chandelier, a trio of pendants radiate a warm glow.
Dustin Halleck10/27Infuse design cues from other parts of the house
“We opted for classic white kitchen cabinets along the perimeter to keep the space light and bright, but we carried the wood finish from built-ins throughout the home to the island,” Wegman says of this Chicago new build. “Matte black hardware adds contrast to the white cabinets while brass hardware on the wood island adds a touch of warmth. Modern, delicate pendants above the island inject subtle texture and additional warmth.”
Photo: Dustin Halleck11/27Balance blonde woods and warm tiles
Look closely at the cabinetry of this Buffalo, Michigan, project, also designed by Wegman, and you’ll see it’s lined in plank panels. “We opted to paint them white to balance out the wood tones,” Wegman says. “The kitchen design was all about incorporating depth through natural textures, as seen in the wood cabinetry, plaster hood, and handmade Moroccan zellige kitchen backsplash tile.” The latter acts as a focal point that also serves to highlight the view out the windows.
Photo: Heidi Harris12/27Choose the right white
According to Andi Morse, an Atlanta-based designer, “doing a white kitchen right is selecting the right white paint color.” It’s advice that’s abundantly clear in this Sandy Springs, Georgia, project, where an Art Deco–inspired light fixture acts as eye candy over commanding island. “Take into consideration the natural light the room gets and make sure to choose a white that won’t go yellow,” she advises.
Photo: Brian Bieder13/27Get into ship shape
The subtly striped stool upholstery echoes the shiplap detailing on the ceiling and range hood in this kitchen by designer Maggie Griffin. A contrasting kitchen island color supplies needed depth to the simple shaker space in the Buford, Georgia, home. “I love mixing materials in a white kitchen, like metals for the lighting, hardware, and plumbing; countertops as a mix of stone and wood; and millwork details like V-groove walls and beams on the ceiling.”
Photo: Brian Bieder14/27Tuck away the appliances
A touch of rattan and China-inspired decor brings a tropical note to this Cashiers, North Carolina, kitchen, designed by Grace Brackman of Maggie Griffin Design. Though the stainless steel on the ovens has pride of place, paneling on the fridge and dishwasher hide these bulky appliances out of sight. The island is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Van Deusen Blue.
Photo: Robert Peterson of Rustic White Photography15/27Wow with windows and glass-front cabinets
Ornate wood cabinets could easily feel dated, but not here. Multiple hues in similar tones—a soft blue for the kitchen island, white for surrounding cabinetry, and exposed wood for the cabinets that flank the farmhouse sink—make this kitchen by Griffin timeless.
Photo: Brian Bieder16/27Anchor the island with bold color
Lantern-like lighting, woven rattan stools, and exposed brick lend this white kitchen by Maggie Griffin Design the feel of a historic garden in the Lowcountry. The off-white beadboard ceiling and creamy white cabinetry supply easy-to-live-with elegance.
Photo: David Patterson17/27Bring in mixed metals
“The fresh pop of blue on the lower cabinets gives a nice dose of character and color against a mostly white kitchen,” says Sarah Tiedeken, partner of Colorado firm Vertical Arts Architecture, who designed this kitchen. “The open floating shelves above the half backsplash allow a view to the yard beyond adding another layer of color and texture to the kitchen.”
Photo: Courtesy of Vertical Arts Architecture18/27Juxtapose with handsome brickwork
“The tumbled brick backsplash is a shining star in this crisp white kitchen,” Tiedeken says of the kitchen in this Littleton, Colorado, project. “Accents of iron and rustic wood pull the look together creating a simple yet slightly industrial vibe.” We love the retro feel of the glass pendant lights, which appear to float above the hard-wearing space.
Photo: Björn Wallander19/27Add rusticity with leather stools
In this Ariel Ashe kitchen, soaring open ceilings are highlighted by what are arguably among the sleekest pendant lights on the planet. Leather bar stools help bring such modernity down to earth.
Photo: Eric Piasecki/Courtesy of S.R. Gambrel, Inc.20/27Opt for floor-to-ceiling subway tile
Steven Gambrel installed floors “reclaimed from the old winter gardens of the Metropolitan Museum of Art” in his Sag Harbor, New York, beach house. The plethora of task lighting, sturdy counters, and all-over tile helps create an industrial feel. “My beach house is a rural interpretation of a utilitarian kitchen, and it’s built for service, not style—which of course becomes stylish,” he says.
Photo: Eric Piasecki/Courtesy of S.R. Gambrel, Inc.21/27Install a vibrant range
To bring light into a windowless kitchen, Gambrel installed glossy glass-front cabinetry, glass tiles, lacquered floors, and—above it all—a skylight. “The space feels fresh and happy, and you can see the clouds passing over when you look up.”
Photo: Roger Davies22/27Use stainless steel and brass
A duo of pendant lights with gleaming inner shades draw the eye up in this traditionally appointed Miles Redd kitchen in California. Employing both stainless steel and warmer brass finishes can create a more timeless and welcoming feel.
Photo: PIETER ESTERSOHN23/27Go for a graphic wall
There’s nothing that feels standard issue in this white kitchen, thanks to a graphic tile wall and backsplash. Also adding an unexpected touch to the cookspace designed by architect David Hottenroth and AD100 interior designer David Netto: the pendant lights over the island by Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.
Photo: Joshua McHugh24/27Hang antique oil paintings
Woven French bistro chairs in various candy-hued colors lend a well-traveled feeling to this kitchen designed by SheltonMindel, lending storied charm that juxtaposes nicely against the waterfall edge kitchen island.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn25/27Let the food and flora pop
In a kitchen this sleek and serene, organic branches become moments of sculpture. We especially love the easily cleanable glass backsplash, Bulthaup cabinetry, and sink in this apartment designed by Solís Betancourt & Sherrill.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn26/27Warm up the space with curtains
This formerly dated Skaneateles, New York, white kitchen was given new life by Meyer & Meyer Architecture and Interiors and design firm McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors. Adding interest is the dark countertop that balances the light marble countertops of the island.
Photo: Simon Upton27/27Give copper pots a star turn
When the range and range hood are this luxe, the rest of the cookspace can retreat a bit and let them be the star. AD100 designer Gil Schafer lined film and television producer Will Kopelman’s white kitchen in white subway tiles, from the counter to the ceiling—an old-world touch that echoes the storied feel of the appliances.
