Change the kitchen cabinets and you’ll change the whole kitchen. You can get creative with cabinet design, whether you’re changing out the hardware for a minor refresh or doing a total overhaul of your kitchen and replacing what’s already there. Here’s some inspiration for adding some color to your kitchen renovation, whatever the scope of your project may be.

1. Pistachio-hued cabinets

The pop of color from these Lex Furniture cabinets instantly inject personality in this 1960s-style Melbourne apartment.

2. Black Shaker-style cabinets

Paired with a white subway tile backsplash and white counter tops, these black Shaker-style cabinets make the space stylish.

3. Cabinets with a high-gloss finish

If you won’t give up the idea of a white kitchen and you’re going the DIY (or semi-DIY) route, you can have an auto body shop paint your cabinets with a high-gloss finish, like you see on these bright white ones.

4. Contrast wood floors with cabinets painted a darker color

Storage space is hard to come by in smaller apartments, but Danish architect Sigurd Larsen made the most of his 969 square foot Berlin home when he custom designed this set with Reform. The darker color also can make the room feel larger.

5. Ikea cabinets

Ikea cabinets are a popular option, and they can even be customized. Here’s another way they could look.

5. Folding cabinets inspired by Piet Mondrian

Darren Selement and Cathryn Rich purchased this 1970 Deck House home in 2013, and they updated it to include folding and sliding cabinets that hide clutter and were inspired by the work of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian.

6. Custom cabinet wall

The owners of this Brooklyn apartment initially planned to update the bathroom. But with the help of architect Alex Delaunay of SABO Project, they tapped into the potential of the 12-foot ceilings to add this custom cabinet wall.

7. Blue kitchen cabinets

Adding a fresh coat of paint to cabinet fronts is one relatively low lift way to update a kitchen without doing a total overhaul. These cornflower blue cabinets in a Brooklyn home by Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design provide some inspiration.

8. Multi-colored cabinets

Who said kitchen cabinets have to be one color? These laminate cabinets in different shades of blue make this kitchen feel fun.

9. Wood-stained cabinets

If you have wooden cabinets, the right stain can have a dramatic effect on your kitchen. And stains fade, so this is something you’ll want to update periodically.

10. Change the hardware

Adding different knobs or handles can change the whole look and feel of your cabinets—and your kitchen.

11. White cabinets with brass hardware

Trends in kitchen design seem to change with each decade, but a white kitchen will never go out of style. If you do want a classic white kitchen, punch it up with unique hardware in different styles and finishes.

12. Oak timber cabinets with a tile backsplash

Wooden cabinets might feel drab on their own, but in this Southern California kitchen they’re paired with a tile backsplash and quartzite countertops, which makes the space bright and beautiful.

13. Wooden cabinets with a black tile backsplash

In this Emily Henderson-styled kitchen, these wooden cabinets paired with black subway tile feel timeless.

14. Stock cabinetry with a fresh coat of paint

Stock cabinetry doesn’t have to be boring. The coat of petal-hued paint gives makes these kitchen cabinets unique.

15. Cleverly-placed cabinets

Cabinets nestled under the stairs and kitchen island offered more storage space in this Viennese apartment.

Top image by Ross Mantle

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