Tone-toned cabinets are an easy way to bring depth, intrigue, and subtle variation into your kitchen—whether you’ve already decided to incorporate ample splashes of vibrant color or you’re set on keeping it neutral. Though two-toned cabinets may not seem like an obvious choice, they’re actually super popular with kitchen designers. This is because using different colors, finishes, or materials can help break up different sections visually. Plus, what might be the right thing for uppers or an island isn’t always going to be the most flattering for your lower cabinets. In fact, opting for lighter uppers or glass enclosure with a different trim up top can make the walls seem less cluttered, thus, opening up the entire room! Luckily, it’s a pretty easy kitchen upgrade, as it typically just requires some paint supplies and patience. Discover 18 two-toned kitchen cabinet examples and take note of your favorite(s) so you can recreate it in your own home.
1
Black + White
Let’s start with the most popular pair: black and white. Display cabinets are another clever way to lighten up a black kitchen. Not only will you be able to display your pretty tableware and decorative objects, but the glass also makes it feel more open and spacious, as seen in this kitchen designed by Nicole Hollis Studio.
BUY BLACK PAINT + BUY WHITE PAINT
2
Light Mint + Gold
There’s nothing quite like metallic to make your interiors pop, especially in the kitchen where surfaces need to work hard since there are fewer wall decor opportunities. Opt for a brushed gold finish on a couple of statement cabinets and use a muted pastel, as done in this Tamsin Johnson-designed kitchen.
BUY MINT GREEN PAINT + BUY GOLD PAINT
3
Purple + Cream
At once surprising and classic, this kitchen designed by Rita Konig is making us want to run to the store for buttercream yellow and eggplant purple paint. The wallpaper is what really ties them together.
BUY PURPLE PAINT + BUY YELLOW PAINT
4
Deep Green + Warm Wood
Deep green and warm light wood with gold hardware and cool white zeillge tiles are proving to be a very good team in this stylish space. Arent & Pyke opted for alternating bronze hardware and white stone countertops for a healthy mix of warmth and coolness.
BUY DARK GREEN PAINT
5
Cobalt + Tangerine + White
Why go two-tones when you can go tri-toned? Opposites attract, as proven in this Dries Otten-designed kitchen. Cobalt and bright orange cabinets flank a white tiled cabinet, and if you peak in the top left corner, you’ll see another cool feature: a mirrored hood. Disco dinner parties await you.
BUY COBALT PAINT + BUY ORANGE PAINT
6
Navy + Cream
In this kitchen designed by Heidi Caillier, cream uppers with glass enclosures camouflage into the wall while navy lowers ground the space. Together, they eliminate the visual chaos that can occur with too many dark cabinets while still ensuring plenty of storage space.
BUY NAVY PAINT + BUY CREAM PAINT
7
Light Green + Wood
A soft sage green flatters the light wood finished and pale gray zellige tile backsplash in this kitchen by Heidi Caillier Design. If you aren’t committed to painting all the wood cabinets in your kitchen one color just yet, this is a great one for you to replicate by making the cabinets along the wall pop with a pastel and leaving the others alone for now.
SHOP LIGHT GREEN PAINT
8
Cherry Wood + Greige
Paired with simple wooden stools, glass-enclosed wooden cabinet uppers, and a greige island base, the Carerra marble countertops and backsplash give this Boston Brownstone by Jae Joo an English countryside spin. Though subtle, the variation between the glass and solid wood enclosures as well as the painted island cabinets (Hardwick White by Farrow & Ball) keep things interesting.
BUY GREIGE PAINT
9
Peach + Moss
If you want to dabble in the two-toned kitchen cabinet trend but you’re not totally sure about the multi-color approach, take note of this bold and sweet design by Brisbane-based Anna Spiro. The peachy cabinets all match, but there’s a hidden surprise under the uppers: a genius stroke of green!
BUY PEACH PAINT + BUY GREEN PAINT
10
White + Stainless Steel
Stainless steel will make your kitchen look so professional that you’ll be cooking like a pro in time, too, no doubt. Okay, well maybe we can’t promise you that, but we can say that stainless steel will make your kitchen look as sleek as possible. Simple white, hardware-free cabinets up top align with the modern and minimalist approach in this kitchen by Emil Dervish.
BUY WHITE PAINT
11
Black + Oak
Black cabinets complement the formal range and hood while a classic oak table—which doubles a dining zone as well as a prep space in lieu of a built-in island—matches the corner cabinet and floating shelves in this Montreal kitchen by Les Ensembliers.
BUY BLACK PAINT
12
Spring Green + Marigold
When your kitchen needs some cheering up, you can always count on a yellow paint color. But paired with a buoyant green color? Now that’s going to make any room feel like a fresh spring day all year long. “We chose a bespoke green that matched the prep table and our new Scullery Yellow paint color,” says deVOL Kitchens, adding that”every time we see this yellow, we love it a bit more.”
SHOP YELLOW + GREEN PAINT
13
White + Wood
White and wood, it’s a classic kitchen combination for a reason. Corey Damen Jenkins chose a darker stain for the hardwood floors and painted the window frames an inky black to sharpen things up.
BUY WHITE PAINT
14
Bubblegum Pink + Green
When you can’t decide on just one fun paint color, use both of them. In deVOL Kitchens’ New York City showroom, the moody lower cabinets create a strong foundation for the glossy green walls while the bubblegum trimmings on the upper cabinets speak to the magenta pitcher and pendant.
BUY PINK PAINT + BUY GREEN PAINT
15
Blush + Rust
Lacquered oak, mirrored tiles, and rich lardo marble are brought to life even further with two-toned cabinets. On the bottom, Dried Otten opted for a super pale pink and burnt orange on the bottom, extending over to the curved island extension.
BUY BLUSH PAINT + BUY RUST PAINT
16
Navy + Light Gray + Orange
An inky, marine blue will ground a kitchen in an open space and feel more formal than a light color without being as moody and as dark as black. We also love the idea of painting the interior cabinets a color that corresponds with an accent piece in the room, like this orange cabinet designed by Arent & Pyke to match the carpet. A light wood gray exterior sets the living room cabinets apart from the kitchen ones.
BUY NAVY PAINT + BUY GRAY PAINT +
BUY ORANGE PAINT
17
Dark Gray + Copper + Wood
If you prefer to keep things neutral and don’t love the look of paint, but still want in on this trend, look no further. This kitchen designed by Birgitte Pearce mixes finishes and materials for a texture-rich approach to two-toned cabinets.
18
Beige + Black Wood
We’re really digging the alternating black and gray stained wood cabinets in this deVOL kitchen. The varied tones (plus texture) add interest to a neutral space. The sandy beige walls keep things neutral but warm things a little more than a crisp white or super light gray. The shearling chair cover warms up, too, and the interior window creates flow and spreads the light.
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