Cabinetry is about more than just storage. Cabinetry is about style.

When remodeling your kitchen or building the house of your dreams from scratch, cabinets go a long way in setting the tone for the everything else. Cabinet colors and styles may seem insignificant compared to the larger decisions that come with a bathroom or kitchen remodel, but they can mean the difference between a home you like and a home that really feels like home.

Two big questions loom large when a remodeling project involving cabinets is on the horizon: which cabinet trends have been popular recently, and which ones are a good fit for your style? Just because a cabinet design is popular doesn’t necessarily make it the right one for you.

Cabinet Styles

Cabinet style is one of the first choices you need to make when planning a kitchen or bathroom. There are a lot of options to choose from, so be sure to rely on expertise early in the decision process. You might be surprised by the answers to your “what goes with what” questions.

How to Choose a Cabinet Style

There is no ‘one style fits all’ option. The perfect cabinets for one home might look completely out of place and even garish in another. Mindful cabinet selection is one of the best ways to personalize your space.

A few of the questions you should ask yourself in the early planning stages of any project include:

• What is my budget?
• Do I want framed or frameless cabinets?
• Is my heart set on a specific cabinet material?
• What will I be using these cabinets for?

These questions and more will inform your final decisions.

The Styles of Cabinets

Cabinetry comes in many forms but tends to fall into three major categories.

Traditional cabinets tend to have ornate designs and detailed moulding, and look particularly striking with luxury countertop materials like marble and granite.

Contemporary cabinets have much simpler trim and sharper edges for a more, well, contemporary appearance. They often incorporate metal or glass into their designs for added variety.

Finally, transitional cabinets blend the two styles. Do you want the fine details of a traditional kitchen with a more modern color palette? If so, a transitional cabinet style may be right for you.

The Most Popular Cabinet Door Styles

By far the most popular style of cabinet door in 2023 is the Shaker cabinet. This style in cabinetry has been a trend for decades, but it’s exploded in popularity in recent years. This cabinet door style is made of solid hardwood. They are clean in appearance and highly customizable.

Trends in Kitchen Cabinets

From expansive windos to subdued countertops, 2023 has brought a lot of new trends in kitchen renovation, and you probably won’t be surprised to learn that cabinets are the focal point of many of these trends.

The Current Trend for Kitchen Cabinets

Some of the kitchen cabinet trends that are popular this year include:

• Monochromatic color schemes – You can go with any color you want, but make sure that the cabinets match the countertops.
• Warm, dark wood – All-natural kitchens have regained popularity recently, and stained cabinets have the advantage of durability compared to painted ones.
• Contrasting islands – If you want to add a splash of color to your kitchen, it’s a good idea to make the island stand out.
• Gold-toned hardware – Your cabinet hardware is as important as your cabinets are. Brushed bronze and brass are gaining popularity in kitchen remodels, and they coordinate particularly well with the dark-stained cabinets we mentioned earlier.

The Most Useful Kitchen Cabinet Models

Ease of use is the key when talking about kitchen cabinets. The variety of cabinet styles and variations may seem daunting, but as long as you have a good idea of what you need, we’ll help get you set up with new custom cabinetry. Our experts are eager to help you figure things out!

Some of the questions you should ask yourself when selecting kitchen cabinets include: What will I store inside each compartment? What items will fit best in this space? And… do I want to keep these items hidden or place them on display?

One of our favorite cabinet trends is the continuing evolution of corner cabinets. Instead of dead space, we recommend installing a variety of lazy Susan-type shelving that can rotate, pull out and optimize the use of the space. Diagonal corner-cut cabinets and accordion-style folding doors are also popular options.

Kitchen Cabinet Trends to Avoid (?)

If you want your kitchen to be on the front side of what’s trending, Martha Stewart recommends avoiding farmhouse décor and an all-white color scheme. That doesn’t mean your friend’s 2022 kitchen remodel with white-ish cabinets is outdated, by any means. It just means that, according to industry trend reports, 2023 is a year to consider ditching the blank canvas and filling in your house with a painted cabinet.

Trends in Bathroom Cabinets

Storage is an essential component of any bathroom, and if you’re remodeling yours, you’ll want to pay attention to it. While every bathroom trend may not be right for you, it’s important to know your options.

The Latest Trends in Bathroom Cabinets

The biggest trend in bathroom cabinets in 2023 is the floating vanity. A floating vanity is mounted on the wall, with open space on the floor below it, and getting one adds a feeling of sleekness and modernity to your bathroom. Don’t think of the floor space below as being wasted — you can use it to store extra towels, baskets of smaller items, and even small shelving units.

Wood finish is also popular in bathroom cabinets, as it gives your bathroom a more natural feel and softens the space. If you have the space and the budget, consider adding a double sink vanity for extra storage and added convenience during the morning rush for the bathroom.

The Most Useful Bathroom Cabinet Models

You don’t have to be limited to just a vanity when it comes to adding cabinets to your bathroom. If you have room in your bathroom design, think about adding freestanding cabinets for storing everyday essentials (like towels and sheets, as well as cleaning supplies).

When selecting a material for your bathroom cabinets, select something that can handle humidity. This is especially true if you’re planning on a wet bathroom. Water finds its way into everything, so be prepared! Solid, hard wood is your best bet here, especially if it has a tight grain. Plywood is another good option, as long as it’s been treated for water resistance.

Bathroom Cabinet Trends to Avoid

Much like kitchen cabinets, keeping your bathroom cabinets on the front end of what’s trending means going beyond the fully white cabinet trend that is far from being outdated, of course. Spice up your space with colorful bathroom tile or brightly colored cabinets instead.

Remodeling Your Cabinets

Remodeling your kitchen or bathroom is never a one-day project. That’s why it’s essential to have experts on your side who know about everything from cabinet color trends to problems with the supply chain. That said, updating your cabinet doors can be a great way to improve your living space, as long as you prepare properly.

How to Prepare for Your Cabinet Remodeling

The one universal truth when it comes to renovating your cabinets is that you will lose storage space during the remodeling process. You’ll have to take everything out of the cabinets you are remodeling, as well as removing anything from on top of them. You may find somewhere else in your house to store these items, or you may need to keep them in a secondary facility while work is ongoing.

If your kitchen remodeling project is a large one, you will want to replace the flooring before you install new cabinets.

Request a Design Consultation

If you want to bring new life to your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, schedule your design consultation with Drury Design today! We’ve been providing client-focused design™ for 35 years, and our experts are always glad to help clients discover the possibilities their homes hold.