White Kitchens - Yes or No?

Put me firmly in the YES camp. I'm the middle of sourcing cabinets for our Anguilla Beach House Project.  As I read various online design magazines and blogs, it appears that white kitchens are "out".  People are sick of them.  Apparently, they are boring and show no creativity.

I disagree.  I strongly believe that kitchens and bathrooms are not the places to be trendy.  They are the most expensive rooms to build or renovate.  Twenty-four percent of Americans move to a new house every five years. In other countries people tend not to move as often.  If one is worried about the resale value of their home, it would make sense to have a kitchen that is not dated.

A well-designed white kitchen is timeless. This is one reason they're so popular.  One cannot tell if the kitchen was renovated five months ago or fifteen years ago.  A homeowner can always swap out hardware or light fixtures to freshen things up or we can use accessories that speak to the trends of the moment. Most people cannot afford (nor want to) gut a functional kitchen just for aesthetic reasons.

White kitchens are not a trend given they've been "in" for almost two decades and were very popular in the 1920s. They are classic.  Seriously, what are people smoking? I think, with the rise of social media, we're burning through trends faster.  There's this need for instant gratification and always looking for something new.  The thing is, most of the hot trends of today will not hold up.

To me it's more important that a workhorse room, like a kitchen, functions well.  Open shelving may not be practical for some families. Maybe your kitchen isn't big enough for a massive island.

If a client wants to go with dark green cabinets, I'm all for it and we'll look for the shade that works best in the space.  However, if a client wants white Shaker cabinets but worries it's too boring, we're going to get the darn Shaker cabinets.  We can find other ways to add some color to the kitchen.

Content driven decorators rarely think about the architecture and/or the function of the space.  Many have moved away from working with clients and instead continuously buy and flip houses.  That's a very different mindset than creating a home for yourself or for a client.

As I work on this beach house kitchen, I'm mindful of the trends but we will have white Shaker cabinets as they fit the space, the location, and the architecture of the home.  If the house were inland or a primary residence maybe we would chose a different color.

Here are some kitchens from talented designers and decorators.  Notice that they don't  look the same.  I wish someone would tell them that these kitchens are boring or "so over".    

This kitchen is in a 1922 Colonial that was recently renovated by interior designer, David Nastasi.

Photo: New York Magazine

Modern Farmhouse by House of Jade Interiors.

Photo. The Spruce

A villa in Tuscany designed by Ilaria Miani.  The estate belonged to her grandparents and is now owned by her brother.  I was one of her interns and I remember her custom Whatnot shelving well.

Photo: Elle Decor

Interior designer's Mark D. Sikes's kitchen in the Hollywood Hills.

Photo: Mark D. Sikes

A minimalist NYC kitchen. Love the terrazzo floor. Interior Design by Pierce Allen.

Photo: Elle Decor