24 Great White Kitchens

aca1998 I think a subtly contrasting countertop gives additional flair.

callisondesigner As a kitchen designer, white is my favorite cabinet choice!

jeg700 700 As a person that has had a white kitchen for a few years now, I have to say it is the most impractical choice for a kitchen, which is the messiest room in anyone's house. Since I dislike housework intensely, I will never again have anything all white (or all black, or anything black close to the floors as every bit of dust shows on black!).

Becky Harris obsessive, exactly why I'll never have a white car again :)

kimmelron I'm so tired of the ubiquity of stainless steel appliances. These days, it takes guts NOT to use stainless steel. It's refreshing to see white appliances in an all white kitchen.

joan picone I had to comment! I'm a kitchen designer with 28 years of experience! Almost every client comes to me with the "WHITE" kitchen photo! I try to talk them out of it as it is impossible to maintain. Another problem is most can NOT be repainted because of the finish that is applied! I understand it is a look, but unless your meticulous or never use your kitchen, IT IS A MISTAKE!

minx we have just renovated our new house, and whilst I really wanted a white gloss kitchen, my husband persuaded me to go for the dark grey version instead.
It's fab, and I'm really pleased, but with a white laminate worktop, its pretty hard to keep clean!!

monkeytamer I have a white kitchen and find that it's not hard to keep it clean. The stainless steel appliances and the dark floors? Yeah, those are a never ending source of work. Never again.

cbeaulc We have had a white kitchen, black counter and neutral backsplash & floor for 10+ years now. I still love this room as much now as when we first renovated. If I want to change to feel of the room, all I have to do is paint the walls. In my opinion, it's classic and will never go out of style.

Gus We are building new and had planned to do custom white (wood, painted) cabinets for the kitchen and stainless appliances. I'm finding the comments of people who actually live with and clean that combination really helpful! Thanks...

olldbobbi I have a white kitchen, and I love it. I don't find it hard to maintain at all. However, in a previous house I had a white kitchen floor and I'll NEVER do that again. THAT is constant maintenance. And I can't see the practicality of stainless appliances! Although, some people really love them....

Victoria Loucks I love my white kitchen complete with white counters and stainless appliances. I don't find it hard to keep clean at all but I would draw the line at white floors!

gegolekduit White kitchen remodeling.. Looks clean and elegant..

Wendy Wang i love my white kitchen, its sleek and i get to change up the accent color with paintings and accessories.

olgalita Does anybody know a supplier of mid-to-higher-end NEW WHITE kitchen appliances? Tired of stainless steel and remodelling but cannot locate any white range/frig/dishwasher/microwave combo here in Calgary Alberta Canada....Please help!
Thanks!!

baywind I could not be more confused. Just when I think I've made up my mind, I find a different opinion! Building a house and trying to decide between white kitchen cabinets and stained cabinets. The white cabinets will cost a lot more and the cabinet builder thinks it will be a mistake because of the dings and getting dirty. I do love the white kitchen photos, but am more interested in getting opinions from people who have actually had white kitchen cabinets and still like them. This will be my last house and I fear regretting whatever decision I go with.

Becky Harris Baywind, I have white kitchen cabinets. They are "distressed," so the more dings the better. As for stains, Clorox wipes are my best friend and they clean up great.

If you're at a loss, perhaps you'll fall in love with a countertop material, light fixture or tile that you can design around - it might just solve your problem!

baywind Thank you for that prompt reply, Becky! I have a light color counter top and a light shade of tile, which is mixed with lots of shades. Will probably stick with white appliance after reading comments regarding ss. There will be lots of windows in the kitchen. It will cost $1200 more to go with white cabinets and cost extra to get a few glass cabinet doors. Will go with Natural Maple cabinets through out the rest of this small 2 story country home we are building. So if not white cabinets, I would use Natural Maple cabinets in the kitchen as well. If I go with the Natural Maple cabinets, there will be no upgrade charge, the cabinet builder said he'd give me taller cabinets and no charge for a couple glass cabinet panels. He obviously doesn't like the white!

Becky Harris I am more fascinated by his pricing philosophies now - how interesting. - why the charge for glass with white but not with maple? How funny! I like the idea of maple or white with a country home, I don't think you can lose. Also think about the rooms that will be open to the kitchen and which will make for a more coherent view - white vs. wood. Just be sure no one else is dictating your choice. It's YOUR kitchen and I bet you know which one you prefer in your gut! Stick to your guns, whichever it is!

lk_designs Australians for years have had white appliances and the majority still do. "Mainly white" kitchens are also the norm for Aussies.

house12012 I love the look of a white kitchen, although I hear it is a LOT of work, while others say it is not bad. I am wondering how people with kids and dogs feel about the white kitchen.

Wendy Wang i have a white kitchen and marble&resin countertops and don't find it very hard to keep my kitchen clean.

wkcnic I'm the mother of two little boys, a dog and two cats. This is my second white kitchen and we are moving again, I am now in the midst of planning my third white kitchen. I wouldn't have any other color, I just love the classic feel. And I don't find the upkeep difficult at all, but I do have dark counters so that probably helps.

marygardiner I had to really work hard to get the appliances I wanted in white, JennAir sells the floating glass white for most of theirs, including refrigerators. The problem is finding a traditional depth refrigerator that will accept panels to match your cabinet. No one makes a flat fronted refrigerator unless they are cabinet depth. It is very frustrating. I have a 36 in width space built in look and want to replace my current side by side with a French door, freezer on the bottom. I want 29 cu ft just like what is presently there. Keeping my fingers crossed that manufacturers go back to flat fronts instead of curved before this fridge gives out.

chemistrykaren I've lived with a non-white kitchen for many years and I don't think it's been any harder to 'keep clean' than a white one. The problem when the dirt is camouflaged by wood and colour is that I clean less often! So I'm hoping the new white kitchen that's soon to be installed will keep me on my cleaning toes. had a white kitchen floor many years ago and it did just that. :-)

chemistrykaren Oops - sorry, above should read "any _easier_ to 'keep clean' than a white one"! ... shouldn't it? :) I am having difficulty, however, choosing (1) the right white paint (for the cabinet doors) to suit my Victorian house - not too yellowy and nicotine-y, not too blue and cold/modern... and (2) the right counter top (on my budget, laminate is the current option). So far I am using a 'white' wall tile as a basis for choosing white paint. Any other tips and hints? Also, for the floor I'd ideally like some sort of quarry tiles/terracotta floor tiles for a cottage-y style.... Any advice gratefully received.

graymarcy Baywind, white is more?? My builder is giving me a discount for choosing painted rather than stained.

rpdesignfreak I have had maple cabinets and now in my new house white Formica (waiting to remodel). I have two kids that love to use the drawer pulls to climb on to reach things in the upper cabinets. Yes the cabinets get dirty and smudge marks but they clean right up with wipes. I'd rather be able to see the dirt right away and clean it off rather than be shocked at how much crud there was on the cabinets like the maple ones I used to have. I am planning my new kitchen and I will be using white again, just this time they will be all wood so I can repaint them when they need to be freshened up.

misstommie From experience, we live best with traditional white, light cabs.....don't believe they are any harder to keep than stained wood! Our present custom kitchen cabs are made of "paint grade" wood,....bottoms are antiqued red while top cabs are a creamy (BM 'Winter Wheat"). The interior backs of upper cabs with glass fronted doors are also red. The island is stained pine and there's another section of lower cabs that is also stained pine and looks like a pc of furniture. Our previous custom kitchen cabs were made of pine and white washed....which we also liked. Now after being in this house for 7 years we're about to build again and will "go" with a white kitchen.....the new house being a Charleston side porch design. We're really really tired of stainless appliances and are seriously thinking about returning to all white! Always install the biggest "farm" sink you can afford - especially if you cook a lot and have big skillets and pots! In our new kitchen we plan to "work in" antique pieces of furniture that we already have.....a wonderful Scottish pine dresser bought in Scotland, a huge pine armoire, an antique oak table to be used as an island......of course, all these pieces will contrast with the white fixed cabs and it will look great! Don't let any cab maker or even a designer tell you what you should do or like ! I used to teach design and I always tried to instill in my students that they should know in their gut what they lean toward and can live with best! Decorating should be fun and an opportunity for you to express your preferences.....

nhmorris43 I have had a white kitchen for 20 years and I don't find it hard to keep clean. I do have some knicks. I am now planning on re-doing my cabinets, but will still have white. Your kitchen looks so much brighter and open with white and you can change colors by painting the walls and adding new colored countertop accessories.

mora73105 I'm laughing at this post because its pretty much exactly what were going through! At this point I'm just amazed my husband and I are still together after the white paint for the cabinets....5 months later and I'm settling on Benjamin moores stock white. The white tile took on a different color after it was grouted, and I think the paint samples changed their look again after the flooring was installed. I should have waited to pick paint untill the other elements were in and then painted a piece of wood and placed it in different places during different times of day....

chemistrykaren I was set on white... until the multicoloured slate flooring was put in. White cabinets just wouldn't have shown off those beautiful colours, so the cabinets are now blue! I do love it though...

mora73105 love blue cabinets! sounds like your kitchen is almost finished? Just in time for summer! You should post a picture...

chemistrykaren Nearly done, yes - after months of torture! I will post a picture of it finished, but here's an one from an earlier stage, to give an idea...

mora73105 LOVE the color you chose! I can definetly see Victorian... and your floor is absolutely gorgeous!

chemistrykaren Thank you! The blue is a copy of Farrow & Ball Parma Gray and sadly is bluer than the original but looks ok. (Sorry folks for hijacking the 'White' thread... will try and continue elsewhere...)

calicat I have a white kitchen with stainless steel appliances and dark oak floors. I love it. It is easy to keep clean because little drips and splashes are obvious so I can quickly wipe it clean. I did cheat with a faux Carrara laminate counter and it looks incredible! It does not hold stains.