do you like it? does it matter for resale or is this your forever home? there are lots of answers but in the end it's your kitchen

It is very much in style and the trend is expected to continue. More shades of blue are being introduced as solid color, glazed or distressed.

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I don’t think they are outdated. I agree with Jennifer Haven’s post. Get what you like. A kitchen is a place you spend lots of time in. Choose what your heart desires.

I think colored cabinets will certainly date a kitchen to this decade. Is that bad? Name a style that won't be dated to it's decade? I don't think painted cabinets are near as common as they seem if you watch HGTV or follow houzz. None of that is here nor there. If you love the look go for it.

Two tone kitchens have always been around. Sometimes you see them advertised more than other times.

Adding navy seems to be a trend. But, again as we all say, it‘s your kitchen.

I’m of the view that this has always been an awkward trend, and it will not age well. I’m surprised at how much love it continues to get on this (usually conservative) forum, because it looks ill-conceived in all but the most expensive kitchens. It typically looks like someone with not a lot of design acumen couldn’t pick between two different cabinets, and so just decided to put both in their kitchen. Or looks like a kitchen show room. It rarely looks like they belong together.

So it usually stands out like a sore thumb, and so when the trend does finally age out in a few years, it will not age well. Because it never looked great to begin with. Sort of like behind the stove backsplash features, and skinny tile back splashes. But unlike, say, white cabinets, or shaker cabinets, or plain subway tiles. No one disputes that these look nice - they just argue they’re overdone. So in ten years people with white cabinets might be ready for an upgrade because the trend is passed. But they won’t be asking “what was I thinking??” Its like when people come to this forum with a 2005 kitchen with busy granite and skinny tile backsplash and everyone unanimously replies “it’s vile, get rid of it!”. Versus when people come with pics of their 2005 kitchen with dark brown cabinets and want to upgrade, and we all hem and haw because the cabinets are quite lovely but they’re just not very up to date.

in 15 years, painted cabinets will be the brown cabs of 2005- not very trendy but nothing wrong with them. But two tone cabinets (other than expensive kitchens).... will be the skinny tile with granite.... what were they thinking?

IMO glazed or distressed cabinets are always a bad choice . I think I have to agree if you love it do it remembering all things trending will stop trending. I like a simple white kitchen where you can embrace your favorite color on trend with accessories and tea towels , What colors are you thinking of? If you are the the type to follow trends go for it. I have stainless and white cabinets I had stinless and red in my last house I love the mix and still love it 13 yrs later in this house. I have never been one to follow trends but do what I love.

Two tone kitchens have always been around. Sometimes you see them advertised more than other times.

Setting aside whether it's dated or not, to me the issue is that it is much more of a challenge to coordinate the other color choices in the kitchen when they have to go with two cabinet colors rather than one. I am talking about the flooring, counters, backsplash, wall colors. You need them all to go with each other, and with the two cabinet colors. You will have to have a lot of confidence in your own eye for color choices, or in your designer's eye for color choices.

If you do decide to go with two cabinet colors, then make sure you stick with one counter choice. You do not want two cabinet colors and two counter colors. That would be too much going on, and a mistake.

I did it my kitchen 10 years ago. My kitchen isn't high end. I didn't do a white countertop because my husband didn't want the speckled countertops that looked like "his high school floor". The beautiful Cambria whites/marble look alike weren't available. I ended up with dark brown/black bottoms, a gray/beige swirly countertop (because the lighter quartzite I loved would have to have a seam in our island so we went with a larger slab), whitish uppers ... then had a heck of a time finding a backsplash to go with it. I waited a few years then committed. It was a goof. I so wish I had just gone classic and think about painting these all the time. Two tone looks great in high end, perfectly finished kitchens. I've regretted mine ever since. But it's still better than my old kitchen. Still looking for the magical backsplash to tie it all together.

Gorgeous! Love the blue. Do you mind sharing the color? My countertops are a black granite with iridescent flecks (can’t change, unfortunately).

Well, I hope not, But even if so, I don’t care. I am about to start my remodel with rift sawn white oak cabinets (perimeter lowers bleached light, island stained medium brown with a hint of gray), white uppers and Taj Mahal countertops everywhere. I love the three tones.

@clt3 - you must have been very excited when those photos arrived! Bold paint color selection for the island! If you would have asked for help in a post re: selecting your backsplash, I’m sure that many people would have questioned your decision. Having the “right” backsplash is more important when using different colors for perimeter cabinets and islands (or different uppers and lowers). It looks like you “nailed it” based upon the photos you’ve shared! While I think white kitchens are beautiful and timeless, it‘s been fun seeing colors come back!

What is your countertop material? Quartzite? I’m still pretty new to all of this (only been wandering around here on Houzz for about 8 months or so) - I’m not very good at identifying materials in photos! Also, what paint color did you use on the walls? Maybe SW Sea Salt? Probably wrong - but I thought I’d made a guess! Your kitchen will be lovely when finished!

Beersnob - first, I love your user name! I refer to my SO as a “beer snob” all the time!

I hope that two toned kitchens aren’t “out of style” - I will be starting my kitchen renovation as soon as I finish my master bathroom - and it will be two toned. Initially, I was going to use a very dark navy for my island, but now I’ve decided to have white uppers (plus, white stacked uppers) with natural/raw wood lowers + island. I didn’t change my decision about using navy because I thought it was going out of style, I just have ”fallen in love” with two kitchens that have white oak lowers/white uppers/Bedrosian Cloe White tile back splashes.

Unless you are going to sell your house in the next few years, I think that you should do what you love, not what someone else might love in 5, 10 or 15 yrs. Right now, I could sell my house with my 90s cathedral oak cabinets without making any updates or price concessions - and have an offer in under 48 hrs. It’s difficult to predict what the market will be at some unknown point in the future.

I love it! Not for the timid, however. Do what you love!

The island color is Sherwin-Williams Aquaverde. I loved it the minute I saw it. And yes, someone here tried to talk me into a different color. I thought for 5 minutes about Hale Navy, but when I saw that matching tile color on the wall in the store , it couldn’t have been more perfect. Good eye, the walls are Sea Salt. The island is Fantasy Brown. Our original plan was just to paint the island, change the granite and backsplash but our friend said he could fix every nick and scratch they’d accumulated in 19 years.

Our original cabinets are cherry -

clt3, yours looked like mine! couldn't take it anymore (btw, love your tile! thank you for not doing white subway!)

Had them all painted (the cabs were solid wood, custom built, so they were in great shape. the finish was horrible though).

apparently, according to some, the two tone looks 'ill conceived', couldn't 'make up my mind', have no 'design acumen' and it resembles a showroom.

um, ok.

Too me, white on white on white is the most boring thing on the planet. I have a coffee bar you can't see in the picture that is black/white cement tile w/walnut shelving. some would lose their mind over that 'chaotic mess'.

beersnob,, it's your kitchen, do what you like.

two toned cabs have been around for 100 years. I doubt it's going anywhere soon.

Beth, the finish on ours was actually quite good except for the sink tilt out. But they definitely had some nicks from kids,, dogs, and bar stools! And yes, they were also custom made quality cabinets with almost all drawers or deep pullouts. He also replaced all hinges and drawer glides with soft close. No, I never for one minute considered white subway! I was a little worried the patterned tile would be too busy for the counter but I am beyond thrilled with how it looks. I don’t think the tile setter is as thrilled as we are though.

clt3, that blue is gorgeous!

To me, a different color island is not a full two tone kitchen. Painting all your main lowers different from top, screams DIY design. Having your island different is classic.

We had our kitchen cabinets painted two tone a few months ago and whoever sees it, wants it. We did white uppers and a darker blue gray on the lowers. It definitely brightened and updated our kitchen. We also extended our new quartzite counters to go up on the backsplash for a seamless, less busy look.

I think that it‘s much more difficult to create a successful two-toned kitchen without some professional guidance. However, I don’t think that it‘s fair to say that all two-toned kitchens look unprofessionally designed.

I’ve seen many “classic” kitchens where white uppers have been paired with stained lowers/islands. These kitchens are, by definition, two toned - and IMHO, look STUNNING!

The navy blue color is definitely a trend, but I think you can successfully use two different colors if it works with the style of your home, especially it is just the island that is different.

I think someone hit the nail on the head when they said that two toned cabinets are "very much in style". That means that at some point it time they weren't in style, and at some point they won't be in style. Of course you may want to put them in anyway.

I am in the process of building a very budget-conscious tract home, so yes, my kitchen will very much be DIY design. It's what my budget allows. I put money into upgrading the construction, soft close and all that, but the nicer wood finishes I liked

would have added thousands I didn't have. I was set to go with all cream cabinets till a friend with similar showed me how her dog's constant rubbing on them made them smudgy every day. There was a dark gray I liked, but didn't want a whole wall of that dark color (I have dark cabinets now and hate them). So I went half and half, uppers and fridge surround in cream and base cabs in dark gray. The colors work, the faux marble counter (laminate! GASP! Will upgrade when I can afford it) incorporates the cream and gray together, and I'm really looking forward to how it turns out.

Just like any plan, the 2 colors need to work for the home and the space. It looks great in some kitchens and not so good in others. As far as whether something is a trend or not, I feel like that is driven by TV/Advertising/Social media. How many times have we all heard about Modern farmhouse and shiplap since Joanna Gaines came onto tv? Shiplap has always been around and frequently used in many homes but all of a sudden it exploded everywhere! At some point, it will just go back to the way it was. If it suites the home, then it will be fine; if not, then it will look trendy and dated.

I happen to love 2 color kitchens :

We are doing a two tone kitchen. Moved away from the white as I love these colours and it gives a very warm feeling. It’s not done yet ... however here is a pic to share for my two tone kitchen in the making.

Oh! This is great combination @beersnob75 Check this. I am sure you definitely like it. You can talking about that type of Kitchens Cabinets?

The two tone cabinet trend is, well, just that - trendy. Like most trends it will probably fall out of favor at some point and then, later on, reemerge as old become new again. My thought is if you like it use it whether it has become passe or not.

It's so kitchen specific if it works, or looks like 2 kitchens combined. My 2 tone makes my heart sing. I have black windows on 2 walls, and dark lowers and a dark island. My uppers are white...they pretty much disappear due to the black windows...and there are only a couple of them. I could have chosen safe or timeless, but I went with exciting and inspiring (to me)...my house, my rules ;) Beautiful kitchens come in many styles and colors...and combinations. A well functioning kitchen depends on the size also, and how many people are using it...not only its flow. Many variables to create the "perfect one". Since mine was a renovation, not a new build...it isn't like any of my neighbors' recent kitchen renos...but I believe that they all love their new kitchens like I love mine. Isn't that the point?

petula67, that's exactly how I felt when I was choosing the backsplash...I didn't want to create a fun circus. I kept my wall color the same as my cabinets and my ceiling, and did a white backsplash with a little interest in the shape.

If you want it and love the look, do it. I wanted to do white uppers and dark lowers it in my last home's remodel (6-7 years ago) and didn't, I did the all white with gray island... and regretted it. In my current remodel last year we did it and I love it!

What isn’t a trend and what kitchen won’t feel dated... white or stained cabinets will as well, due to their style and other choices.

In regards to white uppers and blue lowers, it’s a very popular combination. Select a more classic backsplash, counter and flooring so it will have a longer lifespan.

The other thing about "trends" is that they move slowly -- what your designer might be tuned into last year might just be getting into houses in your (urban) area this year, and might only reach more rural/conservative parts of the country next year. So it might be "overdone" to some people while it's still a complete novelty to others!

Using this photo as an (approximate) inspiration for a kitchen I'm doing.. um.. last spring! lol. [that is, whenever the backlog of permits works its way through!]

May 2016 Southwest Florida Edition · More Info

@acm - well, I OBVIOUSLY LOVE your inspiration photo! Waiting is difficult - especially when you log onto Houzz and constantly see beautiful kitchen being posted almost on a weekly basis!

My kitchen renovation is about to head into its second decade! I originally started planning it back in summer 2011 - was about to sign the contract - and my health took a turn south. My heart was “broken“ (I actually stopped watching HGTV (which, in hindsight, was probably a good thing!)

While my plan has evolved, it still looks fairly similar. Originally, the plan was for an all white kitchen. When I built my home in the late 90s, it was going to be white cabinets/island - but I changed it to stained oak at the last minute (my mom told me that I’d regret it with a newborn and three year old). I was excited to be building my white kitchen finally.

Now my heart is set on white upper/stacked uppers + white oak lowers/island. I CANNOT WAIT TO START! I hope you will be able to start your renovations soon!

For anyone still following, my kitchen is done except for a backordered faucet and the soft furnishings. Well, one chair is recovered. We're also still waiting on a new lighter table and counter stools.

You should be very happy with this. You did something different but it's subtle and a really easy colour to live with. Great job.

clt3, what a pretty kitchen! such a nice change w/some color ! great job, the tile looks beautiful w/the color and countertops

clt3 - That looks great!!! Enjoy

@clt3 - It really does look beautiful. Congrats!

Stunning!

clt3, when I saw the 1st picture of your in-progress tile, the combination of tile, counter and wall paint put a big smile on my face! The cabinet color was just icing on the cake. So glad that you came back to show the finished project!

clt3 It's beautiful! What is your counter? Is it Estonia?

Jenni Moore it's fantasy brown marble. It's been treated with More anti-etch so absolutely no issues.