People have been using all white kitchen cabinets since paint was invented, so not sure how it would date very quickly!

Design a kitchen that is appropriate for the style of the house and it won't date as quickly.

All white has never been dated if it matches the style of the house.

My bad I meant white kitchen would get "old" and dirty more quickly since any defect would be very apparent...

My tuxedo is almost 3 years old. It fits me and my house well. It grounds a large space, but lets the tall windows shine. It makes me smile. I chose the colors 2.5 years before it was completed, all custom...could have changed my mind 100 times. I designed everything for me, not worrying about what my neighbors or anyone else did. Going with my gut usually works for me, I'm drawn to a certain style for a reason. For me an all white kitchen was a huge no, I also don't like wood lowers since I have white oak flooring...too much of a good thing...again, for me. Know yourself. Good luck!

To me, the materials choices depend on the layout. For example, a lone upper cabinet on a side wall looks better to me in the wall color, white or not, than it would in wood matching the base cabinet...unless! it was connected with wood corbels to the base cabinet. And all wood uppers and lowers look better to me on a back wall like an accent wall in any other room... think back shower wall. Everyone wants to use that look. 

A tuxedo color scheme (and I didn't know that was the name for it) will have an advantage in many situations. If your is one of them, I really don't care if someone dissed your concept and claimed it would be dated. Basic principles of art should rule in any design. I'm sure if you posted pictures or renderings showing your kitchen, layout, each wall, it would be easier to offer suggestion. Understand if you don't want to. Sometimes that is an invitation to open up all sorts of discussion. Maybe you could say why you feel a tuxedo kitchen would work for your space?

My MIL painted her old flat-paneled kitchen cabinets dark green on the bottom and off-white on the uppers in 1995. Some upper cabinets had glass doors. I never thought it looked dated or didn't fit her 1940's house. IMO it felt somewhat 1940's retro from the beginning and looked retro in the end. As other have said, if it fits the house it's probably fine.

There are two apartment towers here that did white upper cabinets with dark lowers in the original kitchens.

In 1964.

It's something that cycles in and out of being more or less trendy but it's not something that was only recently a thing and now on it's way out.

IMO espresso cabinets were a cheap way for China to use 10 types of wood to make cheap cabinets and then stain it all to look the same so no to any espresso color IMO. I love black and white spaces but they need good planning to get right . BTW all cabinets get dirty white ones just tell you when they are dirty. Post pics of your space and also the spaces surrounding the kitchen. IMO kitchens are designed to work with the rest of the house . Post the pics here in comments do not start another post . Google black and white kitchens for inspiration .I happen to love walnut and high gloss white for kitchens but we need to have some clue as to your style too.

I like upper cabinets that are the same tone as the walls so they almost fade away balanced with medium to dark stained lowers.

It's the choice of "espresso" that is quite dated. I agree with @Diana Bier Interiors, LLC that if you want white cabinets combined with a cabinets in a different finish, the other finish should be natural wood.

There is no wood called "espresso". Oak, walnut, maple would look good. It will be a more expensive choice than "espresso", because as @Patricia Colwell Consulting alluded to, the espresso finish was created to disguise inexpensive wood.

You also don't have to be confined to one color for uppers and the other color for base cabinets. It looks fine if you want to do that, or you can mix it up. In particular if you have a tall pantry pull-out, or perhaps refrigerator panels, it looks nice to have that be all one finish from floor to ceiling.

In the right hands, a two color kitchen can be lovely, as many of these photos show.

The problem has arisen when homeowners got the idea they could "update" or "upgrade" any kitchen - often small and builder grade - by painting the lowers one color and the uppers another. Many of these kitchens looked better with their original, unpainted wood cabinets..

Woe is me... I like chocolate and coffee colored wood stains. I didn't know I was out of date. Oh dear, there's no hope.

@kl23 - that really is too bad.

@K L - I prefer a darker cabinet color, too. Being out of date is cool; we're in style. What isn't cool is Houzz snobbery and mean girls. But that's all they know.

Hahaha .. it's ok. I just love materials that make me want to touch them or eat them. Chocolate? You betcha! Ok, I won't really eat my decor, but when I see pictures of honed marble counters, I just want to hand clean them! I saved a picture of pillow-edged slab base cabinets in a chocolate stain that could have been at the Hershey convention center...let's see if I can find them. Fell in LOVE!

Country contemporary Kitchen · More Info

I am going with a two tone kitchen. My grandmother (b.1887) had a soapstone sink (with hand pump), wood counters; a huge pantry with a marble topped island on which to roll out pastry dough; dark blue lower cabinets ( think my grandfather had the paint left over); and white with glass for upper door cabinets. When I was little she still had the black wood burning stove. Sounds like a set design, but what a great, warm, wonderful kitchen. My grandfather did it all...no kitchen designer then. He just did it as my grandmother advised. And, wow, could she cook!

I think House Beautiful says it well: do it your way.

https://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/kitchens/g38472703/two-toned-kitchen-cabinet-ideas/

“What isn't cool is Houzz snobbery and mean girls. But that's all they know.”

@Jen K (7b, 8a) - actually what isn't cool are commenters who’d prefer others not respond to the OP‘s stated concern about being dated, and instead nod their heads (so as not to be a ”snob”) so that the OP spends tons of her hard-earned money on what she did not want - a dated kitchen. It is the opposite of ”mean” as you put it, to tell the OP the a viewpoint she might not be aware of. It is not ”snobbery” as you put it. Your statement ”that’s all they know” is inappropriate. The whole point of this forum is to give advice on kitchens to people asking for it.

As to my second comment, it was tongue-in-cheek, and @kl23 has a good sense of humor.

In general though, I think there is a whole big country out there who is not overly aware of trends and picks what they want, and another subset who is only aware of trends because they have to pick from what is readily available particularly if they are on a budget that limits for them what is available. And, despite television and national social media, a lot of things are regional and even micro-regional. I don't think I have seen a white shaker door kitchen in the small town I grew up in, in the real estate listings, whereas that is the default cabinet of choice in most flipped houses and middle of the market new construction in the area I currently live in, followed by a slab.

But most cabinet companies of all price points make more than a couple door styles and a couple finishes, and I think if no one was buying them at all, they would be discontinued.

These are four current door styles offered by a regional cabinet manufacurer, chosen at random from the middle row of their doorstyle selection, and some of these are new introductions.

Somebody is buying these. Maybe not a lot of people.

Palimpsest, some of the smaller regional cabinet makers do not update their website photos after the website was created. So those doors you show may not actually be selling. Sometimes small non-tech businesses pay someone to create the website, and do not want to pay for ongoing updates.

A friend recommended to me a local cabinetmaker for my kitchen. I almost did not bother to go to the showroom because the website showed cabinets and kitchens that looked late 90s. The website also provided little info other than showroom location and hours.

When I got there, I saw they actually had the latest in cabinets like out of Architectural Digest magazine. Lots of exotic wood veneers - grain matched horizontally or vertically across drawers, also painted cabinets in the latest jewel colors of emerald or royal blue, and various shades of white of course, and creative refrigerator panels, not just the ordinary cabinet-matched refrigerator panels. They also showed sophisticated hood surrounds. Oh, and they had white oak drawers where each drawer was decoratively edged in stainless steel borders which the guy said is the latest thing.

I asked the salesguy why the website had not been updated in what looked like 20 years. He said they don’t have to, they rely mostly on word-of-mouth referrals anyway.

Their entire website has been revamped within the last year and some of these doors were indicated as new offerings.

el cieg, your grandmother’s kitchen sounds like it was a beautiful room with sparkly upper glass cabinets. I can almost smell the pies cooling on the counter.

@palimpsest where did you find this? I'd love to see if I could use this in a bathroom or my family room.

That one is Plain and Fancy - Alexandria

Thanks @palimpsest ! They are now bookmarked! Reminds me of flamestitch. 

And they are only a couple hours away so surely they have dealers nearby.

Their doorstyles are available in multiple species and finishes; they show at least one lighter finish and wood species with a slightly different drawer.

My decision to opt for two colors was based on a few things. Our kitchen is visible from the front door and also having an open concept, I wanted a connection/flow. I didn’t consider longevity; just wanted a kitchen that suited the rest of our home and style. I poured through pictures and knew when I found the right combo; four years later, still happy.

So much also depends on your kitchen’s layout, cabinetry style, and all the other important components. Two tones are still popular in 2023…the combination is key. Try to find kitchens that resonate with you.

Here’s a softer/warmer combo, using a bit lighter wood and cream.

I'll echo the comment above that I have said on here before: I think there are some jaw droppingly beautiful photos of two toned kitchens on this site, typically professionally photographed, magazine worthy huge spaces where the budget, with kitchen designer, interior designer, and top of the line finishes, tops $200k.

The vast majority of two tone kitchens posted on here - that is, the real ones owned by real people - look quite terrible. Usually like two kitchens were mashed together that have no relationship to each other. The comment above spot own noticed the trend of run of the mill homeowners painting their builder grade 1997 kitchen with two tone. Of all the non-crazy expensive kitchens I've seen posted over the years on GW, I can probably count on one hand those that weren't aesthetically jarring.

For me, it's less the datedness, and more the fact that they are near impossible to get right.

I love mine. Did it a few years ago.

I agree with a lot of what has been said here. An informed choice, knowing that the trend has swung the other way: more power to you! But if the question is about trends and being unsure of current trends, then I think it is fair to show the OP what current trends are and which have waned in popularity, and which are on the way out, while pointing out which things are more "classic" and easier to work with over time regardless of trends.

For all I know, the OP uses the term "espresso" and what she means is a dark, natural wood cabinet tone, whereas lots of us think only of the diy java stain instagram trend of 10 years ago.

A dark cabinet stain that's well thought out and coordinates tonally with flooring and other hard surfaces is going to look fab and current like in Maureen's 2nd photo (well, I think the island looks great).

Quality materials and workmanship are never "dated." Do it once and do it right.

Unless you are flipping houses or about to sell I don't see why 'dated' matters.

Ignore what is on trend and create a kitchen you love.

@mary iverson

Doesn't that kitchen table look great? Makes you want to sit down and chat. I can't help but think that huge islands are going to be the next thing to go out of style.

Love that Julia Child kitchen!

As someone here said, it's not the tools, it's the talent that matters. JC probably could have come up with a blue ribbon dish with good ingredients, a good knife and a coal stove!

@kl23, pies, bread (every day), jars of veggies and jelly and jams were made (put up) in that kitchen. My grandfather had four huge gardens, all on different properties. He was a "builder" and if someone couldn't pay him, they gave him a piece of land. He planted every one, he dug a well on each lot, he walked to each every day and watered by hand. All produce was for the cold winter months. Cape Cod was very rural once upon a time. No big supermarkets then, but you could buy staples in the local tiny market that also housed the post office. Life was good.

@elcieg I just clicked on the House Beautiful article on two-toned kitchens and absolutely LOVE the purple and cream kitchen by Rita Konig! I'm sure someone will look at it and say "but the marble is a cool white and the cabinets are creamy--YOU CAN'T MIX WARM AND COOL COLORS!!!" Which of course is totally untrue, as evidenced by that amazing kitchen!

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC, Perfect example of "outdated" but, still wonderful. Not for everyone, but that's what makes the decorating world go round. I was pleased with the links added for us to find the paint colors in the photos.

I think I had that little pig, dressed as a butcher. I gave it away because I thought it was "dated".

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC, Isn't that kitchen wonderful? Talk about "dated". Purple, wallpaper, and the pig dressed as a butcher, all acknowledged in House Beautiful as "now". I had that sweet pig on my counter for years. Probably sent him on his way because I thought he was "dated". Julia Childs would have given me the evil eye. I remembered her show when she cooked the whole pig in the oven. Never tried that recipe.

The OP said ”I was considering using espresso / white as bottom amd top cabinet but i heard it is outdated.“ The comments on this thread address the concept of a two-toned cabinetry kitchen. My comment from 3 days ago as well as @Patricia Colwell Consulting’s comment spoke specifically to the espresso finish the OP asked about. It is the espresso finish that I advised against as dated. The House Beautiful article that @elcieg linked shows 18 lovely two-toned - not tuxedo - kitchens. Not one has cabinets in an espresso finish, though a couple have black.

The OP has not returned in any case to say whether she is still interested in a two-toned kitchen, or whether she is set on a tuxedo color combo, and and/or whether she is set on an espresso finish.

Personally I never liked the "espresso" color for wood, so for me it was never "in." But a lovely dark stain on good wood is something I've always liked. I never got rid of any of my "brown" furniture because I like it and it is incredibly high quality--the finish and styles are impeccable. Who cares if someone else has decreed it dated?

And that pig! He's adorable--so sorry you let him go @elcieg!

I love that purple kitchen. To me it seems like a complementary color scheme, and I would argue with anyone saying you can't have both warm and cool colors in the same room. That's art, and art is never dated. 

I received criticism that my most recent effort at remodeling had two tiles that were attention grabbers. After thinking about that awhile, I am dismissing it. This purple kitchen has the counters, the wallpaper, and the bright purple all together. Then there's art nouveau and art deco. That's bad? I love both.

Well, this is fun for us, but I am concerned we lost the op @elty

Maybe since we all sort of agree that the concept of white uppers and dark lowers is not necessarily dated, could we redirect and discuss how to make it work for the op? I, for one, am thinking of giving it a go in my own kitchen. This post could be useful for anyone else who feels as I do that all dark cabinetry can look overwhelming, but doesn't like the idea of white base cabinets getting scuffed up. 

1. Does having a stark contrast create a different feel than a lesser contrast like chocolate base and taupe uppers?

2. Do you cary the same hardware to uppers and lowers to create cohesiveness, or do you choose the most flattering for each cabinet, base and uppers?

3. Do you look for a countertop that blends light and dark colors from the two cabinets, a a third color that is more eye catching than the cabinets, or one that is mid-value, or do you match the base?

4. Is it important to have all the appliances the same color, or can you have dark under-counter appliances (stove, dishwasher) and a mid-tone refrigerator (stainless steel), or make the refrigerator match the upper color if white?

Does having a stark contrast create a different feel than a lesser contrast like chocolate base and taupe uppers?

Yes

Do you carry the same hardware to uppers and lowers to create cohesiveness, or do you choose the most flattering for each cabinet, base and uppers?

I used different on each but:

in one kitchen, for example, I used minimal edge pulls on the lower slab doors that blended in with the darker finish on the lowers so they barely showed, and the knobs on the upper were a very small version of the door hardware throughout the entire house. Same finish and shape as the big door hardware.

in another kitchen, I used an edge pull or handle (depending) on the base cabinets in one finish (stainless to match the range) and no hardware on the upper cabinets. The earliest versions of two tone I've seen, about 60 years old, generally had no hardware on the upper cabinets.

I used a systematic approach to hardware, some minimal, some absent, and any hardware that was obvious matched something it was not just two additional choices I picked. And I never used two ornamental hardware choices together.

Do you look for a countertop that blends light and dark colors from the two cabinets, a a third color that is more eye catching than the cabinets, or one that is mid-value, or do you match the base?

In one kitchen, the countertop matched the color of the upper cabinets, and was a version of the floor color. In another kitchen it was the same color as the base cabinets, more or less, and it also almost matched the hearths of the fireplaces in the room.

In every kitchen I have done in two-tone, the overall choices were pretty rigid:

The uppers always matched the wall color. In one kitchen this meant the uppers were pale blue.

The base cabinets were always darker. In one kitchen the they blended with the floor, so the floor, base cabinets and countertop were almost all one color, or very close. and the backsplash, walls and upper cabinets were all a dead match for each other.

In another the base cabinets matched the flooring on the rest of the first floor of the house. The floor and the counters, the backsplash and the upper cabinets and the walls were all the second color, variations of off white.

In no case did I choose two new finishes or colors each for cabinets, hardware, countertops, backsplashes and so forth. Every finish either strongly related to or matched some other finish exactly, color wise.

One kitchen actually had three cabinet finishes: but uppers matched the walls (as always), bases matched the floors, as did countertop in color, and the third finish was a single cabinet that matched cabinetry in the room next to the kitchen where the boundaries blurred between the two.

One of the keys for me was nothing random, ever, no outlying choice for anything.

And nothing particularly "eye-catching" more than anything else. Actually overall much more disciplined than regular one cabinet/one counter/one hardware kitchens.

Is it important to have all the appliances the same color, or can you have dark under-counter appliances (stove, dishwasher) and a mid-tone refrigerator (stainless steel), or make the refrigerator match the upper color if white?

I think these kitchens are most successful with fully integrated appliances.

The fridge or tall cabinets can be tough because they reside in both base and upper territory. You may need to pick one or the other cabinet finish, and decide which one you want to predominate. Usually I pick the upper color because the uppers are most visible and I want them to blend in in a two tone kitchen.

In one two tone kitchen I was in the drawers of the integrated fridge were in the base cabinet finish and the upper door was the color of the wall cabinets. It worked okay, I probably would not have done it that way.

If you can't do integrated fridge and DW, I would match all the appliances in finish, and that's probably going to be stainless, if you do white uppers, I don't think I would do white appliances with white uppers. The range is pretty much going to be stainless by default these days, so that kind of dictates the appliance finish.

I think the problem with most two tone kitchens is that they often end up two of everything which looks like they just put their top two sample choices in every category together, and I don't think that's what you want to do.

I think this two-tone dark/light makeover @haneens_haven did in her kitchen turned out great. It wouldn’t pass the Houzz sniff test, of course, but wanted to share it with you, OP:

Ermagherd, she kept the cabinets over the ’fridge! Heathen!

Anyway, It’s a popular kitchen, but she does get a lot of ribbing over the books on top of the cabinets. :D

I like her caption:

Thank you @palimpsest for all the time it took for you to address all those questions. I am saving this post to my kitchen ideabooks for future reference. Did I leave anything out of my questions?