White kitchens are a staple in many homes, but homeowners have conflicting opinions about how practical or pleasing white kitchens are and if they are worth the investment. People with the ability to remodel their own kitchens want to know that their choice is worth it in the long run. But here in a nutshell (or in an “eggshell”) is the summary of the pros and cons to owning white kitchen cabinets in your home.

Pros

There are many reasons why all white kitchen is popular, enhanced by white kitchen cabinets. Here are some of those reasons:

The Classic look that will never go out of style

White kitchen cabinets are timeless and not subject to the trends of interior design. White is a color with “classic good looks,” where classic means a style that will endure through different time periods as generally attractive and trusted. If you choose this color of cabinet, you will never have to think twice if this color will ever go out of date. This type of cabinet will still look good after five years, and some long-time homeowners have been content with this choice after 20 years, from traditional to modern homes, white kitchen cabinets can work with any home decor.

Photo: Liz Schupanitz Designs

White is a neutral color

The neutral nature of white means it is a good color to serve as a clean background or canvas to allow other colors to stand out. Neutrals play well with any other color, and that is exceptionally true with white; it can be mixed with other colors to add natural contrast. White, when paired with metallics like stainless steel or brass, will soften their hard appearance. While colors like black, brown and grey are also prominent neutrals that can be used in the kitchen, the most traditional kitchen that people see in their heads is often white.

White is a versatile color

Not only is white neutral, but it is also versatile. This color adapts to every kind of kitchen design: Traditional, Transitional and Contemporary. The even nicer part of having white kitchen cabinets is that if you change the handles, pulls or knobs, you can change the feel or look of the kitchen with such a subtle detail and avoid costly remodeling when it is not necessary.

Photo: ALL Design

White will brighten a kitchen

White reflects all light so this will add luminosity to a kitchen. Any lighting will be naturally enhanced by this color so depending on how you light your room, you can potentially save on electricity. Even aside from that, a bright kitchen can also brighten your mood if you want that kind of welcoming energy in your house, especially when cooking and entertaining guests. Additionally, brighter kitchens open spaces to make them look bigger.

White kitchens feel more sanitary

White kitchens started to become more popular when food preparation and concerns of contamination influenced the history of kitchen design. Because you can see dirt and spills easily, you can quickly clean up messes and keep your kitchen free from germs and bacteria. White cabinets will add to this feeling of cleanliness that no other color provides.

Photo: Built To Perfection Inc

White can draw attention to texture in a room

Because of the absence of color in an all-white kitchen, the neutral canvas means that the surfaces and details will get more attention. If your white cabinets are matte or piano paint gloss, those surfaces are enhanced by white. If your white cabinets have any wood grain, that subtle detail is more likely to stand out in an all-white kitchen and any handles, as mentioned earlier, will stand out.

Cons

While there are several reasons all for the white kitchen cabinet, there have been a few reasons why people have reconsidered going with white cabinets.

White cabinets appear easier to get dirty

Because white does not hide any stain or smudges, white is easy to look dirty and requires more maintenance or upkeep to keep the white cabinets in pristine condition. You can’t hide anything in an all-white cabinet’s surface because it is not as forgiving as other darker colors. This also means always needing cleaning supplies handy if you want to keep up the look of your white cabinets. Luckily, our maintenance-free piano paint white gloss cabinets require less of that up-keep, though they’ll still need to wiped down more often than their darker counterparts.

Photo: Best Online Cabinets

White can come across as cold and sterile

Like being in a hospital, although it presents a clean and neat appearance, there is something about this color that reads a little lacking in the imagination or possibly even boring. Although it is good to look at, for some, it wouldn’t feel like a casual place to hang out. Your white kitchen might look so perfect that are afraid to use it yourself. The key to making it feel warm is to add details and decor to the overall kitchen, perhaps something with a personal touch.

Discoloration is a significant issue

Of all the colors, white cabinets are most likely to fade over time, especially if they are exposed to direct sunlight. There are also issues where if you place your white cabinet next to a stove vent, there may be discoloration on the cabinet as a result of cooking oils. This may limit where you place your kitchen cabinets if you are adamant about sticking with white cabinets.

Photo: Hayasa Flooring Design, Inc

If your white cabinet is cheap, it will show quickly

If you have a cheap, low-quality cabinet, wear and tear like dings and scuffs are more obvious on white kitchen cabinets than they are on other colored surfaces. So if you want a white kitchen cabinet that will last, it’s very important that you don’t skimp on the quality of the product. It’s important to consider your kitchen cabinet an investment as well as an aesthetic choice.

Having an all-white kitchen may limit your choices in an unexpected way

While the versatility and the neutral color of white are generally considered benefits to enhance other colors displayed in your kitchen, it is also a drawback. It means that anything that is not white will stand out so it can limit some of your décor choices. And when décor choices are mentioned, it doesn’t just mean your hard appliances or other furniture, it can mean your other items in the kitchen like a red kettle pot of a brown rag. Those things will stick out against a white background.

Photo: Freshome.com

Which “kind” of white do you mean?

We are aware that there is a difference between pink and burgundy as different types of red, navy blue and teal as different types of blue and forest green and lime are different kinds of green. To most people, most hues of white look alike and most couldn’t describe the difference between eggshell and ivory. That difference is important because the subtle differences between whites when trying to match colors can ruin your day when it comes to decorating.

Conclusion

White kitchen cabinets remain popular and will continue to remain popular because everlasting and are not subject to the whim of interior design. They are practical because they will never go out of style but they require more maintenance than other colors of cabinets. The neutral palette enables white kitchen cabinets to be versatile, but you have to be conscious of any other color choices because they pop against the white background.

Photo: Innocraft Cabinetry

White kitchen cabinets are well worth the investment so it’s important to get the best quality of white cabinets so they will last you for the time that you own your home.

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