Owning a home means you have total freedom over all the different elements that create a unique style, including kitchen cabinets. The right cabinets will heighten the visual impact of this space without sacrificing functionality.
While matching kitchen cabinet styles can create a uniform look, the right combination of cabinet designs makes for a fresh and innovative design choice. Most importantly, it will help your house feel less like a showpiece and more like a home.
This guide will explain how to mix cabinet styles to add depth to your aesthetic, including elements like textures, colors, and door types. With iCabinetry’s broad range of lovely kitchen cabinets, you can mix things up and design a kitchen that reflects your personality.
Mix and Match Textures
The right combination of textures adds visual appeal while clearly delineating different areas of the kitchen. In most cases, people use the same material for all the wall cabinets and contrast the wall cabinets with the base cabinets. This, when combined with the countertop material, will make for a pleasing and cohesive look.
A common option is to use a gloss finish on the base cabinets, then select a matte texture for the wall cabinets. This works well for kitchens with tall ceilings, as it prevents the room from looking “top-heavy.”
For darker kitchens that get less natural light, consider using reclaimed wood for the base kitchen cabinets, then brightening the space with frosted glass up top. This principle can be used in either traditional or modern kitchens to add a sense of warmth and personality.
Use a Variety of Door Styles
As with materials, choosing different cabinet door styles for the wall and base kitchen cabinets will visually frame the space and draw focus to certain areas.
Designers also decide to use two different styles for the island and perimeter cabinets, drawing the eye toward the center of the room.
Common pairings include shaker-style cabinets with beadboard or flat cabinets with louvered-style doors. However, you’re not constrained to just these; you can also select transitional, slab, or distressed depending on your needs.
Accent One Piece of Cabinetry
The more ornamented or colorful a certain kitchen cabinet is, the more visual interest it provides. This cabinet then becomes the focal point of the room without overwhelming visitors. Paint, texture, engravings, or unique hardware are all great ways to boost visual appeal.
For instance, you could use navy-blue kitchen cabinetry for the island, then use bright white around the perimeter. This works well for a kitchen that doesn’t get as much natural light.
If you have shaker cabinets, consider framing the window with glass-front cabinets surrounded by a natural wood finish. This “extends” the light across the drawer fronts to give the room a greater sense of airiness.
Be Playful With Color
Using different colors can be a powerful way to make your space shine. Choose a predominant color that will serve as the primary anchor for the space. In most cases, people choose the primary color for their lower kitchen cabinets, as these take up more space.
Next, contrast it with a lighter or darker color for the upper cabinets. Lastly, choose an accent color that will bring everything together and employ it across both upper and lower cabinets for greater harmony.
For instance, you might use sage green on the lower kitchen cabinets, then select ivory uppers. Using brass pulls on both helps to connect them, offering unity and tranquility.
Choose Contrasting Shades
If you don’t want such a dramatic contrast, then stick with the same color, but use different shades. This way, you have a more harmonized look, but with some variety to keep things interesting.
A great idea would be to choose brown kitchen cabinets, but go with a deep espresso for base cabinets and a light mocha for the upper ones. This draws the eye up but doesn’t clash. You could also go the other way around if you’d like to bring attention downward, especially if you have selected more ornate cabinets for the bottom set.
Blend Rustic and Modern Aesthetics
Subverting expectations can be an excellent way to create a more exciting kitchen, and there’s no better way to do this than to blend traditional and contemporary styles. The key here is to select options that are unexpected yet still harmonious.
For example, you might love the clean lines and polished aesthetic of flat slab cabinets. Choosing a rich walnut finish evokes a more traditional feel without the highly ornate feeling of shaker cabinets. Next, use matte black pulls, which are sleek and stylish but don’t distract from the natural grain of the cabinets.
Combine this with a distressed backsplash to create a modern look. You could choose black if you want a dark, edgy kitchen. In another case, you could opt for an off-white that contrasts nicely with the pulls, providing a sharp and contemporary style.
Replace Outdated Hardware
Cabinet hardware can also be mixed and matched for high contrast without feeling inauthentic. This is also an excellent way to refresh your look without purchasing new kitchen cabinets, ensuring that your home doesn’t seem dated.
Slab cabinets offer a blank canvas to highlight unique hardware, making the pulls or knobs a conversation piece. You might select antique-style pulls with delicate flourishes, or crystal knobs that dazzle in the overhead lights.
In another case, you might combine more traditional shaker-style cabinets with simplistic hardware in brushed nickel. Choose a glossy finish in a bright color to make a light-hearted aesthetic.
You have a variety of options when it comes to hardware finishes. Chrome is very reflective and modernistic, but it does require regular polishing because it smudges easily. Matte black stands out sharply against lighter doors and would look excellent with black tile flooring.
Brass has an old-world feel and comes in many finishes, such as polished brass or antique. Brushed nickel is a popular choice because it’s low-maintenance, smudge-resistant, and goes well with both modern and traditional cabinet styles.
Combine Open and Closed Storage
Not everything needs to be on display all the time, such as cookware or cans. However, open shelving allows you to show off your prized items and helps the room feel more welcoming by adding more personality through decor.
One popular choice is to use solid wood base cabinets for items like baking sheets, pots, pans, and canned goods. Then, select glass-front cabinet doors for the cabinets above, where you can display decorative dishes or small knick-knacks. Open shelving is also a good choice if you’d like to have plants.
Mix Paint and Stain Finishes
While many assume they have to choose between paint and wood finishes, you can have both for a perfect balance between modern and natural. White painted cabinets will give a clean and cozy farmhouse feel when paired with a walnut stain, while navy paired with oak would work well for those wanting a hint of maritime luxury to their home.
Don’t forget to consider the style and finish of your hardware, as this can completely change the aesthetic. Those learning toward a modern kitchen will want more simplistic hardware. Traditional touches, like ornate pulls, can help you lean into nostalgia.
Create a Unique Kitchen Design With iCabinetry
iCabinetry is here to help you create the kitchen of your dreams, whether that’s a rustic country home or a Midcentury Modern chic. We provide custom Ultracraft kitchen cabinets in an array of door styles and finishes, ensuring that both contractors and homeowners can find exactly what they’re looking for.
We also offer expert support for every customer, including detailed design suggestions. Browse our inspiration gallery to see what real customers have done to revitalize their interior design, or schedule a consultation with a cabinetry professional for personalized advice. No matter your taste, iCabinetry delivers the highest-quality kitchen cabinets at a price you’ll love.
FAQs About Mixing Cabinet Styles
Yes, this is a great way to add visual interest. How experimental you can get depends on your specific preferences and the layout. Small kitchens may work best with slab cabinet doors on top and more ornate styles for the base, as this keeps them from being overwhelming and creates a larger sense of space.
High contrasts will work best when mixing your finishes. However, consider the undertones as well, as any color can be warm or cool depending on its undertone. It usually works best to have either warm or cool undertones for both colors, but then a strong contrast between them.
You’ll also want to think about the undertones for your countertops and flooring. If you have a light, cool countertop, like marble, then you can either balance it out with warm tones or continue the theme with cool tones, depending on how much contrast you’d like. For instance, you might have black lower cabinetry with a light beige on top.
Choosing the same hardware for both sets can provide harmony and prevent them from looking mismatched. If you’d like to mix hardware, then ensure you get all the pieces in the same finish, such as brushed nickel or matte black.
Absolutely. In this instance, inset cabinet doors can work well for the uppers because they maximize space. Overlays can then be used on the bottom, where you likely have more room to swing the doors out. This can give a sleek and modern aesthetic without sacrificing functionality.
When mixing these two, consider the details on the doors so that they harmonize. Our helpful team of design experts can walk you through your many options and discuss which ones will work well together.
Common mistakes when mixing styles include:
1. Lack of Unifying Elements: Failing to use the right color palette or mixing handles can lead to a disconnect between the cabinets. Try to use the same finish for all the cabinets, even if they are different styles, so that they feel coherent.
2. Ignoring Theme: While contemporary and traditional styles can sometimes work together, they may clash. Consider trending toward more transitional styles that lean toward contemporary or traditional for more balance.
3. Mixing Too Many Styles: Try to stick to two styles rather than three or four. For example, you may have all the uppers and lowers the same, then contrast them with different ones for the island.
4. Too Many Colors: Two or three colors together can look great, while having four would be too much.
5. Ignoring Scale: Having too many different sizes or pulls that aren’t in proportion with the cabinet may make for an unappealing design.
Our team has helped thousands of customers find the perfect blend for their needs. Contact us for a consultation so that we can get the proportions and mixes just right.
