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White Kitchen Problems & White Kitchen Alternatives Solutions

Updated: Jun 18


There's a white kitchen phenomenon taking over in design. It's been around for a while but hasn't quite taken off in years prior. The #NancyMeyersKitchen or classic Hampton style kitchen are big trends. Think - all white (with the exception of a black countertop here or there), lots of kitchen cabinets, shaker-style cabinets, two islands, and two ovens. Influencers and stylists have gone coo-coo for this look.


But we're not drinking the coo-coo juice.


What's become the new must-have kitchen design has a few major issues that offend my guiding design principles. Here are the white kitchen problems and alternatives to show us what we can do about them.


White Kitchen Problems & White Kitchen Alternatives Solutions


White Kitchens have become "builders grade" and are very cheap looking.


Have you walked into a newly built or renovated house only to see the kitchen looks geranic? Shaker cabinets stuff the kitchen full, off-white countertops, and a double sink -- in a typical wood style? These kitchens are known as builder-grade. They are "out-of-the-box" just to control the price of the design (so the builder gets their money back with the sale). They are just good enough to seem appealing and updated but not anything too special that shows a real investment in the property or the space. And if you've pursued any other blog posts (like this one on Removing Your Upper Kitchen Cabinets), and in case you can't tell from this paragraph already, then you likely know that I'm not a fan of anything considered "builder's grade" or generic. White kitchens have become the new builders' grade standard.


White kitchens are inauthentic and lacking personality.


This speaks to my earlier point that white kitchens are just becoming a generic standard. But the greatest offense I take to white kitchens is that they often lack personality. Interior design is a way to increase connection through telling your story—capturing the human spirit. But with how most white kitchens are designed, the personality is removed. It makes them great for a sale but terrible at reflecting who we are.


White Kitchens Lack Depth (aka Texture)


One thing that always catches my eye with white kitchens is the lack of depth - it's almost difficult to create any depth because everything is the same color. Everything is matchy-matchy.


White Kitchens Are Meant For Sales


They are easy to price out for a builder's renovation, non-offensive (for most), and fairly bright. They make selling the home easy. So, if you're looking to offload a property, a white kitchen isn't a bad way to go.


But if you're looking to design a home you truly love, perhaps we need to consider alternatives. That way, we'll have a kitchen that's meant for us.


The Counter Argument


The biggest counterargument I hear for white kitchens is that people believe white kitchens are timeless. But are they really?


The most we can hope to do to create something timeless is design something that sings who we are at our cores so that it remains relevant for at least our lifetime. So, in short, the only way to really build something timeless is to design something we love genuinely. Sure, there could be traditional touches or perhaps stylish trends. But we are not all one of the other.


And our homes, which are meant to tell our story, need to show off the complexities of our character.

White Kitchen Alternative Solutions


If you're really set on a white kitchen ... consider a few alternatives that can help to merge this trend with your personal style.


A few alternatives would be playing with removing your upper kitchen cabinets (adding in picture ledges, full-wall backsplash, or beautiful light - to name a few) to replace them. Consider highly-grained counters. Take a look at the hardware, and pick something special or custom to add some elevation to the design.


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For the love of design,

 

Florence

Interior Designer and Founder of DiJohnson & Co.

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