Deciding on a kitchen cabinet color and style can be overwhelming at best. There are so many options, and sometimes the colors all look the same (white cabinets, if you know you know). The cabinets you choose for your kitchen often star as the backdrop to life’s moments, and can make the room truly feel like “you”. If you’re having trouble settling on one color cabinet, consider a two-tone cabinet look to your kitchen!
My favorites to design with are greens and off-white and greens and wood tones –earthy, neutral, and classic. – The RTA Store Designer Sherry
Two-tone cabinets and contrasts in your kitchen design are a great way to mix it up and show your personality. They can also make a statement and give drama to an otherwise neutral space.
Adding Some Contrast
There are many ways you can add some contrast to your kitchen look. With countertops, backsplashes, flooring, and cabinets all different choices, the kitchen has nearly endless possibilities.
Option 1
Use your backsplash as a contrasting point, with different colors and/or tile shapes. Keep the upper and lower cabinets the same, and keep the color of the cabinets and countertop neutral. For people who love color but are afraid of it being too much on a cabinet, the backsplash is the perfect backdrop, says The RTA Store Designer Sherry. “It’s easy to bring in strong blues, golds, and black and white. The backsplash can be a great combination of metallics and stone. Even the traditional white subway tile with a stark contrasting grout is an easy way to make the kitchen speak!”
Option 2
Make a statement with contrasting cabinets, but the same uppers and lowers. The countertop and backsplash should remain neutral. You can even do a countersplash, having the countertop and backsplash the same material and color, so the cabinets really pop!
Option 3
Contrast specifically the cabinets and the flooring. If the floor is dark hardwood for example, go with light colored cabinets. If using all wood, you can contrast with the tone and woodgrain in the cabinets.
Option 4
Change up the countertop! Have a contrasting countertop, either in color or texture (think veiny). Best to stay neutral with the cabinets and backsplash.
Option 5
Keep everything neutral and working together – but make a change with the accessories like your hardware or range hood! Trending lately are bold, moody cabinet colors and gold hardware, or you can go with light cabinets and a black finish to the hardware.
Two-Tone Cabinets for the Win
The two-tone cabinet look isn’t exactly what it sounds like – the cabinets themselves don’t share two tones, rather the space includes two different colors of cabinets. Two-tone cabinets help to jazz up a space when you want the cabinets to pop, or want to use contrasting colors and textures but keep the cabinets the star. The kitchen is a classic room, the heart of the home, where two-tone cabinets can elevate the space and give it some personality!
The first way to add two-tones cabinets to your kitchen is contrasting upper and lower cabinets. If a kitchen island is in play, it should be the same as either the upper or lower cabinets. Think white upper cabinets like the pre-assembled Southport White Shaker and navy lower cabinets and island like the matching pre-assembled Southport Blue Shaker, or natural wood-tone lower cabinets such as the RTA Catalina Toffee and RTA Catalina Meadow Green for the upper cabinets and island.
Personally, I prefer the traditional lighter cabinets on top and darker cabinets on the bottom as I feel it does draw the eye upward. – The RTA Store Designer Sherry
Another way to mix two tones is to have a standalone island cabinet, with upper and lower cabinets the same. This makes the island stand out as a focal point in the room, while pulling it all together with calming perimeter cabinets. Try a lighter color like the RTA Stone Shaker perimeter cabinets and matching darker RTA Madison Black Shaker island, or the pre-assembled Portland Walnut for the upper and lower cabinets and pre-assembled Portland White as the island!
An emerging trend in two-tone cabinets is actually adding a third color into the mix (tri-tone??). The RTA Store Designer Sherry says a great example would be the RTA Royal Sager Green Shaker base cabinets with RTA & pre-assembled Artisan Champagne Shaker uppers. Then taking a couple of upper cabinets and using the Artisan Walnut Shaker as an open cabinet either with glass or the doors left off completely.
Don’t Just Keep Two-Tone Cabinets to the Kitchen
Although the kitchen makes it easy to contrast different aspects, you can still make a statement in other rooms in the house with two-tone cabinets or other contrasting elements. The RTA Store Design Shawn says a stained surround with painted doors or shelves would help keep tech zones from feeling too “sterile.” The laundry or mudroom would also be a great space to mix colors between upper and lower cabinets.
In the butler’s pantry or wet bar, go moodier than the kitchen – ink, oxblood-brown, or walnut – so it reads like a jewel box. – The RTA Store Designer Shawn
Bathrooms, especially larger ones, give several options for contrasts or two-tone cabinets. Try a stained base with a painted tower or medicine cabinet, or dark vanity with a light linen tower. Plus, you have the countertop to play with!
In reality though, what rooms do two-tone cabinets and contrasts NOT work in?? Take if from The RTA Store Designer Sherry, “Dark and moody Black and pre-assembled Vienna Timber for a cozy library, RTA Cambridge Antique White and RTA Cambridge Saddle Glaze to dial in the workday in your home office, RTA & pre-assembled Southport Blue Shaker and RTA & pre-assembled Southport White Shaker for a clean and crisp laundry room… there’s a cabinet finish for every mood!”
What About Mixing and NOT Matching?
There are plenty of cabinets that have matching lines, so you can easily mix colors and tones while keeping in the same exact cabinet style. But what if you just can’t help but love two different cabinet lines? Unlike Romeo and Juliet, you CAN mix some lines and not end up with a tragic kitchen. As The RTA Store Designer Shawn says, there are pros and cons to staying within one cabinet line or mixing it up.
I always tell my clients if there is a shadow of a doubt, order all the samples you can! – The RTA Store Designer Sherry
With one cabinet line, you’ll have a perfect door profile match, consistent sheen, aligned reveals, and a simpler warranty and lead times. Definitely go with a matching cabinet line when you need flawless symmetry or inset doors, like upper and lower kitchen cabinets. On the other hand, mixing cabinet lines, especially paint-grade and stain-grade from different manufacturers, can give you access to specialty woods or finishes, and even help to control costs. Splurge on the kitchen island cabinets, but save on the perimeter kitchen cabinets with a different cabinet line!
“If you’re going to go different, do it with purpose!” says The RTA Store Designer Sherry. A recessed door can marry well with a Shaker-style if done with intention. When looking at cabinets from different manufacturers, check the specifications to make sure the stiles on the door fronts are the same width – that’s what people will notice first. Cabinets will also look different in the daylight and at night with indoor lights on, so order sample cabinet doors and sit with them for a couple of days, to look at them in all hours of the day and shades of light, to get a true feel for what your space would look like.
Name a Better Duo | What Would Our Designers Do
At the end of the day, it’s your decision to make on what to contrast, if anything, and what two-tone cabinets to play with in your space. But there are some clear cabinet pairs that go together like Bonnie and Clyde, peanut butter and jelly, day and night… you get the point!
Our Designer Shawn loves the timeless, Ralph-Lauren energy of a natural walnut and soft greige paint, the modern and serene look of a rift-cut white oak and inky charcoal, or a deep green like olive or chromium mixed with a putty, earthy couture.
“My personal go-to for a perfect color combination is our Portland Navy Blue and Portland White”, says our Designer Sherry (both come in RTA and pre-assembled). Add in some gold hardware, a black ceramic sink, and gold metallic accents in the backsplash with a veiny, moody countertop and you’ve got her dream kitchen! To her, that cabinet combo is not only a classic but also timeless… “the rest is just for me!” she says.
Working with The RTA Store
The RTA Store is your online one-stop-shop for all your cabinet needs and accessories. Our ready-to-assemble and pre-assembled kitchen cabinets give the look and durability of custom cabinetry at 30-50% less than big-box stores. With A-grade plywood boxes and MDF/HDF or hardwood door/drawer fronts, our cabinets come with a 20 year limited warranty.
But don’t stop there – we also have all the accessories you would need for your dream kitchen. Work with The RTA Store to complete your kitchen with range hoods, sinks and faucets, countertops, and under-cabinet lighting.
From spice drawers to mixer lifts, The RTA Store has more inside cabinet accessories than you’ll have room for. And it’s not limited to just the kitchen! Think file organizer for the office, laundry room hamper pullout, or bathroom vanity organizer, to customize your space.
Getting Started
Not ready to commit to a cabinet collection? Ordering fully-refundable cabinet door samples is a great way to see the style and color in your lighting. You’d be surprised how different a finish can look in different lighting! Plus, many of our cabinets have matching collections to mix in one room. Try one collection for upper cabinets and another for lower cabinets, or different cabinets for the kitchen island!
Once you’re ready to start, a member of our free design service will work closely with you from steps A-Z. They’ll let you know exactly what size cabinets you need and double-check to make sure everything lines up perfectly. Our upgraded design service also gives you unlimited design revisions and price quotes. Plus, the cost of the service is taken off your total once you order!
No matter the room or cabinet, we’re here to help make your dream space a reality, and at your budget. Located near the Hudson Valley in New York? Come visit our showroom on Route 52 in Hopewell Junction, NY!
