Are white kitchens passé? Here’s what design pros say | Canada Voices

In the world of interior design, white kitchens are a bit like vanilla ice cream: time-tested and much loved, but – for some – lacking something special. Sprinkles, perhaps.

Below, experts weigh in on whether it might be time to move on to another flavour, or if white kitchens are always in good taste.

This might be obvious, but what is a white kitchen?

Picture a polar bear in snow, a meringue covered in icing sugar, all the shades of cream and milk. Throw in a sink, stove and fridge, and that’s a white kitchen.

Are white kitchens a new trend?

Far from it.

White kitchens have been popular for at least a century. They partly caught on with the advent of titanium-tinted paints, which were not only less toxic than their lead-based alternatives (the kind Elizabethans used as make-up while slowly poisoning themselves), but also offered a brighter white.

In the 1920s, such brilliant shades imparted a clean, sanitary look that became desirable after the Spanish Flu. In the ensuing decades, other trends came and went – the poppy hues of the 1950s and 1960s, the unabashed kitsch of the 1970s – but white kitchens have remained in fashion. In a 2026 Houzz survey on kitchen trends, 43 per cent of respondents said they preferred either white or off-white cabinets.

So they’re just as popular as ever?

Yes.

Over the past few years, there have been many declarations that minimalism is dead. Yet, white has remained relevant. This year, Pantone’s highly anticipated – and much criticized – colour of the year was a shade of white.

According to Sue Wadden, director of colour marketing at Sherwin-Williams, white is still one of the most popular paint colours for kitchens because it creates a clean, bright backdrop that works with virtually any design style.

But aren’t white kitchens boring?

They can be dull. And not all design pros love them.

“I’m not against white kitchens,” said Ami McKay, founder of Vancouver interior design studio PURE Design Inc.

“I think they’re amazing when they’re done right. But I find that a lot of white kitchens fall quite flat if there aren’t contrasting textures, when the white is too stark without interesting undertones, or when they feel too safe, with expected items like subway tiles.”

Any other pitfalls?

One of the ironies of their sanitary aesthetic is that white kitchens can also look dirtier than their pigmented peers.

Jinta Mathew is a senior interior designer and associate at CHIL Interior Design. She has designed white kitchens professionally and has one in her Vancouver condo.

“There are advantages, but a white kitchen can be a lot of cleaning, a lot of maintenance,” she said. “When I make pasta, I get sauce all over my kitchen cabinets because it splatters. And then I’m randomly cleaning it as I’m also trying to cook because it stands out against the white.”

So white kitchens are dirty and bland. Do they have any good qualities?

“White helps make a space feel more open,” said Jennylyn Pringle, author of the book Everything You Need to Know to Paint It Beautiful. “And, when the tone is right, white can also feel very warm.”

Pringle speaks from personal experience. In addition to founding a paint company, Fusion Mineral Paint, she has a white kitchen in her Muskoka cottage.

To her, though, not all whites are created equal.

“I prefer whites with a nice undertone,” she said. “A bit of grey, a bit of beige. If you take a piece of paper and put it next to the swatch, it should not look too similar to the paper. If it does, walk away. It’s going to be too stark.”

Pringle pointed to another common reason people opt for white kitchens.

“People like them because they are safe for resale,” she said, adding that they’re a less risky choice.

How does kitchen colour affect resale?

“It’s part of the psychology of selling,” said Hamilton real estate broker Mike Heddle, who works with Royal LePage. “It’s not that people buy a home because it has a white kitchen or a yellow kitchen. They buy homes because of how it makes them feel. And white registers subconsciously as cleaner and brighter and larger and more organized.”

Heddle noted that it’s hard to find Canadian-specific data on how white kitchens impact sale prices, but anecdotally, he has seen their appeal.

“People want to be able to see themselves in the space they’re buying,” he said. “That’s harder if it’s red or pink or something that might feel too personal, too specific to the current owner.”

Should resale be the most important factor in kitchen design?

To a realtor like Heddle, it’s a consideration.

“A new kitchen might cost $40,000 or more,” he said. “And that investment might have a 90 per cent return on resale if done well.” The goal isn’t to create a kitchen that everyone loves, but one that very few dislike, he added.

For an interior designer like McKay, there are mitigating factors.

“I always ask my clients how long they plan on staying in their homes,” she said. “If it’s less than five years, resale might be more important. If they say it’s their forever home, I make everything about them – their colours, their personality.”

Is there a way to do a white kitchen that still has some personality?

Absolutely.

“People want something with a bit of flair,” said Mathew. “Instead of all-white, it’s more common these days to add personality with a beautiful tile backsplash or mixed metals on the door pulls, faucets or light fixtures.”

If there is an island, it can be a good opportunity to introduce an accent.

“For a while, green has been in,” she said. “Wood accents like oak or walnut can also come into play. And those things are very appealing. They don’t diminish the ROI.”

McKay agreed that wood adds warmth to a space. “Natural materials are wonderful. Stone and wood, those things are truly timeless.”

Final verdict on installing a white kitchen?

Do it if you think less is more, as opposed to less is snore.

Don’t if you believe white kitchens are for MLS listings, not everyday living.