The Bold Kitchen Cabinet Color That's Replacing Black

There are plenty of reasons why a dark, bold black kitchen has become trendy. Applying a black paint has become a sleek cabinet trend that's making kitchens look more modern because it adds a chic tone to any kitchen and can make other features, like white marble countertops or colorful tiling, pop. Plus, black tends to pair well with a bunch of other colors, leaving for plenty of opportunity to further decorate a kitchen with black cabinets. However, there are some downsides to the increasingly popular matte black cabinet trend, like making a kitchen feel a little too dark, or the fact that a dark black surface can show off fingerprints a little too much. Opting for a charcoal cabinet paint over black is a new trend that could be the perfect happy medium. 

Charcoal paint is an up-and-coming kitchen trend, alongside other modern color choices like butter yellow and earthy greens. Expert designer Julia Lauve told Homes & Gardens that she has been seeing a lot of soft charcoal popping up in 2025, especially Sherwin-Williams' Iron Ore. She mentioned that clients love charcoal because it is softer than black but still vibrant and moody, and easy to pair with other features. Charcoal also offers a wide range of undertones, which you can pair with your specific kitchen. Other paint color options include the Benjamin Moore hue Kendall Charcoal and the BEHR Cracked Pepper color (which was actually the brand's 2024 Color of the Year).

Fortunately, charcoal pairs well with plenty of other popular kitchen decor trends, so there are plenty of ways to incorporate charcoal into your home decor. When going with charcoal cabinets, you should first think about what countertops go well with the charcoal you've selected. For instance, if you already have dark countertops, like granite or black marble, you may want to ensure there's enough space between your counters and cabinets so that you can have a break between two very dark color spots. However, if you have (or plan to install) marbled counters with white bases and charcoal or black streaks, then the charcoal cabinetry will pull the room together and look chic next to your counters.

When it comes to flooring and tiling, your options are also pretty open, with the disclaimer that too many dark features could make the room feel a little too bold. Pairing charcoal cabinets with colorful tiled backsplash, like greens or blues, could be a great choice, particularly if you make sure that the charcoal paint you choose has an undertone that complements those colors. You could also go for patterned white tiles to create an upscale look without needing to add more colors into the mix. For flooring, the sky is the limit, but beware that it's best to go with something either lighter or darker than your charcoal cabinets to ensure that the room has dimension and doesn't feel flat.