Stop Caring About Home Value And Break This Once Very Popular Kitchen Trend

All-white kitchens have remained popular for years for a number of reasons. White kitchens have a timeless appeal, are flexible with different design styles, and are believed to raise the resale value of a home. However, if resale concerns are the main reason you keep your kitchen white, it's time to stop caring about home value and break this once very popular kitchen trend. There is a shift happening away from monochrome white in kitchen design.

While you may be thinking of future buyers if you are selling your home in the next few months or next year, you should decorate your home for yourself if you plan on staying for at least a few years. Instead of living your life for imaginary future buyers, make your home your own. Trends are constantly changing, so anything you choose for your kitchen now may not be attractive to buyers in five or ten years anyway.

Today's home buyers are less enamored with all-white kitchens, so having everything stark white could actually work against you. While this white-on-white color scheme may feel clean and timeless to some people, other buyers may feel that it is cold and impersonal. As trends move away from all white to warmer shades and bolder colors, you could be dating your kitchen with the white-on-white color combinations.

Current trends in kitchen designs are moving away from the white-out and toward more earth tones, bolder shades, and textures. Many hues from the 1970s are back in a big way, such as rust orange, avocado green, and peacock blue. Natural woodgrain is also on the rise, especially in lighter, more muted shades. 

Colorful cabinets are also becoming more popular, but this doesn't mean you have to tear out your white kitchen cabinets or repaint them if you don't want to. After all, there are many reasons to love white cabinets besides their resale value. Bring color into the space with wall paint, wallpaper, a new backsplash, colorful stools around your island, or kitchen decor. You may want to consider ways to refresh your kitchen by adding texture without spending a lot of money. Furniture, utensil holders, bar stools, wooden bowls and trays, or live plants on the counter can bring a touch of warmth. Other ideas to consider include a butcher block countertop, textured tile backsplash, and area rugs.

Of course, replacing countertops and the backsplash can be expensive. Another easy and affordable way to keep a white kitchen from looking dull uses upholstery and fabric. Upholstered furniture, curtains, and pillows can incorporate texture, color, and pattern to break up an overly white room. You can buy or DIY upholstery on bar stools, chairs, or add pillows to kitchen chairs or benches to warm up a cold white kitchen.