Two-toned kitchens

17 days ago

Are two—toned kitchens (upper vs lower) out of style? im craving a punch of colour on the cabinets in my kitchen but have limited natural light. was considering keeping the uppers white to keep some brightness. Repainting older cabinets.

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Luna Tomy

17 days ago

I love the last one with that bright rug! I think if you like it, don’t worry about style. I think it’s psychologically damaging to live in a house where resell value guides our choices rather than what brings us joy!

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Comments (17)

S Mil
17 days ago
Luna said it well. Just remember to put time and attention to the prep work when painting cabinets. Go for it.
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lharpie
17 days ago
Yes i think the two toned style is headed out - just as well i’m not a fan. your last pic is unique and fun and i’d do it in a heartbeat though! the first two are more drab grey. if you love it and want to add color sounds like a great way to revive old cabs. i wouldn’t worry about what’s in style. i just wouldn’t do it to try to be trendy!
palimpsest
17 days ago
Every time this question comes up, I tell people that a large multi tower apartment complex put two tone kitchens in the units, in 1962.
herbflavor
17 days ago
well.... its all in the details.....how old is old? what is all that work going to really do as opposed to waiting a bit and getting some BETTER lower cabs w drawers..etc. Old usually means there are a few other issues....but hey , I love my paint brushes and color as much as anyone .....its hard to say...throw up some pics and youll get lots of different ideas if you have some time energy and a bit of money.
S M
17 days ago
the second pic is gorgeous. And I agree to do what you like and what’s pleasing to you. I also don’t have a ton of natural light in my kitchen- a lot of windows in adjoining room , so not direct light -and did a bold color on both uppers and lowers. I have plenty of overhead lighting and under cabinet lighting. The kitchen doesn’t feel dark at all. Good luck with your project and post pics 😊
theresa21
17 days ago
I love two-toned kitchens when they are done right. My MIL painted her kitchen two-toned in 1987 exactly like the green color in the third photo. That kitchen served her well for over 2 decades and I never grew tired of it. I just don't get it when people say two-toned is out of style.
mxk3 z5b_MI
17 days ago
If you find your kitchen too dark, then the solution is to add lighting - and lots of it - not to simply paint the cabinets white. Plenty of white kitchens look dingy and drab because they are not properly lit.
palimpsest
17 days ago
The thing about all your examples is that there are really two tones. There is a base cabinet color, and then everything else is essentially the wall color.

Often "two tone" kitchens turn out to be two cabinet colors, then a countertop color, then maybe a different countertop on the island, then a backsplash, then a wall color. That's a FIVE or SIX tone kitchen.
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Sabrina Alfin Interiors
17 days ago
I've done multiple two tone kitchens and I think they still look great.

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aem04
17 days ago
I just commented in another thread that asked about two-color cabinets in a kitchen. I think it only works in a larger kitchen like the kitchens you posted. In a small kitchen, it looks choppy. What size is your kitchen?

Also I think the style of the different colors divided by uppers and lowers is not as current as the two colors being in blocks in the kitchen, I.e. not divided strictly by uppers and lowers. Here are photos to illustrate what I mean.
amystoller
17 days ago
In the mid-1960s, my mother had two levels of uppers (14-ft ceilings), one row in bittersweet orange, the others in a very purple-ish mauve. (I can't remember what she did on the lowers, but I I think they were white.) This was in a tiny galley kitchen with limited daylight. She loved it. Her current kitchen, same layout, is done with white uppers and bright yellow lowers. She's 93 and loves her kitchen.

Do what you love—you might live longer!
dani_m08
17 days ago
My kitchen renovation is about to start - and I’m doing white double stacked uppers + rift sawn white oak lowers (perimeter and island). While it seems like everyone is doing this now, I selected this look several years ago - but had to place the renovation “on hold” due to health issues + a DISASTROUS bathroom renovation (took awhile to get it back on track = ripping everything out and starting over). While the stained wood lowers isn’t exactly the same as adding a bold color (like the green cabinets above), it still is a look that doesn’t appeal to everyone.

I think @palimpsest made an important point in her comment - when someone starts adding two different colors for cabinets + different countertops for perimeter and island + a busy or different colored backsplash + a busy wood floor = things starts spiraling out of control. A kitchen can look too busy even if you remove one or two of the above.

Two toned kitchen have been around for quite awhile - they just weren’t as popular as they have been over the last few years. Houzz/Instagram/HGTV/etc. causes design ideas to spread like out of control wildfires!

Unless you are going to sell your house within the next year or two, I’d want my kitchen to make me happy - not someone else. Also, you are painting your existing cabinets - I can see how the decision would be more difficult if you were buying new cabinets. If you tire of the two toned cabinets, you can repaint the bottoms ones again (although it is quite a bit of work if done correctly). If you’re hiring someone to paint them, changing the bottom ones is a more difficult decision because a true cabinet painter is fairly expensive.
Krista Hickey
Original Author
15 days ago
Thanks everyone!

yes, i totally agree about two-toned caninets ending in 5 or 6 toned kitchen. My counter top will be Silver Lake Quartz from Cosentino, so def in the white family and white tiled backsplash. sadly, i am painting the old cabinets because we dont have the time for new ones. Smaller kitchen - 10x10 L shape. im putting in lots of lighting - hubby is an electrician so we have that covered ;)
Kendrah
15 days ago
In a small kitchen, I think that two tones often make the space look even smaller. Why don't you post a pic of your kitchen and some colors you are considering and maybe someone with photoshop skills can post a pic of what it will look like. In the end, it is all about what works for you. To get color in a small kitchen, I'd prefer all white with some bursts of accent color through accessories, light fixtures, or artwork.
jlcorp
7 days ago
I was interested in doing a two-toned kitchen and was advised not to as it would not look good in my kitchen. I have since seen some kitchens similar to the layout of mine and agree with the advice that was given. I have now concluded that I think I only like two-toned kitchens when either the kitchen is very large, has a high ceiling (10 ft or more), or that are not open to other rooms.
jlcorp
7 days ago
last modified: 2 days ago
dani_m08

I like the quarter sawn white oak also. I saved this from a Caped Cod Magazine-

Two-toned kitchens

Luna Tomy

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Two-toned kitchens

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