1. USE IT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO WHITE
Beiges come in all sorts of tones, from colors that feel like a dark taupe to those that are just a little off off-white. This kitchen, designed by Kristin Hildebrand of KH Interiors, is a light creamy beige that keeps this space feeling bright and open, yet adds that little bit of depth that would lack in a purely white kitchen.
2. PULL FROM YOUR COUNTERTOPS
Choosing a beige color for your kitchen cabinets can be a tough choice, but there are certain elements that can lead you in your decision-making. 'One thing to consider is your countertop material,' says interior designer Ashley Montgomery. 'A natural marble has veining which your cabinetry color can be influenced by.'
3. GO GREIGE
There was a time when gray kitchens were ubiquitous, however, now designers are turning more to warmer neutrals that riff off a classic gray. 'I think cooler grays can feel cold and a bit lifeless, so I tend to prefer warmer grays, or "greiges" (gray + beige) as they are commonly called,' says Johanna Lyle, founder of Jo Lyle & Co, as seen in her design, above.
4. PAIR IT WITH COLOR
Beige kitchen ideas don't have to mean all neutrals — it's a color that can be paired with almost any color successfully, whether you want something bolder or to keep things more subtle. This kitchen, designed by interior designer Audrey Scheck, shows that beige is a color that goes with green well. 'We wanted to infuse some color into the timeless design of this kitchen while remaining relatively neutral,' Audrey says. 'The dark olive green pairs beautifully with the creamy mushroom cabinets without overpowering the space.'
5. USE BEIGE TO ADD CONTRAST TO COUNTERTOPS
If your kitchen cabinet color choice is between white and beige, you may want to opt for the latter if you're choosing white countertops, too. 'We find all white kitchens fall flat especially if you have lighter countertops as well, which is why taupe cabinetry is such a game changer,' says interior designer Ashley Montgomery.
6. BRING WARMTH WITH THE NEW 'MAGNOLIA'
In recent years, people have been a little afraid of yellow-toned beiges — they can call to mind that outdated paint color "Magnolia" that most of us would rather remains in the past.
7. MAKE IT FEEL MODERN
So far, this kitchen inspiration has been for classic-leaning Shaker style kitchens, and to be honest, I didn't find a huge amount of slab front doors in beige tones outside of natural woods. However, there are still designers taking this color trend to more contemporary places.
8. CHOOSE BEIGE FINISHES ACROSS THE KITCHEN
Of course, there are other ways to introduce beige into a kitchen other than the cabinets. For Susannah Holmberg, founder of Susannah Holmberg Studios, this owner sought to keep the original black kitchen cabinets, but the designer found other ways to introduce the color that would help this kitchen color feel less harsh.
9. USE BEIGE TO HIGHLIGHT FEATURES
Using beige as an accent in a white kitchen is much more subtle than almost any other color, but it can still be used to accentuate your space's most interesting details. In this Chicago home, Pernille Lind Studio used a charming beige color for a run of wall cabinetry with a distinct curved door front, as well as for the kitchen pantry and laundry room doors with their reeded glass inserts.
10. THINK ABOUT WOOD STAINS, TOO
Light, blonde wood kitchen cabinets bring a natural neutral tone that might be one of the biggest kitchen trends right now, so it shouldn't be overlooked even if you have your heart set on a "beige" kitchen.