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Renovating Design Dilemma Kitchens

Will dark grey cabinet doors date, or are they timeless?

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I'm almost ready to order a new kitchen but am having last-minute jitters. We've always loved dark grey, and have gravitated towards it in every kitchen showroom we've visited (matt painted doors with chrome handles).

We've spent a fortune renovating our mid-century house. Part of me wants to future-proof it as much as possible (perhaps a white kitchen, which we had in our last mid-century home and which was still looking good after 40-odd years ), and part of me wants to go for what we love (dark grey, with a mix of stainless steel and wood countertops).

What are your thoughts on the dark grey trend - will our kitchen look really dated really soon? If so, and if I decide to go for it anyway, are there any design principles I should follow to minimise the cost of changing colour a few years down the line?

Featured Answer

Juliet Docherty

5 years ago

I'm going to be unpopular here, but these are my thoughts. I don't think grey goes with everything, in fact I think it can be problematic. Painters don't use black in their paintings because it looks disconnected from other colours, a very dark brown or blue /black is more sympathetic. Likewise, pure grey can look a bit out of place with other colours, whereas a grey with a tiny tinge of something (could be anything) will 'read' as grey but look more connected. When colours connect together they form palettes and look harmonious if the palette works.

Also, grey is a trend. We know this because if you scan through interiors books from the last 30 years there are herringbone floors, white walls etc but not much dark grey. Finally, warm palettes are back, pale dirty pinks, browns and light warm neutrals. Unless it's timeless, it's a fashion. If you love it, then have it, but it is a fashion and it will pass.

Comments (16)

GJ Dee
5 years ago
Every kitchen dates- just go with what you like!
Daisy England
5 years ago
Have what you want. Get a decent carcase and years down the line if you want to swap, just swap the fascias.
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Pugster 2018
5 years ago
I think grey is quite timeless and lots of people like grey, because it really does go with so many other colours. I say go for it. Especially if you are planning to live there a long time :)
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Catherine Cornelissen
5 years ago
Hi Anne!

I do not think that dark grey will age your home whatsoever! In fact, I think it will do the opposite and work in your favour! It really depends on the other elements in the room, such as your flooring, countertop and splash back -- perhaps consider what colours and materials they are to look at the overall picture!

Grey goes with lots of other colours, especially white countertops and a light hard wood floor!
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User
5 years ago
I think it's your kitchen and have what you want. Our kitchen has been grey for around 8-9 years now, and the Grey trend is probably a lot longer than some may think. It's still going strong too.

If in the future you want to change the colour, just paint it.................we have in the past, my mum has and many people do on here too.

Alternatively go for your white / ivory but use your darker colours on accent walls, furnishings and accessories.

Love the look above, which would work well with white units as the drama is the island and walls.
Sonia
5 years ago
Grey‘s lovely, but my first thought was, if you are worried it will date, then have white units and paint the walls a deep grey (as ManAbout suggested.). I must be honest I always choose a pale kitchen because I like to sometimes change the look by painting the walls another colour. Gives you that flexibility.
A T
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Thank you for your views. It's reassuring to feel that both options would work. I'm still flipping between the two every 5 minutes, but will need to bite the bullet soon. Looking back at all my kitchen ideabook, I started off saving white kitchens with industrial/concrete features (grey), then moved to dark grey after visiting showrooms.

The first section of the kitchen will be a fairly narrow galley with a bank of high units on one side then, after french doors, it will open up into an L-shape broken-plan section with lots of natural light. A 3D view of the galley section made me feel that matt dark grey might be a bit overwhelming. But it would also be dramatic, if paired with the right colours.

Argh. I'll let you know what I decide. At the moment it's looking like white kitchen/grey walls&floor/lots of plants on the windowsills.

Anyone ever feel like just throwing in the towel and bringing in an interior designer? The whole house is being remodelled, and the decision part of my brain wants a long holiday. I might have to toss a coin.

p.s. I love the Critall windows. It's too late to have those in the kitchen, but we're hoping to have interior critall glazing elsewhere
PRO
Andrea Breuer-Weil Interiors
5 years ago
I am an interior designer and I would say be brave and go for grey as you have already lived with white for a long time.

I do think grey is timeless and works as well as white as a neutral base for everything else. It looks amazing and sets off pastels and metallics in a way that white can't. Go for it!
Tani H-S
5 years ago
ditto with the grey! I had white in our last house but have gone for an Off Black (deep rich grey) for our new kitchen. It's pretty much timeless and if you get doors you can paint, then you have the option down the line of changing them. I don't think that style will date easily though. (not like the cream or black gloss kitchens that have been around).

Unless you are planning on selling the house soon, really go with what you would love. The chance of someone else buying your house and loving your kitchen style down the line, is hard. I wanted to change every kitchen I've had - but having one I could have just painted would have been great.
Anthony (Beano)
5 years ago
I hedged my bets, I’ve got both light and grey units! Lol, not worried if they are in or out of fashion, I love them!
A T
Original Author
5 years ago
Maybe white cabinets / concrete countertop :) Or is that just more trendiness?

My old kitchen was classic: white with grey trim and stainless steel counters.

I love stainless steel and concrete. Maybe the grey should just be a feature.

Hmm.
Anthony (Beano)
5 years ago
Said it before, get what YOU like, yes it’s nice to ask advice on here but it’s YOUR kitchen and you’ll be looking at it! I put a shaker style walnut kitchen in 14 years ago, loved it at the time, couldn’t bare looking at it at the end, you’ll eventually get sick looking at what ever you put in but as long as you get 10+ years loving it, then go with what you like the look off, as said it’s nice to get opinions but if you and just one other person on this thread liked grey and 30 others didn’t would you go with the general consensus and change you mind? I can assure you I wouldn’t.
kwg kwg
5 years ago
Yes definitely go with what you like as you that will be looking at it everyday! If you keep gravitating towards the grey then it's a sign :-). I was exactly the same when choosing my kitchen, floorboards, tiles, bathroom, basically everything, then my friend said 'you always end up going back to the first thing you like so just go for it' lol
Danielle H
5 years ago
Have you got the option to use both white and grey? I loved the dark grey units but didn’t want my whole kitchen in them so compromised and had them on my island. I was dead set on my dark floor and dark wall at the other end of the space and though grey would be too dark. Maybe the high bank of units you mentioned could be in the grey and the rest white?
A T
Original Author
5 years ago
I love that dark wall, Danielle.

The discussion is really helping. I know I need the grey somewhere, definitely. I'm going to see if there's a design tool that helps me play with different colour combinations. The kitchen design tools I've used so far haven't really given me a sense of scale or depth of colour.

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