5 Kitchen Cabinet Styles We Love

With so many kitchen cabinet styles available, finding the perfect one for your space can be confusing. We’ve done the digging for you and picked our favorites from KraftMaid based on versatility that comes from the ideal combination of style and finish. From traditional looks to contemporary lines and the transitional style that falls in the middle, here are our faves.

The simple architectural design of cabinets with recessed panels offers the flexibility to create a space that has traditional roots with contemporary accents. Choose dark wood finishes that pair handsomely with subway tile and traditional seating or more natural finishes and contemporary lighting that open up the space. Or do both (as seen here)! Because recessed-style cabinetry accommodates a variety of design options that can live together beautifully, you can finish the look with the elegance of a high-arc kitchen faucet as a statement piece. Recessed-style cabinets are also known for their durability and functionality, being resistant to scratches thanks to the raised panel.

Raised cabinet styles come in a variety of beveled edges and raised insets, which means the possibilities are endless. While the cabinets themselves are more traditional, their simplicity and charm allow you to use lighter or darker finishes and complement them with contemporary accents like floating shelves and stainless-steel appliances. Raised cabinet styles are extremely versatile and can be simple or detailed with ornate, grooved borders. A design approach like this offers the best of both worlds for your kitchen.

Although the clean and simple lines of the shaker cabinet style have been around for centuries, they may seem like a very popular newcomer. When you choose contemporary finishes or paint, the newest fixtures in lighting design and pops of color with backsplash tiles and greenery, you’ve got a classic look with a contemporary twist. A transitional approach like this one makes it easy to personalize your kitchen with elements from different eras. With simple, straight lines and flat panels, shaker style cabinets are easy to customize and clean.

If you’re looking for the most modern style in your kitchen, contemporary is the way to go. Defined by open spaces, minimal decoration, simple lines and smooth surfaces, contemporary kitchens are often highlighted with a slab-style cabinet. The simplicity of this cabinet gives you the creative freedom to choose a variety of finishes and blend them together while maintaining the fluidity of the room. Lots of natural light, floating shelves and sparse pops of color complete the look. Slab-style cabinets have a timeless appeal as they can easily be repainted if you grow tired of the color and are easy to keep clean.

Perhaps the most versatile of all five popular cabinet styles is the glass insert. Glass is like the black of the fashion world—it goes with anything. These door fronts are the ideal complement to any kitchen style from traditional to contemporary and give you a showcase for your favorite dishes or other colorful accents. Experiment with colors and shapes of items on display to mix up your kitchen decor, like adding warm-toned bowls and wooden utensils in the fall or stacking plates on cookbooks for a cozy look that works year-round. While you might want to put only a couple of glass doors in your kitchen to add interest, they come in many styles so you can customize for your own look: textured, frosted, wooden panes, metallic panes and more. Glass also allows light to flow through and illuminate the darker corners of your kitchen.

Cabinets play a huge role in the look and feel of any kitchen. From traditional to contemporary to industrial, there’s a cabinet style to fit any kitchen design.