Two-tone cabinets are a popular choice for modern kitchens thanks to the visual variation and energy that they can add to the heart of the home. The contrasting colors that come with such an arrangement can make your space feel larger and more open. In addition, they can create focal points that catch the eye and prevent things from looking flat. A darker bottom cabinet color, for example, could highlight the natural stone of your countertops or the design of your kitchen’s island, while a lighter top cabinet color simultaneously helps everything look a bit brighter. In some cases, two-tone cabinets can even add to your home’s resale value, since they tend to make your kitchen feel more trendy and up-to-date.

So what’s the catch? To get all of the potential benefits that two-tone cabinets can provide for your space, you’ll need to think carefully about color and finish coordination. The hues and textures you select need to match up with all the other elements of your kitchen’s design, including your countertops, backsplash, appliances, and flooring. However, there’s still plenty of room for creativity. In selecting your colors, you can draw from the interior design present elsewhere in your house, and read up on tips for creating a cohesive color palette for your home. Alternatively, you can use this opportunity to turn the heart of your home into a more visually distinct space that’s sure to be a talking point the next time you’re entertaining guests.

Black and white cabinets are a classic color combo, but they can sometimes look a bit stark because of how sharply they contrast. To tone things down a bit, you might want to try pairing a matte black with a cream color instead. This combination will establish a luxury, European-inspired vibe throughout your space and highlight the small details of your cabinet’s design. The colors can also help your houseplants, dishware, and other decor pieces stand out just a bit more as well. It’s simple and timeless, but not overdone.

Want to give the heart of your home a more natural aesthetic? Sage green and white cabinets could be a great way to do just that. The combination works well within modern kitchens, but could also be a solid choice if you’re aiming for a more traditional, rustic aesthetic instead. You might want to think about how you can use your hardware, shelves, or seating to add a few wooden accents alongside these colors, especially since they could make the green feel a bit warmer. The neutral white, meanwhile, will help keep things light and airy.

Neutral gray and white are great choices for your cabinets if you’d like to add some visual variance to your kitchen without stealing the show from your other focal points, such as your light fixtures or your countertops. This no-frills look also helps highlight elegant hardware and faucet pieces. Another benefit of these colors is that you can arrange them in just about any configuration. For example, you could establish a border between the kitchen and the rest of your open space with gray side cabinets, or show off your kitchen island with white cabinets instead.

Teal base cabinets are an excellent way to give your modern or contemporary kitchen a bold flair without making the space feel overly dramatic. In combination with white upper cabinets, they establish a calm, fresh aesthetic that calls the sea to mind and compliments your nautical or coastal decor. Natural wood tones, such as those available with butcher’s block countertops and wooden drawer pulls, could help ground this pairing and make it feel a bit less cool. The bright colors here can also help make your small kitchen feel a bit larger.

Two-toned cabinets give homeowners the opportunity to mix more than just different colors together; they also make it possible to blend opposing textures together. This allows for some truly unique aesthetics. A gray wood and high gloss blue combination is an excellent example. The shiny upper cabinets give off modern art vibes and draw the eye, while the neutral tone and wood grain of the lower cabinets balance them out with a more timeless look. The result is a clean, efficient-looking space that’s sure to help distinguish the home’s design for guests and potential buyers.

Pairing a light, natural wood color with bright white creates a Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic that’s ideal for compact, minimalist spaces. The combination works especially well with sleek, edgeless overlay cabinets and plain black finger pulls. Despite how neutral it is, it’s surprisingly radiant, and for that reason, it could be a good choice for your kitchen if you don’t have big windows or a lot of square footage to work with. The timelessness of this color scheme essentially proves that minimalism will never go out of style.

Pairing dark green and sleek brass cabinet colors in your kitchen will give your space a rich, elegant quality that makes it feel truly one of a kind. The metallic quality of the brass, in particular, is something you can continue building on with your appliances, hardware pieces, and light fixtures. Meanwhile, the more muted nature of this green tone prevents it from taking over. Because this pairing is a bit darker, you’ll probably want a lighter-colored countertop and plenty of incoming natural light to help brighten things up a bit.

Black wood base cabinets and light oak upper cabinets combine to create a natural, grounded look that’s sure to stand the test of time. The earthy textures present in both materials help to temper the contrast between the light and dark colors, which prevents the space from looking overly dramatic. Brass cabinet handles and gray quartz countertops pair especially well with this aesthetic and add a touch of luxury. If you’re going to try this blend, make sure to select a stain for your upper cabinets that puts their open grain pattern on full display.

If you have a more contemporary or traditional kitchen, you might like the eye-catching elegance of a gray-blue and gold cabinet color combination. The blue will feel light and airy, and might look especially luxurious with your glass shaker cabinets. The matte metallic tones, meanwhile, add a touch of warmth, and prevent everything from looking too pale. This color scheme could look nice with floating shelves, brass hardware, or perhaps even butcher block countertops. If you favor ornate kitchen designs with mixed materials, this one’s a great choice for your home.

Looking for a way to brighten up your kitchen? Painting your wall or base cabinets with a light shade of mint green is definitely an effective way to do just that. This color is lively and fresh, and doesn’t feel as candy-coated or obnoxious as other pastels, such as purple, pink, or yellow. Plus, you can easily temper its intensity with wood upper cabinets, perhaps in a matte finish. This pairing suits both contemporary and modern kitchens, but could also be a good choice if you want to establish a cottagecore aesthetic instead.