Cool gray had a good decade. It’s over now.

After years of stark white kitchens and icy gray everything, 2026 is swinging hard toward warmth wood grain, soft neutrals, rounded edges, and metal that’s allowed to age instead of staying showroom-shiny. We’re not just guessing here: the NKBA’s 2026 Kitchen Trends Report surveyed 634 kitchen and bath professionals, and Houzz tracked what actual homeowners are searching for. Both point the same direction.

Here’s what’s actually showing up in specs this year and what it means for what you should be stocking.

For the first time in years, wood-finish cabinets are outpacing painted ones. 59% of pros in the NKBA survey said wood grain is a growing trend, and white oak alone came out as the single most popular wood tone, at 51%. Warm neutrals overall dominate 96% of pros named them the top color direction, with greens and blues trailing well behind.

Translation: the all-white kitchen isn’t disappearing, but it’s sharing the spotlight with natural wood tones and warmer off-whites. This is exactly the gap our Sunny Maple and Unfinished Maple lines are built for honey-toned, natural grain finishes that read current without going full rustic.

Homeowners are gravitating toward finishes that feel lived-in rather than showroom-perfect think satin and matte sheens instead of high-gloss lacquer. A glossy door can photograph well, but in person it reads cold next to the warmer materials showing up everywhere else in the kitchen. If a finish looks good under your hand, not just under a showroom light, it’s the one to spec in 2026.

Curves are creeping into kitchen design arched range hood surrounds, rounded island corners, fluted cabinet detailing. It’s a slower shift for stock cabinetry than for custom millwork, but it shows up in the small stuff first: furniture-style legs on islands, softened edge profiles, and detailing that breaks up a wall of flat rectangles.

Polished chrome is fading. Brushed and unlacquered brass, aged bronze, and matte black are what’s showing up on doors and drawers now — finishes that develop character instead of just scratching. If you’re pairing hardware with a cabinet order, warm metals are the safer long-term bet over cool, high-shine finishes.

What This Means for Your Next Order

Stock white, but stock warm white. Stark blue-white is fading; cream and soft warm whites (like our White Shaker) are what’s replacing it.
Lean into wood grain. Sunny Maple and Unfinished Maple both fit squarely into where the market’s heading natural, warm, not painted.
Don’t overthink hardware trends. Matte black is safe and stable; brass is the one clients are asking for by name this year.
Shaker isn’t going anywhere. Slim, clean-profile Shaker doors remain the industry’s most reliable seller pair it with a warmer finish and you’re covering both the timeless buyer and the trend-forward one.

Quick Answers
Are white kitchens over? No but stark, cool white is fading. Warmer whites paired with wood and brass are what’s replacing it.

Is gray dead? Cool gray is losing ground; warm greige is holding on as a neutral, not a headline color.

Shaker or slab? Both still sell. Shaker for the timeless buyer, slab for the client chasing a more modern look.

Talk to Us About What to Stock
If you’re planning inventory for the next few months, our team can walk you through which finishes are moving fastest and help you build a stocking plan that matches what your local buyers are actually asking for. Reach out to set up a dealer account or request samples.

Data referenced from the NKBA 2026 Kitchen Trends Report (survey of 634 kitchen & bath professionals) and Houzz’s 2026 trend research.