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Green led the professional forecast for 2025, while white and wood were the colors homeowners most often selected for renovated kitchens. Those findings are not contradictory: the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) surveyed industry professionals about expected trends, while Houzz measured choices made by homeowners undertaking kitchen renovations. Read the numbers as two views of the market, not as one universal ranking.
What the 2025 data actually measures
The clearest way to interpret 2025 cabinet-color trends is to keep the two major studies separate.
| Source | Who was surveyed | Question measured | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| NKBA 2025 Kitchen Trends Report | 523 kitchen professionals in North America; 67% NKBA members and 61% designers | Expected trends over the following three years | Green, blue, brown and natural tones, including white oak, were prominent |
| Houzz 2025 U.S. Kitchen Trends Study | 1,620 U.S. homeowners with recent or planned kitchen renovations | Cabinet colors selected for projects completed, underway or planned in 2024–25 | White and wood were the most common selections |
NKBA’s results are a professional forecast, not a count of installed cabinets. Houzz’s percentages describe renovating homeowners, not every kitchen or total cabinet sales. Houzz also says a year-over-year comparison is unavailable because its survey logic and answer choices changed.
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In its published 2025 summary, NKBA reported the following professional preferences:
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- Green: 76%
- Blue: 63%
- Brown: 56%
- White oak cabinets: 59%
The report’s broader design message is to use “light, warm, and natural tones.” NKBA also found that 52% of respondents agreed cabinets would be a primary place to use statement colors. These figures come from the NKBA | KBIS 2025 report announcement and indicate expected influence, not the share of kitchens finished in each color.
Green
Green was NKBA’s strongest color forecast. Depending on the room, that can mean a muted sage, olive, moss or deeper forest tone rather than a bright primary green. The survey does not identify a winning green shade, so the right choice depends on the kitchen’s natural light and adjacent finishes.
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Blue
Blue ranked second in the NKBA forecast. Soft blue-gray can keep a small kitchen airy, while navy or other dark blues create a more dramatic statement. Because the survey reports only the color family, it does not establish which undertone or lightness is most popular.
Brown and natural wood
Brown appeared among NKBA’s leading color families, and the report separately highlighted white oak. In practice, the natural-wood story includes visible grain and finish as well as painted brown. White oak can be clear-coated, lightly toned or paired with painted cabinetry; the survey does not prescribe one finish.
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What homeowners actually chose in Houzz renovations
Houzz’s cabinet-color table gives a different ranking for renovation projects:
| Cabinet color or tone | Share of renovating homeowners |
|---|---|
| White | 33% |
| Wood (light 8%, medium 12%, dark 3%) | 23% combined |
| Off-white | 14% |
| Gray | 6% |
| Green | 5% |
| Blue | 5% |
| Greige | 4% |
| Black | 2% |
| Brown | 1% |
Wood is a combined category in the Houzz data: 8% light, 12% medium and 3% dark. White therefore remained the single most common homeowner selection, with wood and off-white following. Green and blue were each selected by 5%, even though both ranked highly in NKBA’s professional forecast. That difference is exactly why a forecast should not be presented as an installation or sales ranking.
Rank #4
- CABINET TRANSFORMATION: Refresh outdated cabinets, vanities, furniture and trim with rich Cadet Gray color and a smooth semi-gloss finish
- DURABLE PERFORMANCE: Easy-to-clean finish resists dirt and grime while standing up to household chemicals
- SMOOTH APPLICATION: Outstanding flow and leveling help create a beautiful finish with brush, roller, pad applicator or airless sprayer
- FAST PROJECT COMPLETION: Dries to touch in 30 minutes, recoats in 2 hours and is ready for normal use after 24 hours
- INTERIOR CABINET COATING: Ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and other interior cabinet and trim applications
Why the two rankings can both be true
Forecast versus completed decisions
Design professionals were asked what they expected to be influential, while homeowners reported colors chosen for specific renovation projects. A color can be highly influential in design conversations without yet being the most frequently installed.
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Color family versus material expression
NKBA’s list combines painted colors with natural wood direction. Houzz separates wood tones from painted color categories. A white-oak kitchen can therefore support the “natural” trend without appearing in a painted-color ranking.
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- Includes 30 featured and newest released color card. Sprayed on color to see our colors in your homes lighting for more accurate color choices.
- ALL-IN-ONE Paint - NO Sanding, NO Priming, NO Top Coat Required, Low Luster, Velvet Sheen Finish
- Interior/Exterior - Paint your whole house - Ideal for hard surfaces including walls, doors, cabinets, counters, furniture, metal, glass, ceramics and floor and wall tile
- Durable yet stretches to paint smooth fabrics, vinyl and leather
- Results cannot be guaranteed. Digital screens may not show color accurately. Product search "ALL-IN-ONE PAINT by Heirloom Traditions, Color Confidence Card", for an accurate color choice.
Existing kitchens are not the sample
Houzz’s figures cover homeowners who were renovating, planning to renovate or had recently completed work. They are not a census of all existing kitchens, and they should not be used to claim that white or gray has disappeared.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to use these trends in a real kitchen
Start with the fixed finishes
Before choosing a door color, evaluate the countertop, backsplash, flooring, appliances and the amount of daylight. A sample that looks balanced in a showroom can read much warmer, cooler or darker beside your installed materials.
Choose the role of the color
- Full-kitchen color: Use a restrained green or blue when the cabinetry is intended to be the room’s main visual feature.
- Island or lower cabinets: Test a stronger statement color while keeping surrounding cabinets neutral or wood.
- Natural focal point: Use white oak or another visible-grain wood when texture and warmth matter more than a painted hue.
- Quiet backdrop: White, off-white or a carefully selected gray can support patterned tile, stone or prominent hardware.
Test in the room, not only on a screen
Order or create large paint color samples and view them at morning, afternoon and evening. Check them beside the countertop and backsplash, and leave them in place long enough to see how changing daylight affects undertones.
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Houzz reports that paint was the finish used by 57% of homeowners upgrading cabinet finishes, but that statistic does not identify a suitable product for every door or box. Existing cabinets may be solid wood, veneer, laminate, thermofoil or previously painted; each requires different cleaning, abrasion, priming and coating steps. Follow the paint manufacturer’s surface-preparation and compatibility instructions, or have a cabinet professional assess the substrate before work begins.
A practical selection process
- Photograph the room in daylight. Note which walls and cabinet runs receive direct sun and which stay shaded.
- List non-negotiable finishes. Record countertop undertones, flooring color, backsplash pattern and appliance finish.
- Pick two or three trend directions. For example, muted green, medium wood and warm off-white.
- Test full-size samples. Place them on different cabinet elevations and view them under both daylight and the actual installed lighting.
- Check the substrate and coating system. Confirm whether the doors are wood, veneer, laminate or another material before selecting primer and cabinet paint.
- Review the whole-room balance. Make sure the chosen cabinet color leaves room for hardware, furnishings and future changes without competing with every surface.
What the later 2026 forecast suggests—and what it does not
For context only, NKBA’s 2026 forecast summary reported neutrals at 96%, green at 86% and blue at 78%; it also identified wood grain as growing at 59%, with white oak the leading wood type at 51%. Those figures are from the 2026 report announcement, published in 2025. They are not 2025 cabinet-color results, but they suggest that natural wood and colored cabinetry remained part of the conversation rather than a short-lived one-season idea.
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