A white kitchen looks businesslike, and light conveys a feeling of calm and clarity and creates space and brightness. Because white is associated with purity and hygiene, it has always played a major role in kitchen design. The shade most often used in the kitchen is the lightest of all colors. Learn here about the advantages and disadvantages of a white kitchen, which countertop goes with it, and how to add exciting accents.
Photo: Ikea
Why Are White Kitchens So Popular?
You can’t go wrong with a white kitchen – the counterpart to the trendy black kitchen. It suits any style of living, is timeless, and can be easily combined with all colors and woods. Shades of kitchen counter range from classic pearl white, ivory, or cream to nuances like wool white or chalk. Precisely because a new dream kitchen is a purchase for almost the whole life, many rely on restraint – because, like the infamous white sheet, a white kitchen leaves a lot of room for maneuver and is the perfect stage for ever new design ideas, some of which we present to you yet.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a White Kitchen at a Glance
We have summarized the advantages and disadvantages that you should consider before buying a white kitchen:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| The white kitchen fits not only to every style of furnishing and and every color tone you want to combine, but it can be with accessories and color also quickly completely restyled. |
It is a real challenge; white surfaces, brilliant white over the years. Dirt is also more noticeable on light-colored surfaces also become apparent more quickly. |
| White fronts make small kitchens appear visually larger. |
Depending on the material, the whiteness can, for example, be due to sunlight or yellowish discoloration. |
| The white kitchen is discreetly restrained, looks elegant and stylish, and is friendly and inviting. |
Too much white can make a kitchen appear sterile. |
| White symbolizes freshness and purity. | |
| White makes less kitchen lighting necessary. |
|
| They are a timeless classic. |
What Countertop Suits the White Kitchen?
One of the most significant advantages of a white kitchen is that it can be wonderfully combined and changed with various materials. We’ve looked around at which kitchen countertops can be used to refine the look of a white kitchen.
Wood
Whether solid wood or veneer, the different types of wood make a white kitchen look much warmer. They add a natural touch to the room and create a cozy atmosphere. The white surface gives the natural material room to unfold its full effect.
However, since fine woods are not completely insensitive, they should be well sealed for use in the kitchen because untreated wood is particularly susceptible to water and heat and is not cut, scratch, or impact resistant. Harder and fine-pored woods are particularly suitable. Those who like things to be uncomplicated but do not want to do without the wood look are well advised to use plastic panels for the wood look.
Laminate
In addition to the different designs that can be imitated with both materials, bold color accents can be added to a white kitchen with coated surfaces. Bright yellow, for example, brings the sun into the house, red and orange add spice to the white kitchen, and aquamarine lends maritime flair.
Stainless steel
Copied from professional kitchens, the silver shimmer of a stainless steel countertop gives the white kitchen an excellent touch and elegant simplicity. The easy-to-clean and hygienic surface does not absorb water or other liquids and gives germs no chance to spread. Stainless steel countertops are heat-resistant, abrasion-resistant, and particularly durable. While fingerprints quickly leave traces, food residue or other stains can be removed promptly with a damp cloth and some household cleaner. The only drawback is that all these properties come at a price. Stainless steel countertops, for example, are quite expensive to buy.
Concrete
You can’t go past concrete countertops if you want a modern, white, industrial-style kitchen. The traditional building material made of cement, water, gravel, or sand offers numerous advantages – such as high stability, many design options, and unadulterated color channeling. Concrete is extremely resilient, durable, impact and shock resistant, and insensitive to scratches, heat, and UV radiation. Their even surface makes concrete countertops easy to clean and maintain.
However, oils and liquids quickly leave stains on the porous material, which permanently penetrate the material. However, concrete countertops can be made stain-resistant with good impregnation. The massive weight of concrete means that countertops are mostly customized and poured on-site to fit the kitchen. A good alternative is countertops made of MDF, which are finished with a fine film of lightweight concrete or mineral fillers such as “Beton Ciré”.
Natural Stone
With their noble and timeless appearance, slate, marble, or granite are the favorites among natural stones for countertops.
- Granite: Granite countertops are ideally suited for white kitchens as a very hard and particularly resistant stone. With its appearance of naturally formed structural gradients, it visually enhances the kitchen. Granite is available in light and darker finishes, either nobly polished to a shine or polished to a modern matte finish. The stone surface is hygienic, tasteless, and resistant to stains and scratches. Thus, neither water nor hot pots or sharp knives can harm it.
- Slate: Due to its high strength, slate countertops can be laid in very thin versions, which makes them look light and exclusive. In a white kitchen, the dark stone contrasts light fronts and impresses with its simple, cool look. As a material, slate is not quite as robust as granite and should always be impregnated before use.
- Marble: A characteristic of the soft stone is the more or less pronounced grain, which makes the marble an elegant eye-catcher in the white kitchen. However, marble surfaces are susceptible to scratches and stains without a protective coating. On the other hand, water and high temperatures are not a problem for the natural stone. Depending on the variety, the initial cost of marble countertops is significantly higher than that of granite and slate.
Ideas: How to Spice Up a White Kitchen?
Like a white canvas, a white kitchen occasionally invites you to change its look. Often, small changes are enough to create excitement, a new style and beautify the kitchen. We present the most beautiful ideas:
Designed backsplash
How about sticking colorful wall tiles in your white kitchen to create a highlight? But there are also plenty of alternative materials for the heavily used wall space between the countertop and the cabinets. Would you like a taste? If you want to reach for the paint pot, simply paint the wall with washable latex paint or blackboard paint.
Water-resistant wallpaper made of latex or PVC can apply motifs or patterns, while wooden panels give the kitchen a country house touch. Mirrored tiles or a metallic backsplash made of copper, stainless steel, or brass look very classy. Waterproof painted chipboard or washable wall coverings made of foil or printed glass are also in vogue.
Photo: Ikea
Colorful furniture and accessories
The quickest way to add variety to a white kitchen is to use colorful kitchen accessories, textiles, or even furniture such as tables, chairs, or shelves in bright colors. Even a single freestanding retro refrigerator can change the look of the kitchen. Decorative objects such as fruit bowls, dishes, or kitchen utensils make the white kitchen lively and exciting. The advantage: you will always remain nice and flexible because everything can be quickly replaced and changed. Eye-catching vintage furniture, heirlooms, and flea market finds add a personal touch to the white kitchen. Read more ideas on how to decorate the kitchen here.
Decorative wallpaper
Eye-catching patterned wallpaper is a great option to breathe new life into a white kitchen without changing fronts or countertops. Whether flowers, stripes, or textures – for example, design the wall between lower and upper cabinets, divide the space with a single wall, or decorate the insides of shelves, cabinets, or drawers as surprising highlights.
Colored walls
Whether elaborate or subtle – colorfully painting the wall makes a white kitchen unit stand out visually. It is a particularly uncomplicated way of permanently changing the room’s atmosphere for little money. While bright colors make the white kitchen lively, pastel shades provide freshness and earthy tones for coziness. So that the color scheme does not become too loud, single strong tones or various coordinated nuances of a color family are sufficient. Ideal for the kitchen is a cheerful yellow. Orange, red, and purple have an appetizing effect. Natural, green, or blue tones are suitable for giving the kitchen a calming and relaxed flair. It becomes elegant with different shades of gray.
Stylish fittings
Small effort, big effect: It doesn’t always have to be stainless steel or chrome, faucets made of brass in bright colors or noble black is quickly replaced and make individual statements as strong contrasts in a white kitchen.
Tips & Tricks: How to Care for White Kitchens
Now it’s time to tackle stains from sauces, dressings, oils, fats, food residues, and drinks! Whether glossy or matte, to keep the surfaces of a white kitchen as beautiful as possible for as long as possible, you should regularly wipe the fronts with a soft cotton cloth and water enriched with detergent. Stains should always be removed immediately. You should avoid aggressive cleaning agents, as they can scratch and dull the surfaces of the white kitchen.
Alternatively, it is recommended to make cleaning agents yourself – a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and water. Kitchens with glossy fronts require special care. Under no circumstances should they be treated with microfiber cloths because the fine abrasive particles they contain could scratch the surface.
