The new trendy color for kitchens is gray

It's timeless, fits in almost any era and looks current. It's the white kitchen. It was all the rage in the 1990s, but it ran out of steam once the millennium changed. Wood made a strong comeback, and then the white kitchen made a brief comeback, but its energy began to flag once more. The color that's on trend now? Gray.

Gray groove

It's a color that's cool, reflective and reads as a neutral, from pale oyster to deep charcoal. Gray is a color that's also timeless and can blend well with many homes, fitting perfectly into contemporary to traditional styles. Think gray can't be traditional? Nothing says classic and timeless like a gray wool suit or gray tweed jacket. Gray may be the color that can help you cool down a blinding white kitchen.

Gray choices

One of the best qualities of a white kitchen is its lightness, but sometimes the unity of the color can seem one-dimensional. Adding gray to an island or to the bottom cabinets can be all you need to add some depth. Gray also warms up a white kitchen, making it feel more personal and welcoming.

Look at adding dimension, too, with various gray shades. Try a range for your cabinets, mixing pale and light grays together. For instance, try a medium gray on the exterior cabinets and a paler shade inside. For white kitchens with glass fronts, add a coat of deep gray inside the cabinets to make dishware stand out.

Shades of gray

There are so many options when it comes to gray. There are grays that are sometimes called "greige" that look like gray and beige had a baby.

There are also grays that are pale, and grays that are dark. Dark grays can run from almost black to almost blue. Blue grays and almost-black grays are a great way to pick up and accent veining in marble countertops.

For something really different, look for a gray that reads green, such as Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Gray. It has a clean feel.

Think about using gray on the walls of your kitchen if you have wood cabinets you don't want to paint. The gray background can help perk up the heaviness of wood cabinets without covering up their natural beauty.

Create depth and dimension by combining gray colors together. To pair colors, make it easy by selecting gray shades on a paint chip strip. Select colors from a light shade and a darker shade. Make sure there is enough contrast to help them play off of one another.

Why you should go gray

If your white kitchen has grown dull in its light and airy look, tone it down and neutralize that white with a gray tone. Gray can help update and refresh a bright white kitchen that needs some depth, warmth and a calm stillness. Adding gray on the cabinets or walls will make your white kitchen feel both new and timeless.