We Asked Millennial Designers the Kitchen Paint Colors That Will Never Go out of Style, and They Named These 3

The last time I shopped for a home was a decade ago when dark wood cabinets and granite countertops were all the rage. Now that I’m back on the home-buying market, I’m noticing a few distinct kitchen color schemes trending in homes with new or recently made-over kitchens — and it got me thinking. 

The first are bright white kitchens with sleek subway tiles. The second trend warms up more, with a neutral palette and combinations like white oak cabinetry and glossy, beige zellige tiles. The third, which is just right for this elder millennial, has pops of darker accent colors, like sage green cabinets or a dark navy kitchen island, juxtaposed with something like quartz countertops. Seriously, I’m seeing these three schemes over and over.

Our generation has popularized some colors so much they become eponymous — like “millennial pink,” and now the more controversial “millennial gray.” The millennial influence over the interior design color wheel likely has to do with the fact that we have been the largest group of homebuyers since 2014, usurped just recently by the Baby Boomers, according to the National Association of Realtors.

As moodier colors in kitchens trend, a departure from the cool whites of the 2010s, Behr announced its 2024 color of the year to be a soft black called “Cracked Pepper.” The color is especially loved by millennials, with 61% of those surveyed saying that black tones can give homes a fresh look.

So, what other colors are “in” right now for kitchens — especially concerning my generation of homebuyers? I asked three millennial designers, and here’s what they had to say.