Are White Walls, Cabinets & Exteriors Still Trendy for 2024?

Is the ALL-WHITE HOME still in style?

Is white still in style as a paint color and interior finish? Are people still doing white cabinets, countertops, walls, and exteriors? Are people still covering their ENTIRE HOMES IN WHITE?

The short answer is YES, but you don’t read my blog for short answers as there’s a LOT more to it than one wee word.

With modern farmhouse trends, white paint colors became HUGELY popular in the previous five years. What started out as a penchant for shiplap feature walls and board & batten accents morphed into an ALL-ENCOMPASSING passion for everything WHITE!

And because white doesn’t relate to just paint colors and walls, we have countertops to consider as well. Let’s break it down into manageable bites…

Please note that this blog post isn’t about telling you NOT to do something based on TRENDS; not all of us are trend-followers (I’m somewhere in the middle, personally). This blog post is about offering ADVICE to those who are worried that a particular trend, style, or finish could limit the future potential of their home, either style-wise or as it relates to RESALE. Cool beans?

IS WHITE STILL A TRENDY PAINT COLOR FOR WALLS IN 2024?

Based on my Online Paint Color Consulting clients, white is still going reasonably strong. This doesn’t mean that every home can pull it off, but white walls are definitely popular, and while things will shift in 2024, we’ll still see them popping up.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster

However, cool white paint colors are NOT in. Unless a home needs a cool white based on existing finishes, nobody is doing them.

Instead, more are leaning into whites with a bit of warmth. The shift I’m seeing is that while warm whites are still popular, some are dipping their toes into the world of warm off-white paint colors. Again, if you don’t care about trends or resale, then pick your dip, tater chip.

The Ultimate Guide to White Paint Colors

SHOULD YOU PAINT YOUR WALLS, TRIMS, & ALL WHITE IN 2024?

I wouldn’t unless it’s a look you love and you don’t plan on selling. If you do commit to white on a larger scale, remember that trends are shifting. Down the road, you may need to add some variation by painting secondary rooms in different colors. This is why ANY white you choose needs to be FLEXIBLE.

However, if you do white cabinets, white countertops, white backsplash, and white walls, that’s a LOT of commitment to white, and you may want to break things up a bit before you even start.

SHOULD THE WALLS, CABINETS, TRIMS, & CEILINGS BE THE SAME SHADE?

Should you choose to go all-white, consistency is the EASIEST way to create a flexible home. While some homes/whites can handle a bit of variation, your walls, trim, cabinets, ceilings, and doors should be the SAME WHITE; you’ll just shift the SHEEN or FINISH for some subtle variation.

White Walls, Cabinets & Trim – Do They REALLY Need to Match? 

This next dining room has Benjamin Moore White Dove on the walls, trims, and ceiling, creating a more cohesive look…

WHICH WHITE PAINT COLORS ARE THE MOST POPULAR FOR CABINETS & WALLS?

As far as choosing a WHOLE HOME white, I have a few almost fool-proof ones that I refer to ALL the time in my E-Design. Here’s a quick list to get you started…

• Benjamin Moore White Dove
• Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
• Sherwin Williams Pure White
• Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
• Sherwin Williams Alabaster
• Sherwin Williams White Snow

The 5 Types of White Paint Colors: Warm, Cool, Bright & More

See the FULL REMODEL HERE

WHICH WHITE PAINT COLORS SHOULD YOU AVOID?

While the following whites are BEAUTIFUL, using them on a large scale will limit your home’s feature potential to humor new colors and trends…

• Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White or anything with a comparable cool hue
• Sherwin Williams Dover White or anything with a comparable yellow hue
• I’m on the fence with Sherwin Williams Extra White

Remember, YOU CAN LOVE THESE COLORS AND USE THEM; this isn’t what this blog post is about. It’s about answering the question of, ‘which white paint colors will be trendy and flexible for as long as humanly possible‘; in other words, don’t kill the messenger (wink wink). These colors are often best for SINGULAR spaces or rooms, rather than whole-home commitments.

IS WHITE STILL A TRENDY PAINT COLOR FOR CABINETS?

HECK YES, white cabinets aren’t going anywhere!

Why?

Because whether YOU personally love them or not, white is THE most timeless paint color for kitchen cabinets (and trim). If you’re looking for the SAFEST bet for your cabinets, that has the best chance of holding value in the coming years, white cabinets are where it’s at. For all of the gray, beige, cream, and blue cabinets I’ve advised on, WHITE wins the race.

How to Create a Timeless, Trend-Proof Home – 4-Part Series

This next kitchen has a great life ahead of it. With Chantilly Lace cabinets, white quartz, and a marble backsplash, it has elements commonly found in a timeless home…

WHICH WHITE PAINT COLORS ARE THE MOST POPULAR FOR CABINETS?

As far as I’m concerned, it’s less about TRENDY and more about FLEXIBILITY. Any white you use on a surface that you DON’T want to repaint every five years should be FLEXIBLE. And while I have a full blog post on this topic, here’s a quick list…

• Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
• Benjamin Moore White Dove
• Sherwin Williams Pure White
• Sherwin Williams White Snow
• Sherwin Williams Alabaster

Sherwin Williams Alabaster

ARE WHITE QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS STILL TRENDY?

Ahhh, see, this is where it gets tricky.

Which white quartz are you considering? What neutrals or colors are in its VEINS?

With trends leaning warmer, countertop companies have started TWEAKING their white quartz countertops to accommodate the warmer end. Whereas at the start, we were limited to quartz countertops with gray veining, newer quartz countertops pick up on greige and beige, giving them more FLEXIBILITY to adjust with the trends and suit incoming styles.

The 8 Best Warmer Quartz Countertops

Sherwin Williams Pure White & Roycroft Pewter

If you’re installing a white quartz countertop in your home, consider one that has FLEXIBLITY and isn’t just married to one hue (the most common one being a gray vein with a violet undertone). Without flexibility, you’re limiting your home to colors that belong to one trend, making updating a trickier and more EXPENSIVE venture.

But to answer the question, ‘Is white quartz countertop still a popular choice for 2024?‘ Yes, it is.

Where else are you using white? Walls, trim, cabinets, exterior?

It ALSO comes down to how much white you plan on using in your home and which TYPE of white you’re using.

Are you planning on white walls, trim, cabinets, exterior, AND countertop? We were definitely sitting in this trend in the previous few years, but in the coming years, things will shift to a more contrasting approach. In five years, I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to see which homes were built during ‘the white era’ of 2017-2023.

As it relates DIRECTLY to trends, not personal tastes (I’ve got other blog posts for that), I would hesitate to do an ENTIRE HOME in white in 2024 and onwards. Or, at the very least, I’d have some fun with feature walls.

This next kitchen is a great example of using the right white in moderation…

My client, Jenna Christian, is AWESOME to follow on Instagram! 

• the cabinets, walls, and trims are the SAME warm white – this white will have a FAR longer lifetime
• black granite countertops break things up
• beautiful wood floors add depth and interest

As trends change, she can swap out light fixtures, furniture, and hardware, but the BONES of this kitchen are timeless!

How to Create a Timeless Home – 4-PART SERIES

IS WHITE STILL A POPULAR COLOR FOR EXTERIORS?

This is where we’ll start seeing more of a shift in the coming year or two. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good white home, and some homes will ALWAYS LOOK GOOD white. However, as it relates to TRENDS, I see this one shifting…which isn’t a bad thing.

A gorgeous home that suits white! 

Why?

Because some home’s exteriors are painted white and shouldn’t be – white doesn’t suit every roof, layout, stone, or brick. As for this next home, this one WILL stand the test of time…

So there you have it. If you’re not SURE whether to do white or not, I’ve got DOZENS upon dozens of blog posts to share with you, to help you make your big decision!

READ MORE

6 Questions to Ask Before You Paint Your Cabinets White?

The 5 Almost Fool-Proof White Paint Colors For Your Home

3 Steps to Choosing the BEST WHITE PAINT COLOR For Your Home

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing White Paint Colors

How to Choose the Right LIGHT BULBS/KELVINS For Your Paint Color

NEED HELP?

CHECK OUT MY ONLINE PAINT COLOR CONSULTING

Chat soon,

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2022, UPDATED YEARLY FOR YOU!