It’s been the unquestionable “it” color for nearly a decade. Until suddenly, it wasn’t.

Not second place, either, but third.

White kitchens have dominated Pinterest feeds and HGTV shows for roughly 10 years—as well as MasterBrand Cabinets’s annual survey of 1,100-plus designers and home experts. The light, bright and airy vibe seemed to be holding strong, even as tastes shifted toward moodier colors in bedrooms and living rooms, and sanded beiges started to replace “millennial gray” as the go-to neutral for every surface in between.

But, if you look closely at the design landscape, the shift has been a few years coming; it’s only now that it seems to have hit a fever pitch, engulfing the mainstream. Warm, earthy tones and oceanic blues and forest greens started popping up in kitchens featured in interior design magazines. Navy cabinets with gleaming gold hardware became the backdrop of every major influencer dancing—or showing how they make their famous hot cocoa bombs—on TikTok.

Even major designers, like Joanna Gaines—known for her modern farmhouse aesthetic of white shiplap paired with matte black finishes—started opting for less contrast, more warmth. It seemed we all started craving something a little more lived in, a little cozier.

That’s the thing: The evolution is gradual, and it doesn’t mean we’ll all be opting for Dark Academia-inspired, wear-a-headlamp-when-you-cook-dinner spaces. We just want something less generic.

My Verdict Is In: These 5 Home Trends Will Be Huge This Fall (and Through 2026)

Editor's Note: Mitchell's quote is taken from Storied Style by Grace Mitchell. Copyright © 2025 Grace Mitchell. Used by permission of Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus, LLC.