Light grey kitchen cabinets with black granite countertops

If our “graydar” is correct, gray is coming in hot this season—or rather, very achromatic. While all-white kitchens have been all the rage during our Covid-confined era, and colorful kitchens are now having a moment, the in-between is becoming the ultimate sign of sophistication. From a light barely-there hue to a moody charcoal shade—a gray palette in your cookery is tasteful, understated, and endlessly versatile. In short, it creates a space that is muted in all the right ways. Ready to go beyond black and white? Check out these gray kitchens that we’ve culled from the archives and we dare you not to go to the dark side.

Emmy Rossum’s New York apartment kitchen is a modern take on traditional glamour. With the refrigerator, dishwasher, and washer/dryer cleverly concealed, who knows what else Brooklyn-born designer Antonino Buzzetta is hiding behind these charcoal-hued custom Scavolini cabinets?

This idyllic Long Island farmhouse is the stuff of our cottagecore dreams. With cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore’s Hearthstone, a marble sink, and fittings by Sonoma Forge, Steven Gambrel brings clarity and coherence to a once-unwieldy farmhouse space that dates back to the 1840s. This now-sophisticated cookspace proves that gray is the ultimate timelessness.

Sometimes full-throttle is too much. Case in point: this Cortney Bishop-designed beach house kitchen, which features a hood, cabinetry, and doors in a gunmetal gray that is just a few notches below black. Paired with a bright white marble island, the result is an understated high contrast look that knows just when to reign it in.

Monochrome is always a good idea, especially when it comes to gray. In this minimalist West Village apartment, gray cabinetry meets a gray backsplash against a (you guessed it) gray countertop. Add generous skylights and a streamlined design, and you’ve got a minimalist marvel that doesn't need a touch of color to show personality.

This one-of-a-kind St. Petersburg apartment kitchen, designed by Tim Veresnovsky, turns the notion of gray on its head. Look closely at the eucalyptus veneer that covers the walls, cabinets, and chair—and you’ll see black and white stripes. But step back and the effect is a gray that’s brimming with dimension. This pint-size space proves that there is more than one way to combine colors.

This Jean-Louis Deniot–designed Miami kitchen proves that size does not equivalate to grandeur. With custom stainless-steel cabinetry that has been laser-printed with an abstract pattern, this small yet striking kitchen contains layers of intrigue and character within its dance of natural light.

This is minimalism taken to the extreme. This modernist Stockholm apartment is free of any ornamentation and features stainless-steel countertops and lower cabinets. Here, the stainless steel gray adds refinement to an otherwise austere space for a sleek and clean look. Because less really is more.

In this New York townhouse kitchen, subtlety is played out in clean lines and sparse juxtapositions. White cabinets are cooly contrasted with stainless accents in the pendants, cabinetry, appliances, and Corten steel tiles. The lesson in this chic kitchen: sophistication can be achieved through the use of negative space. The pendants are from a Czechoslovakian factory and the 1940s stools are by Warren McArthur.

Juliana Lima Vasconcellos’s Rio pied-à-terre is a lesson in framing: the deep gray stainless steel and tile almost seems to encase the Hermes Erbanesteria table and Andrée Putman chairs, allowing the vibrant wood to really stand out. The Brazilian way, of course!

Deep gray details give this historic New York kitchen a modern feel. The farmer's sink is by Waterworks and the countertop is from Caesarstone. The cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore's Amherst Gray.

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London-Inspired Gray Kitchen

An abundance of gray tones fill a Manhattan kitchen designed by Steven Gambrel. The space, which is inspired by a popular London cocktail bar, includes custom kitchen cabinetry and an island, as well as glossy subway tiles by Ann Sacks. The chandelier is Serge Mouille.

Gray tiles in a pearl-like finish boost the style factor in this cozy Manhattan kitchen designed by retail guru Patricia Greene Isen, featuring black and white checkered flooring.

The Miami aerie that supermodel Joan Smalls calls home features a kitchen that's outfitted with gray seating by RH, Restoration Hardware, which complements the gray cabinetry.

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Sophisticated Gray Kitchen

Dark charcoal cabinetry adds contrast to the bright white walls and sleek marble countertop in the Chelsea kitchen of Etsy's COO.

This Luxe Lincoln Park kitchen designed by Abruzzo Kitchen + Bath benefits from a striking gray palette. The design scheme includes a honed Bianca Perla Quartzite stone, painted cabinets, and wrought iron pulls. A cased opening showcases a La Cornue oven with black graphite and copper and nickel accents, along with a custom metal hood.

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Palm Beach Gray Kitchen

In this spacious Palm Beach kitchen crafted by the award-winning design firm Pembrooke & Ives, gray cabinetry and millwork blends with the pops of white in the luxurious space.

In this glam Chicago home, a warm gray kitchen features a backsplash that's lined with Moroccan tiles from Ann Sacks along and a cantilevered island with Carrara countertops to maximize space.

An artwork by Mircea Suciu hangs on the sliding wall of bleached mahogany that separates the kitchen from the dining area in this contemporary Palm Springs apartment. In perfect contrast of the wood walls are the gray marble floors and metal cabinetry.

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Industrial Gray Kitchen

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Modern Treehouse Gray Kitchen

In a Mexican home nestled in the trees, the gray kitchen cabinetry, vent hood and table are by Boffi. The countertop is Caesarstone, the sink fittings are by Dornbracht, the range is by Wolf and the ovens are by Miele.

In a Monte Carlo apartment characterized by whimsy, the kitchen takes a more serious note with gray cabinetry. The small table and chairs are by Jeanneret; the oven, cooktop and hood are by Aster Cucine. Designed by Emil Humbert and Christophe Poyet

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Contemporary Gray Kitchen

A storied Manhattan townhouse is home to this cool gray kitchen, which has barstools by Philippe Starck and a vintage light fixture by Stilnovo. A dark hardwood floor adds a touch of warmth to the gray color scheme.

A Notting Hill townhouse showcases a gray kitchen with marble floors that match the chic kitchen island. The barstools are from the 1970s, and the cabinetry is custom made. The refrigerators are by Liebherr.

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Lacquered Gray Kitchen

A kitchen in a Madrid home comes with a healthy dose of shine with lacquered gray cabinetry by Gaggenau. The stools are Italian and the light-box work is by Philipp Donstav.

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Mysterious Gray Kitchen

In a sultry Lake Tahoe home, the gray kitchen countertop is quartzite and the custom-made stools are covered in an Edelman leather. The cabinetry is by Bulthaup and the sink is by Blanco with Dornbracht fittings.

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Gray Countertop Kitchen

This California home flaunts a custom-made, marble-topped island paired with gray antique Belgian light fixtures. Natural wood elements in the island and chairs add a touch of warmth to the gray color scheme.

This mysterious yet inviting kitchen features a matte dark gray kitchen island. The custom-made stools and gray cabinetry are by Københavns Møbelsnedkeri.

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Industrial Gray Kitchen

Elegance and industrialism meet in this Soho kitchen featuring custom-made cabinetry and vintage hardware. The refrigerator is by Sub-Zero, the sink fittings are by Dornbacht and the countertops are white glass.

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Minimalist Gray Kitchen

An elegant Tuscan home maintains its minimalist theme in the kitchen, where the gray stainless steel sink is a prototype of one designed for Boffi's Aprile collection, and the countertops are melamine.

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Ancient Gray-Brown Kitchen

In a centuries-old restored townhouse in Daipur, India, a gray-brown stone wall showcases its original decorative openings. The baskets and brass serving dishes were found at a local market.

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Geometric Gray Kitchen

While color and character may rule this London townhouse, gray is the star in its understated kitchen, which is given an edge with a geometric floor pattern. The kitchen cabinetry is painted in Pure Gray 6 by Papers and Paints, the 1955 pendant lights are by Serge Mouille, the wall tiles are by Neisha Crosland and the floor is made of three types of limestone.

An 1870s carriage house in Bedford, New York has a charming gray kitchen that reflects its original stone structure. The kitchen island is made of a vintage marble slab on a gray steel base, the stove is by BlueStar and the shelves are made of reclaimed wood. The gray floor is concrete.

Rachel Silva Assistant Digital Editor Rachel Silva, the Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, architecture, trends, and anything to do with haute couture.

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