Slab cabinets may make you think of ultra-sleek modern kitchens, but there’s good reason to consider them in a variety of styles, too.
Paint and hardware can completely change the look and feel of slab doors. If you have a modern space, opt for a high-gloss lacquer or, in a more traditional space, choose a matte white; and if your style skews more rustic, natural or stained wood might be the way to go.
The breadth of style isn’t the only benefit of these cabinets, either. Unlike shaker-styles, these doors and drawers don’t have any nooks and crannies, making them easy to keep clean. Think you just might want to pull off the slab look? Let these seven versatile spaces inspire your design choices.
The Layered Look

Design by Space Exploration
This kitchen showcases how modern cupboards can blend in a more traditional setting. Slab cabinets and a waterfall marble island pair well with chrome hardware. The icing on the cake? The layered feel you get from the bluish-gray and white color combo mixed with a warmer oak dining table.
The Retro Nod

Photography and Design by Mallory Fletchall
Though you won’t find any of the crazy colors 70s-style kitchens are known for here, this neutral space does give off a distinctly retro vibe. It’s all thanks to the design choices—slab cabinets with half-moon-shaped hardware, the floor tiles to match, and mid-century modern light fixtures.
The Two-Tone Space

Photography and Design by Yellow Brick Home
For proof that you can mix different colors and styles, look to this high-design kitchen. Wood slab cabinet doors and drawers pair beautifully with black countertops and hardware, both of which offer a welcome contrast to the white walls, backsplash, and uppers.
The Moody Moment

Photography by Mike Schwartz; Design by Mike Shively Architecture
Though white kitchens have long reigned supreme, more homeowners and designers are choosing to go bold with color—and these sage green slab cabinets prove the trend really pays off. To create balance, keep the rest of the design choices in check, opting for materials like traditional white subway tile and natural wood.
The High-Contrast Room

Photography by Zio and Sons Creative; Design by Michael Bolognino and Nick Spain
For a look that leans definitely more modern in a traditional room, opt for simple slab cabinets and have a little fun with the rest of your selects. Go vertical with subway tile in a cool blue hue, try a bold waterfall marble on the island, and opt for artful black light fixtures.
The Farmhouse Twist

Photography by Jennie Corti; Design by Michelle Salz-Smith, Studio Surface
It may surprise you that slab cabinets can work in a modern farmhouse setting. Here, beautiful blush doors pair well with more rustic design choices like shiplap walls, black hardware, and natural wood open shelving.
The Warm Modern

Design by Studio Code
Pair the best of the old (off-white) and the new (black) for a distinctly modern kitchen. The high contrast design works well in large and small kitchens alike, plus looks sharp paired with other favored—and slightly more rustic—choices like dark stained butcher block islands.