Gray Painted Kitchen Cabinets Before and After: 30 Stunning Ai Makeovers
One way people are bringing new life to their old wooden kitchen cabinets is by painting them gray. Gray is one of those timeless kitchen cabinet colors that can look in style for years. The design trick is picking the right type of gray, which should be cool and crisp, warm and greige, or deep and moody. Once you have the base tone down, you’ll want to pair it with the right hardware finishes, countertop, backsplash, lighting, and floors that add the finishing touches to bring everything together. In this gallery, you’ll see gray painted kitchen cabinets before and after makeovers designed by advanced Ai that feel like real remodels people would do today. Each transformation uses the same kitchen footprint, but updates the style, surfaces, and details like the cabinets, islands, countertops, lighting, backsplash, and flooring. This way, the after shots look dramatically newer, just like if you paid a real remodeler to create a new design. Use these ideas to narrow down your decisions and help decide the elements that fit your home and personality.
Ultra Modern Kitchen with Waterfall Quartz Island and Oversized Black Pendants
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For those looking for a modern makeover, this design goes more sleek by using satin medium-cool gray recessed panel cabinets that feel high-end. The bright white quartz waterfall island works as the focal point, and its quartz countertops are carried over to the full-height quartz slab backsplash. The pairing of white surfaces adds some contrast to the cabinetry. For more character, there are two oversized matte black pendants and matching matte black hardware that give it a designer showroom appeal. Meanwhile, the light oak floors and warm under-cabinet LEDs add extra visual interest and brightness.
Warm Transitional Kitchen with Brass Accents and Light Oak Floors
This transformation softens the gray by using a warm greige that feels timeless and welcoming with its shaker doors and brushed brass hardware finish. The countertops are done in a creamy quartz with gentle veining and combined with handmade-look off-white tile that gives an updated but classic vibe. Brushed brass finishes are used for the pulls, sink faucet, and globe pendants that go well with the wide-plank natural oak floors, giving the entire kitchen an inviting, upscale feel.
Moody Luxe Kitchen with Dark Gray Cabinets and Dramatic Stone Backsplash
For those wanting a deeper shade, these deep charcoal cabinets bring out the drama. To keep it from being too dark, the real star is the bold stone-look slab backsplash in a veined quartzite that matches the counters. It’s rich, strong movement matches the colors of the cabinetry and helps keep it looking expensive and layered. On the floor, there’s warm, large-format, greige tile with subtle grout lines that keep it feeling lighter below to draw the eye up. Another cool effect is the toe-kick LEDs that add that subtle “floating” effect at night that’s perfect to enhance this moody upgrade without changing the layout.
Scandinavian Bright Kitchen with Pale Gray Cabinets and Light Ash Flooring
Going with a lighter Scandinavian kitchen, this plan leans on being airy and minimal with pale fog-gray flat-panel cabinets. Its bright white quartz counters and vertically stacked white backsplash keep the color palette refreshing instead of dark. Light ash plank flooring brings a natural elegance to the theme, while soft-gray dome pendants and slim brushed stainless pulls further enhance the modern, clean, and calm aesthetic that feels very new and remodelled Scandinavian.
Modern Farmhouse Refresh with Black Lantern Pendants and White-Oak Floors
For those who want an updated, modern farmhouse theme that is current and not rustic, this plan fits the bill. It uses soft neutral gray modern shaker cabinetry paired with bright quartz counters and elongated white subway tile that’s stacked vertically for a more contemporary style than the classic horizontal layout. On the floors, there are wide-plank white oak floors that help keep everything lighter and warmer feeling. Two black lantern pendants and matching matte black hardware give the design some needed contrast and personality.
Coastal Contemporary Kitchen with Soft Gray Cabinetry and Pendant Lighting
This kitchen goes for a more Coastal style by pairing light, airy gray cabinetry with shaker-style doors with brushed nickel cup pulls and knobs. The flooring features a pale sand-tone engineered oak that adds some beachy warmth. For the light fixtures, there are woven-modern pendants that bring texture without going nautical themed. On the walls, you’ll find a soft-white zellige-look backsplash that adds gentle variation with its raised edges, which feels relaxed but upscale. There’s also warm under-cabinet lighting that gives the whole countertop area a sunny glow.
Japandi Kitchen with Warm Gray Cabinetry and Plaster-Look Backsplash
This Japandi style kitchen goes for a calming, minimal feel by using warm putty-gray slab cabinets, combined with creamy quartz counters with a 4″ backsplash in the same material. The rest of the backsplash is done in a plaster/limewash material that gives it a seamless, organic finish that feels more design-forward than just using tile. There are natural white oak floors with subtle knots that give the space a soft, grounded palette. For lighting, you’ll find minimal black cylinder pendant downlights and low-profile hardware to keep lines clean and leaning more toward modern.
Industrial Loft Kitchen with Concrete Counters and Black Steel Pendants
This industrial look leans toward an urban feel through the use of graphite gray slab cabinetry that is paired with concrete-look quartz counters and large-format concrete-look tile flooring. This combination gives the space its loft-style foundation, and when combined with matte black steel pendants with a warm Edison glow, it adds some interesting edge, while the slim stacked white tile backsplash with dark grout lightens the backdrop. There are also matte black pulls and a faucet to bring it all together for a modern-industrial converted warehouse design.
Minimal Luxe Kitchen with Full-Height Marble-Style Slab and Oak Floors
This design features deep smoky gray slab cabinetry, marble-look quartz countertops, and a matching full-height slab backsplash to give it a decidedly high-end look. To lighten the room, wide-plank natural oak floors warm the cooler stone tones. For the fixtures, there are modern linear pendants and under-cabinet lighting to brighten the backsplash and counters. Modern, ultra-thin pulls give a minimal vibe that is polished and expensive-looking.
Quiet Luxury Kitchen with Soft Gray Painted Cabinets and Designer Layered Lighting
Soft, refined gray shaker cabinets with burnished brass hardware give this kitchen creation a quiet luxury. For the counter surfaces, a subtle-veined quartz and a short 4″ backsplash edge are used. The floors are done in warm light oak and go well with the sculptural pendants, recessed lights, under-cabinet LEDs, and toe-kick lighting, so it looks good day or night and offers a curated, designer finish.
Modern European Kitchen with Handleless Look and Statement Pendants
For those wanting a minimal feel, this modern European-inspired design showcases sleek handleless and edge-pull cabinets in a smooth mid-gray satin. These tones are enhanced by bright white quartz counters that keep the palette looking sharp. On the floor, oversized warm ivory porcelain tiles make the design feel more expansive and luxurious. The lighting consists of statement contemporary pendants that give it personality and accompany recessed and under-cabinet lighting, emphasizing a light and bright environment.
Marble Moment Kitchen with Polished Nickel and New White-Oak Floors
This kitchen gives a high-end update with a slightly glam appeal through its medium gray shaker cabinetry, marble-look quartz with soft gray veining, and vertical stacked porcelain tile. Modern cone-shaped glass pendants and polished nickel finishes bring a reflective appearance that brightens everything without feeling flashy. The floors are done in a white oak that works well in most homes to upgrade the overall design.
Dark and Dramatic Kitchen with Smoky Pendants and Warm Lighting
Focusing more on a dark and dramatic theme, this high contrast kitchen goes with dark storm-gray slab cabinetry against a backdrop of bright quartz counters. To offset the dark cupboards, warm medium oak floors are used to brighten things up. The light features use smoked-glass pendants to add mood and blend with the cabinetry, while strong, warm under-cabinet LEDs and toe-kick glow create an appealing night-time ambience. Matte black pulls and a modern faucet look sharp and contemporary and further reinforce the modern ambiance.
Designer Island Kitchen with Fluted Panels and Oversized Globe Pendants
This one adds just enough custom features to look like a designer remodel with its warm gray cabinetry with a fluted island detail that’s painted to match but still lends some texture and depth. To brighten the overall palette, a bright quartz countertop and light oak floors help to lift the gray tones. Lighting is made up of oversized opal globe pendants above the island to help it feel styled. Finishes are done in a brushed brass for the fixtures and pulls to add warmth and help the gray avoid feeling flat.
Statement Hood Kitchen with Full-Height Stacked Tile and Porcelain Flooring
This kitchen refresh goes for a bright white plaster-style range hood as a focal point that is surrounded by classic neutral gray shaker cabinets. To further enhance the background brightness, a white, full-height, vertical, stacked-tile backsplash and large-format warm greige porcelain flooring add contrast and modernize the room. Matte black hardware fits well with the cupboards and gives contrast to the white surfaces.
Modern Cottage Kitchen with Cream Zellige Tile and Warm-Oak Floors
This cottage kitchen design feels cozy but elevated through its soft warm gray shaker cabinetry that’s paired with creamy quartz countertops. A cream zellige-style backsplash adds texture and a background glow with a handmade appeal. Brass-accented pendants and brushed brass pulls bring extra warmth that goes with the wide-plank warm oak floors to keep it inviting. The overall result is a cottage design with an updated English style, rather than old-fashioned.
High-Contrast Two-Tone Kitchen with Lighter Perimeter and Darker Island
Going for a high-contrast aesthetic, this two-tone design makes the layout feel more custom by drawing the eye toward the center with a dramatic quartz waterfall countertop island. The main cabinetry uses a light gray that keeps the room on the brighter side, while the deeper graphite color island anchors the space. The bright white quartz waterfall surface surrounding the graphite base-cabinet turns the center into a statement piece. The entire thing is surrounded by wide-plank light oak floors that add warmth and contrast nicely with matte black pendants, pulls, and a faucet that offer a modern edge.
Bright Remodel Kitchen with Pale Gray Cupboards and Oversized White Tile
This is a contemporary transformation that goes with pale silver-gray doors, combined with bright white quartz counters and backsplash. There are no pulls or knobs, so the cabinetry feels more modern. Meanwhile, the oversized matte white porcelain tiles make the floor look bright and expansive with medium-gray grout lines. A brushed nickel is used on the pendants that are backed up by recessed cans for a light and bright environment that feels like a new remodel in a modern home.
Mediterranean-Inspired Kitchen with Arched Details and Zellige Tile
This updated Mediterranean version brings warmth and softness through its warm gray painted shaker cabinetry, which is lightened by its creamy quartz surfaces, and a cream zellige backsplash that works to reflect light beautifully. Limestone-look porcelain tile floors add a Mediterranean old-world vibe without feeling too rustic. There is a subtle custom arch over the window sink for extra European detail. In addition, lantern-globe pendants bridge the gap between classic and modern and pair with recessed lighting for a layered look that keeps the glow intentional.
Contemporary Craftsman Kitchen with Updated Trim and Rich Lighting
This contemporary craftsman kitchen features a medium gray on shaker-style doors with black finishes that stay modern. White quartz countertops and backsplash tile add a bright background that naturally brightens the space. Warm oak floors, clear glass pendants, and under-cabinet LEDs further make the room feel bright and updated.
Streamlined Modern Kitchen with Sleek Hardware and Recessed Lighting
This sleek upgrade transformation uses medium-gray flat-panel cabinetry and bright quartz to feel modern and inviting. There’s a grid of recessed lights around the perimeter that works to change the entire room’s vibe, making it feel brighter and more stylish. A large oversized linear pendant hangs over the island to give it light in the middle of the room. Throughout the space, minimal hardware was used to keep the fronts sleek.
Modern Rustic-Luxe Kitchen with Natural Stone Movement and Wide Plank Warm-Oak Floors
For a design that skirts between modern and rustic, this kitchen uses rich, warm gray shaker cabinets with bold, stone-movement quartz for an expensive and organic ambiance. Hanging down there are modern matte black pendants and work with matching hardware pulls to sharpen the look so it doesn’t feel dated. A textured off-white backsplash adds depth and is enhanced by under-cabinet LED’s to brighten the surfaces.
Pinterest-Ready Kitchen with Giant Statement Pendants and Waterfall Island
This Pinterest-inspired kitchen was designed to stop the scroll, featuring mid-tone gray slab cabinetry paired with a bright quartz waterfall island and two giant sculptural pendants overhead that work as a central focal point. In addition, toe-kick and under-cabinet LEDs create an inviting background glow that gives a high-end feel to make photos look polished. This is all combined with light oak floors that look fresh and bright, and matte black hardware that stands out against the light-gray.
Modern Glam Kitchen with Opal Pendants and High-Shine Nickel Finishes
For those wanting a bit of modern and glam without being over-the-top, this design features silky medium-gray shaker cabinetry with bright white quartz and glossy white backsplash tile. You’ll find three polished nickel, opal globe pendants situated above the island that go with matching pulls and faucet to add a reflective sheen and a slightly dressier finish. Warm ivory porcelain floors are easy to care for and keep it luxe, which is excellent if you want “pretty” and practical.
Urban Contemporary Kitchen with Dark Gray Color Cabinets and Dramatic Light-Wood Floors
Deep-gray cabinetry gives this a strong urban-contemporary look, with white quartz and wide-plank light oak flooring to create a bold contrast that feels current and city-inspired. The quartz surfaces go from the counters and up the walls for the backsplash to keep it minimal and brighten the space. Matte black pendants look stunning hanging above the island and work perfectly with black hardware and plenty of downlights to make the counters pop. The finished product is sleek, high-contrast, and gives an updated condo remodel vibe.
Classic Update Kitchen with Herringbone Backsplash and Brass Details
Going for a classic style, this room uses a balanced neutral gray shaker cabinet and brass hardware for an update that feels timeless. There’s an interesting herringbone style tile backsplash for a nice designer touch. The countertops are a solid white quartz that reflects light from the three brass pendants and recessed lighting to keep the room brighter. This is a great option if you want a classic style kitchen with an updated, upscale ambiance.
Luxury Waterfall Island Kitchen with Modern Bridge Faucet and Limestone-Look Floors
This design reads expensive through its refined greige-gray cabinets, and bright quartz waterfall island with sculptured pendant overhead. The solid quartz slab backsplash looks absolutely stunning and matches the countertops. Meanwhile, limestone-look porcelain tile flooring provides an upscale foundation, while a bridge-style brushed brass faucet makes a subtle statement under the window.
Modern Organic Kitchen with Textured Tile, Oak Wooden Floors, and Warm Lighting
Those wanting a modern, yet organic theme kitchen will appreciate the warm-gray cabinets and creamy quartz counters. The organic feel comes from the backsplash that uses a vertical stacked tile with a handmade look that adds depth and texture. In addition to that, there are natural oak floors and warm minimalist pendants that keep it more relaxed and welcoming. The same stainless steel finishes on the hardware and appliances help it feel collected.
Bold Contrast Kitchen with Dark Gray Toned Cabinets and Full-Height Backsplash
This is a clean high-contrast kitchen design that uses bold dark-gray painted cabinetry set against bright white quartz counters and a matching backsplash for a seamless look. The lighter surfaces counteract the dark cupboards to keep it from feeling too stark. The matte-black pendants/hardware keep it looking modern, resulting in a sharp, minimal, and very new-build-inspired look.
Magazine-Style Transitional Kitchen with Glass Pendant And Brushed Brass Finishes
This is the safe but stunning remodel that would appeal to many potential homebuyers. By using soft neutral gray cabinetry, white quartz with faint warm veining, and bright off-white tile, it gives a simple, updated look with universal appeal. Stylish clear glass pendants, recessed ceiling lights, and warm under-cabinet LEDs give it a magazine-ready lighting balance that would be great for pictures. The hardware is done in brushed brass for the pulls to add warmth and look beautiful, combined with the other elements.
