Kitchen Design Aesthetics and Trends: MasterBrand, Inc. Unveils 2027 Cabinetry Trends and Finish of the Year

KEY POINTS:

• MasterBrand, Inc. surveyed more than 2,000 kitchen designers to identify emerging trends and favored materials shaping kitchens in 2027.
• Reemerging wood finishes, including light- and medium-toned stains, reflect a shift toward warmer, more natural kitchen designs.
• MasterBrand Cabinets' 2027 Impactful Finish of the Year is Kanga, a warm mid-tone stain that showcases the beauty of wood grain.

BEACHWOOD, Ohio, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MasterBrand, Inc. (NYSE: MBC) released its annual trends report today, informed by more than 2,000 kitchen design experts across North America. The report highlights a shift toward richer, nature-inspired materials, the need for multifunctional spaces and the debut of the 2027 Impactful Finish of the Year, Kanga*. Together, these trends reflect a growing desire for kitchens that balance functionality with warmth and personalization.

"Modern kitchens are multifunctional spaces tailored to support the way homeowners gather and work in their homes," said Stephanie Pierce, senior director of marketing operations and innovation at MasterBrand, Inc. "Homeowners are embracing functional features such as appliance garages, textured wood species and bringing nature indoors through color to create spaces that reflect how they live and feel."

MasterBrand surveyed more than 2,000 designers to identify emerging trends and favored materials shaping kitchens in 2027, including:

THE RISE OF WOOD FINISHES
Wood finishes are reemerging, reflecting a shift toward warmer, more natural kitchen designs. According to MasterBrand survey insights, for the first time in 15 years, medium stains are breaking into the top spot alongside light wood stains and creamy off-whites. This shift creates an opportunity for designers to educate homeowners on wood species, wood texture and stains, as using wood is a great way to bring warmth into a space.

MasterBrand Cabinets' 2027 Impactful Finish of the Year, Kanga, a warm mid-tone stain, showcases the beauty of wood grain with a depth and richness that adds visual interest without overwhelming a space. As consumers move away from stark contrasts and embrace balanced, livable design, Kanga offers a refined yet approachable solution that creates warmth, enhances architectural details, and brings lasting character to the kitchen. Designers value Kanga for its exceptional versatility, using it as a foundation for layered, textured interiors that blend modern styling with timeless appeal.

DESIGNING FOR FUNCTIONALITY
Modern kitchens serve many purposes — cooking, dining, working and entertaining — requiring designers to rethink functionality and flow. Fifty-seven percent of designers are using a hybrid approach to kitchen design that blends lifestyle zones, activity-based zones and work zones to create unique layouts based on family needs. Functional features are becoming standard as

homeowners want to both minimize visible clutter and curate aesthetically pleasing spaces. Trending functional features include appliance garages and waste/recycling units.

In addition to functionality, one in three homeowners wish that they had opted for higher-quality materials in their kitchen renovation. A kitchen renovation is a long-term investment, and designers recommend prioritizing key pieces and finishes upfront, as retrofitting or adding features later is more difficult.

APPETITE FOR COLOR & TEXTURE
Personalization, texture and a mix of curated traditional and modern influences define today's kitchens, giving homeowners and designers the options for creative expression. Notably, 88% of homeowners say they are eager to experiment with color. While creamy, off-white finishes remain popular, green is now the dominant accent color. These colors reflect the trend of bringing nature indoors through textural and visual elements and are often complemented by organic stone and other natural materials.

For more information or to find a dealer near you, visit https://www.masterbrandcabinets.com/dealer-locator

*The finish name varies by brand. See below for the corresponding name per brand.

• Schrock Cabinets, Diamond Cabinets, Kemper Cabinets, Mid Continent Cabinetry: Kanga
• Decora Cabinets: Cello
• StarMark Cabinetry and Fieldstone Cabinetry: Seed
• Homecrest Cabinetry: Karoo
• Omega Cabinetry: Ashnut (coming Fall 2026)
• UltraCraft Cabinetry: Tavern (coming Spring 2027)
• Kitchen Craft Cabinetry US: Catskill (coming Summer 2027)

Methodological Notes:
The MasterBrand 2026 Kitchen Trend Survey was conducted by MasterBrand research among a representative base of dealer customers and designers selling MasterBrand across all regions in the U.S. and provinces in Canada, between July 28 and Aug. 11, 2025 (940 respondents), and Oct. 13-27, 2025 (1,256 respondents). The survey was conducted online with an email invitation sent to this audience.

The results are quantitative and representative of the dealer customer and designer community, providing insights into the latest trends based on their recent kitchen cabinet project activity. These insights, combined with those from the MasterBrand Dealer Designer Council and ongoing trend analysis by MasterBrand informed the trend report.

About MasterBrand:
MasterBrand, Inc. (NYSE: MBC) is the largest manufacturer of residential cabinets in North America and offers a comprehensive portfolio of leading residential cabinetry products for the kitchen, bathroom and other parts of the home. Delivered through our exceptional distribution network, MasterBrand products are available in a wide variety of designs, finishes and styles and span the most attractive categories of the cabinets market: stock, semi-custom and premium cabinetry. Additional information can be found at www.masterbrand.com.

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SOURCE MasterBrand, Inc.