Exclusive: Martha Stewart says this timeless cabinet color makes her 20-year-old kitchen look like 'it was made yesterday'

Anyone who has designed a kitchen knows that painting cabinets is no easy feat. Choosing a cabinet color requires careful consideration. Instead of selecting a kitchen cabinet color based on the latest interior design trends, experts recommend a decision rooted in classic, timeless color theory for a look that will withstand the test of time.

Luckily, when it comes to kitchen cabinet colors, we don't have to make guesses. Martha Stewart, the definitive expert in all things home, exclusively told Homes & Gardens about her ultimate kitchen cabinet color. Since Martha is a huge fan of time-saving hacks (evidenced by her recent 'Don't Do It Yourself' campaign with Pure Leaf Tea), we know that this shade was chosen to last. 

Martha Stewart told H&G of her Bedford, NY farm: 'I designed my kitchen 20 years ago. I bought an old farm and I redid the kitchen, and it looks brand new. It looks like it was made yesterday. That's how nice and well-made it is.'

She continued, 'The cabinets are made with gray frames, a beautiful Bedford gray, as I call it. All the buildings are painted the same color gray, and the panels in the cabinets, flat-paneled cabinets, sort of in the American shaker style, are beautiful tiger maple. And they look pretty in the gray cabinet.' The relaxing beauty of the cabinets creates the perfect environment for cooking, socializing, relaxing, or in Martha's case, enjoying a glass of her favorite Pure Leaf iced tea.

Aside from choosing a gray kitchen, Martha recommends no-fuss hardware to ensure timeless cabinets. Martha Stewart loves small and subtle hardware. She told Homes & Gardens, 'I like small knobs that are efficient and pull out so you don't catch anything on the cabinets. My drawers have small knobs on them.' Not only will small hardware make your life easier, but, like the color gray, the look never goes out of style. Subtle hardware is completely resistant to interior design trends.

Martha is also a fan of smooth cabinets, rather than falling into textural kitchen cabinet trends. 'In my kitchen everything's flush,' said Martha. 'So if you have a spill off a counter, it's not going to go into the drawers and get stuck into all the fancy moldings and stuff. It's elegant but simple.'

Elegant but simple seems to be the name of the game in Martha Stewart's timeless cabinet playbook. Gray and natural wood, small hardware, and flush surfaces unite for a look that will never go out of style. For more inspiration, our list of timeless kitchen design ideas is a great place to start.