I was standing in my friend Cara’s kitchen last month and I genuinely stopped mid-sentence.
Her lower cabinets were this deep, almost-black purple — aubergine, she called it — and the late afternoon light was hitting them in a way that made the whole room feel like a place you’d want to eat dinner at 10pm with a glass of wine and zero plans to leave.
I drove home thinking about my own sad beige cabinets the entire way.
Aubergine cabinets are everywhere right now, and honestly?
I get it completely.
There’s something about that color that feels bold without being trying-too-hard.
Moody without being depressing.
It’s the kind of kitchen that has a personality.
What Actually Makes Aubergine Different From Just… Purple
Okay, so the first thing I want to clear up: aubergine isn’t the purple from your childhood bedroom.
It’s not lavender.
It’s not grape.
It’s a deep, dark plum with serious brown and red undertones that keeps it grounded — almost like if eggplant and espresso had a very sophisticated baby.
The undertones are everything with this color.
Some aubergines lean warm (more red, almost burgundy in certain light) and some lean cool (more blue, almost ink-like at night).
Neither is wrong, but they’ll behave very differently depending on what else is in your kitchen.
I’ve been obsessing over paint swatches for two weeks now and I can tell you firsthand that photographing aubergine accurately is nearly impossible.
It reads completely differently on my phone screen versus in my actual kitchen light.
Go get the physical swatch.
Tape it to the cabinet.
Live with it for three days.
It’s also worth saying that aubergine genuinely reads as a neutral in the right context.
Paired with warm wood and cream walls, it doesn’t scream ‘purple kitchen’ — it just feels… rich.
Why This Trend Has Serious Staying Power
I was deeply skeptical at first.
I’ve watched trends come and go (RIP millennial pink kitchen, you were fun for like 18 months) and I didn’t want to paint my cabinets something I’d hate in four years.
But aubergine has history on its side.
Dark jewel-toned kitchens were a thing in Victorian and Edwardian homes.
This isn’t a brand new idea — it’s a revival, and revivals tend to stick around longer than pure novelty trends.
There’s also a reason designers keep reaching for it: it photographs beautifully, it pairs with almost every metal finish, and it works in kitchens ranging from farmhouse to modern to grandmillennial without looking out of place.
That kind of versatility keeps things in rotation.
Honestly, I think people are just tired of white kitchens.
Not that white is bad — I still love it — but there’s a collective exhale happening right now, a permission slip to go dark and moody, and aubergine is at the front of that line.
The Cabinet Finishes That Work Best With This Color
Matte or eggshell.
Full stop.
I feel strongly about this.
A high-gloss aubergine cabinet can go plasticky really fast, and you’ll notice every single fingerprint Biscuit has ever left (okay, Biscuit can’t reach the cabinets — but you get it).
Matte finish is more forgiving, softer-looking, and it makes the color feel expensive even on a budget paint job.
Eggshell gives you just a tiny bit of sheen without the shiny issue.
Either works beautifully.
If you’re painting yourself — and I fully support this financially — sand between coats and use a bonding primer.
I skipped primer once on a piece of furniture and the paint was peeling in six months.
Cabinets take abuse.
Don’t skip steps.
Satin can work on lower cabinets if you have kids or cook a lot and need something more wipeable.
Just keep it to the lowers.
Hardware That Makes Aubergine Absolutely Sing
Brass.
Warm brass specifically, not the cold polished kind.
The contrast between that deep plum and the warmth of aged brass is genuinely one of my favorite things happening in kitchens right now.
I swapped out the hardware on my friend Cara’s island when I helped her with a small refresh last spring — switched from brushed nickel to unlacquered brass pulls from a small shop on Etsy.
Completely different kitchen.
Same cabinets.
Black hardware is the other great option.
Matte black against aubergine has this modern, almost graphic quality — cleaner, cooler, a little more editorial.
Both work.
They just give you different vibes.
I’d avoid chrome or overly shiny silver here.
It doesn’t have enough warmth to balance the richness of the color and it can look a little clinical.
(I learned this through a bathroom disaster involving chrome fixtures and a forest green vanity, but same principle.)
The Countertop Pairings I’m Most Obsessed With
Warm white or cream marble — especially anything with soft grey or gold veining — is probably the most stunning pairing you can do with aubergine.
The contrast hits without feeling jarring.
Butcher block is my personal favorite for budget kitchens.
Warm wood grain against that deep plum is cozy and rich in a way that feels very lived-in.
Very ‘this kitchen has a personality.’ I priced out walnut butcher block for my own counters last fall and it’s actually not as expensive as I assumed — around $40-60 per square foot installed, depending on where you live.
Leathered quartzite is having a major moment and honestly I understand why.
The matte, slightly rough texture plays so well with matte aubergine cabinets — it’s a very tactile, moody combination.
What I’d avoid: stark, cold white quartz.
It can work, but it sometimes makes the aubergine feel heavier rather than grounded.
If you go quartz, look for something with a warm undertone or movement in the pattern.
Going All-In vs. Doing Just the Lowers (The Debate I Have With Myself Weekly)
Full aubergine — uppers and lowers — is absolutely a commitment.
A beautiful one.
But it can make a kitchen feel smaller, and if your kitchen doesn’t have great natural light, going dark on every surface needs careful thought.
The most common approach right now is aubergine lowers with white or cream uppers.
It gives you the drama without swallowing the room.
It’s also gentler on your wallet if you’re painting yourself, because the uppers are what you see first and white paint is cheap.
I’ve also seen aubergine as just the island, with everything else white, and honestly that might be my entry drug into this trend.
Low commitment, huge visual payoff.
Going all-in works best in kitchens with tall ceilings, big windows, or a lot of white elsewhere (backsplash, walls).
If your kitchen already feels a bit dim, maybe don’t paint everything aubergine first and ask questions later.
(Yes, this is personal advice.
I almost did something regrettable to my galley kitchen.)
Backsplash Ideas That Don’t Fight the Aubergine
Creamy White Subway Tile.
I know, it sounds boring — but with aubergine cabinets it’s anything but.
The tile recedes, the cabinets step forward, and the whole thing looks intentional and clean.
Zellige tile in off-white or warm sand is genuinely beautiful here.
The handmade variation and slight shimmer in zellige plays so nicely with a matte painted cabinet — different textures, same warmth.
It’s a little more expensive (budget around $25-40 per square foot for the tile alone) but if it’s a small kitchen backsplash area, it’s not ruinous.
I’d also look at terracotta or warm-toned cement tile if your kitchen leans more rustic or earthy.
The orange-red tones in terracotta actually pull out the warm undertones in aubergine in the most unexpected way.
Avoid anything with cool grey tones or stark white with blue-grey grout.
It’ll make the aubergine look cold and a little sad.
Wall Colors That Live Happily Next to Aubergine Cabinets
Warm white is the safe, correct, and honestly beautiful answer here.
Something with a yellow or pink undertone — not a stark, blue-white — makes the aubergine feel warm and inviting instead of cold and heavy.
I’ve been looking at Benjamin Moore White Dove and Sherwin-Williams Alabaster for my own kitchen walls lately and either would be gorgeous against deep plum cabinets.
Both read warm without going yellow.
If you want to go a little more adventurous, a soft sage green on the walls with aubergine cabinets is an unexpected combination that genuinely works.
The green and purple are near-complementary and the result is this warm, botanical, slightly maximalist feel.
Dark on dark can be stunning if done right — charcoal or deep navy walls with aubergine cabinets in a kitchen with really good lighting.
But I’d get a second opinion before committing.
Maybe a third.
Flooring That Grounds the Whole Look
Warm-toned wood flooring.
Wide planks if you can swing it.
The natural grain and honey or amber tones in hardwood anchor the aubergine without competing — it’s warm meeting warm, and it feels so good underfoot.
White or light grey tile can work in a more modern kitchen, but if you’re going aubergine, I’d push you toward something with warmth.
Cool grey floors sometimes make the deep purple feel slightly corporate, which is the last thing you want.
Terracotta tile floors are having a whole moment and they are stunning under aubergine cabinets.
The earthy, rusty warmth completely offsets the cool blue notes in deeper aubergine shades.
It’s a very Provençal-meets-Brooklyn vibe and I’m entirely here for it.
Dark walnut floors with aubergine cabinets is a bold choice — it can feel very moody and rich in the best way.
Just make sure the rest of the kitchen (walls, counters, lighting) is bright enough to keep the room breathing.
Lighting Your Aubergine Kitchen So It Actually Glows
Lighting Your Aubergine Kitchen So It Actually Glows
Overhead lighting is a crime, as I’ve said approximately one thousand times, and nowhere is this more true than in a dark-cabinet kitchen.
Overhead-only lighting on aubergine cabinets will make your kitchen look like a haunted basement.
I’m being dramatic but only slightly.
Under-cabinet lighting is non-negotiable here.
It bounces light off the countertop, illuminates your workspace, and makes the cabinets look intentional and warm instead of just dark.
LED strip lights run about $30-50 for most standard cabinet runs and you can do it yourself in an afternoon.
Warm bulbs.
2700K, not 3000K and definitely not anything above that.
The warm light brings out all those red and brown undertones in the aubergine and makes the whole kitchen feel like candles are lit somewhere.
A statement pendant over the island or sink area is your best friend in this kitchen.
Brass or amber glass pendants over aubergine cabinets — I’ve seen this combination and it stopped me cold.
In the best way.
The Open Shelving Question (Because Someone Always Brings It Up)
I’ve been going back and forth on this for months in my own kitchen planning, so let me save you the spiral.
Open shelving mixed with aubergine cabinets works really well when the shelves are light-colored or natural wood.
The visual break keeps the color from becoming too dense, especially on a wall of lowers-and-uppers.
Floating walnut shelves replacing a few upper cabinets, leaving the aubergine lowers, is probably my dream kitchen at this point.
You get storage, you get warmth from the wood, and the aubergine gets space to breathe.
But I will say: open shelving requires you to actually keep things tidy.
I have a weakness for random objects and Biscuit hair finds its way everywhere, so I’m being honest with myself that maybe not every shelf is for me.
Know your habits.
Budget Ways to Try Aubergine Without Full Cabinet Commitment
Paint one wall of cabinets.
Just the island.
Just a built-in hutch or pantry cabinet.
You don’t have to do the whole kitchen in one go — and honestly, starting small is how you find out if you actually love living with this color daily.
I picked up a solid wood dresser from a thrift store last year for $28 and painted it aubergine as a test run for my own feelings about the color.
Reader, I still love it.
It lives in my bedroom now.
Cabinet paint isn’t the same as wall paint.
You want a dedicated cabinet-and-trim paint that cures hard — something like Benjamin Moore Advance or Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane.
Yes, it costs more.
A quart runs $30-40.
But it’s the difference between a surface that lasts and one that chips every time you close a drawer.
Peel-and-stick contact paper in a deep plum or aubergine for rental kitchens or if you’re really not sure — I know, I know, it sounds cheap.
But the quality has gotten genuinely better, and for a rental it can scratch that itch without damaging anything.
Styling the Rest of Your Kitchen So It Feels Cohesive
Once the cabinets are done, the accessories are where you either pull it all together or accidentally make it look like you couldn’t decide what you wanted.
Stick to warm tones in your textiles.
Linen dish towels in oatmeal, cream, or rust.
A worn cotton rug in terracotta or sand tones.
These warm up the space and stop the aubergine from feeling isolated.
Pottery and ceramics in creamy white, warm tan, or earthy tones on the counter or open shelves look so good against deep plum.
I’m partial to anything that looks vaguely handmade and slightly imperfect.
The glossy, perfectly matched stuff doesn’t feel right here.
Fresh or dried herbs in small pots.
A wooden bowl with fruit.
A breadboard leaning against the backsplash.
The most beautiful aubergine kitchens I’ve seen always have something organic and a little imperfect in the frame — it keeps the moodiness from tipping into cold.
And please, for the love of good kitchens: warm bulbs in everything.
