The modern Shore kitchen has grown from seashell accents, navy cabinetry and overtly aquatic details. Today, this coastal vibe is lighter, warmer and more relaxed, with natural materials, soft color palettes and design details that make a vacation home feel both beautiful and easy to live in.

To learn more about how kitchens down the Shore have evolved, House and Home spoke with local experts who shared what's trending.

Light, Bright and Natural
The mix of painted cabinetry and natural wood is helping define the current coastal kitchen. Rather than relying on traditional beach-inspired colors, homeowners are creating a sense of the Shore through texture, light and warmth.

"White cabinets and very natural light wood tones are what people are going for," says Steve Matteo, co-owner of Matteo Family Kitchens & Flooring Inc. "We're doing a lot of mixing, where we do white cabinets or white paint. White oak is very popular right now—that texture and a very light wood. We are seeing different islands and floating shelves just to bring that degree of warm tone into the project."

The result is a kitchen that feels connected to its surroundings without becoming overwhelmed. Soft greens and blues can help with this, subtly referencing water, while creams and light wood tones keep the overall space feeling relaxed.

"A lot of people go with lighter tones," Heather McNamara-Witt, owner and lead designer at Fine Finish Design, says. "This is usually wood tones, creams, green and light blues—like the ocean."

Countertops Made for Convenience
For a vacation home, durability and ease of maintenance can be just as important as appearance. Quartz continues to be the leading choice, allowing a practical surface that works with the lighter cabinetry in these kitchens.

"The quartz countertop is still the majority of what we're doing because people don't want to have to worry about any type of sealing or maintenance with a natural stone or with real granite or marble," Matteo states. "If they're doing white cabinets, you still see white quartz tops, but in the veining and movement of the countertop we're seeing more earth tones like a tan or light beige tone, which pulls out the color of the hardwood floor."

This subtle movement keeps an all-white kitchen from feeling flat, while introducing warmer tones that connect the countertop to the rest of the environment.

"People usually go with quartz because it's a very durable product," McNamara-Witt says. "Sometimes they'll pick something that has veining in it that matches the color of the cabinetry, but can also go with a natural quartzite that has blues and greens to go with the coastal vibe."

Lighting With More Personality
Open-concept living has always been important in Shore homes, where the kitchen serves as the center of the gathering area. With kitchens, dining and family rooms connecting together, lighting becomes an opportunity to enhance the kitchen, adding more personality.

"What you see is recessed lighting in the majority of the house, but using it over the island, there's a type of larger, focused piece," mentions Matteo. "This can be a circular glass ball, wood tones and wood-style pendant lights going down—a much more coastal feel, beachy feel versus what you would do at your [primary] home."

The larger fixture over the island can become a visual focal point, particularly in an open space. Glass, woven materials and natural wood tones add range, while maintaining the relaxing Shore style.

"Things with milky opal glass are a great option," McNamara-Witt suggests. "Any large woven-type fixtures are good with pendants, like woven rattan pendants—those are usually popular."

Soft Color and Unexpected Details
When it comes to adding personality, the modern Shore kitchen is embracing color in calmer, more sophisticated ways. Tile options are used that are accompanied by the overall feel of the kitchen, remaining classy and Shore-like.

"When you're doing your house, people want things to be blendy, be something timeless so 10 years down the road, they're ready to sell," Matteo says. "When you go down the Shore, you will see the tile manufacturers coming out with coral tones, light blue and sagey colors—very soft tones."

These colors can appear in backsplashes, tilework or smaller accents, bringing color into the kitchen without overwhelming the area, while leaving room for texture and architectural options.

"Fluted wood in the island is popular as well as arched cabinets," McNamara-Witt says. "For wood mantles, driftwood is a go-to for custom built-ins and fireplace mantles. Glass mosaic backsplashes and a statement range hood are also very nice for a Shore house."

The modern coastal kitchen is less about recreating the beach indoors and more about capturing the feeling of being there—bright, natural and comfortable. Light cabinetry, warm wood, durable countertops, oversized lighting and coastal colors create spaces that are created for gathering and, just as importantly, designed to last.

RESOURCES
Fine Finish Design/Fine Finish Remodeling
Mantua, N.J.
(856) 906-5590
FineFinishDesignNJ.com

Matteo Family Kitchens & Flooring
Woodstown, N.J.
(856) 769-2490
MatteoKitchens.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 26, Issue 3 (Fall 2026)
For more info on House & Home magazine, click here.
To subscribe to House & Home magazine, click here.
To advertise in House & Home magazine, call 888-202-5501.