What is the perfect color for your kitchen? Maybe I should ask if there even is a single perfect color for every kitchen. Honestly: I’m not sure. It will, for sure, depend on personal preferences and overall style. Is the kitchen in an apartment, a holiday house or mansion? The setting, the light, and size can influence the final decision. So let’s explore a few options, and weigh the main pros and cons.
White Kitchen
kitchen via IG - Tiles Tabarko Studio
A white kitchen is an easy choice, it will be timeless and you are less likely to grow tired of it. White works equally well in a modern or a classical kitchen, bringing brightness to the space. Choosing the perfect white is important, though: there are hundreds of white tones, some leaning more toward grey, others carry a warmer, creamier undertone. It is essential to avoid a sterile, hospital-like feel, so it is important selecting the floor, countertop and backsplash to create the ambiance you envision for the room. Introducing wood elements will warm up the white - this could be a wooden countertop, open shelving, or floor tiles with wood appearance. If you prefer a more minimalist or industrial aesthetic, pair the white with grey and black accents; many appliances come in black or stainless steel, and a black sink and tap help steer the look towards an industrial style.
Black Kitchen
kitchen via Hygge & Home
Black kitchens are all around, they have been trendy for several years now, and when you start researching you’ll find both very modern designs and more classical interpretations. Be careful: a kitchen is an expensive investment, perhaps even the most costly in the house, so you need to be 100% certain that black will be the perfect choice for you. I always think it’s very important to stay true to your own style and not simply follow trends, trends come and go, and what is popular today may not suit you tomorrow. Maybe your favorite color will become the next trend; you never know. Personally, I find an all-over black kitchen a bit too much and too dark; it wouldn’t inspire me to prepare a fresh, healthy meal. That said, I can see black used in the kitchen, for example a beautiful range cooker such as La Cornue, or even to have a selected part of the kitchen furniture painted black. Pairing black with another neutral, an off-white, a soft cream, or a pearl grey, softens the look..
Grey Kitchen
Kitchen via Behance - Carrara marble via Drop a Wall
Grey can be a very sophisticated choice, from a delicate pearl grey to a deeper dove grey, or a cozy a warm grey, there are many subtle tones to explore. Consider adding brass cabinet handles to introduce an elegant touch and counterbalance grey’s natural cooler feel. In terms of color psychology, bear in mind that grey is not energising and won’t necessarily inspire you to cook. Colourful accents can inject life and personality into the space. Grey works especially well for a minimalist kitchen and pairs beautifully with an extraordinary marble countertop and backsplash to create an outstanding result. Grey can look particularly chick in a city apartment; by contrast, I would be hesitant to recommend this color for a countryside home where it might feel out of space with the surrounding landscape.
Brown Kitchen
On the contrary, a brown kitchen, whether crafted from wood or painted, makes a perfect choice for a countryside home, seen you have all nature around you. It also works beautifully in a city house or apartment as an evergreen that suits minimalist, contemporary, and classical interiors alike. Brown is elegant and sophisticated. For a long time wood was dismissed as old-fashioned, but those days are gone; wood tones are very trendy now and unlikely to date quickly. Wood ranging from pale white oak to deep, dark essences can all be excellent choices. When selecting a brown paint for your kitchen take care to choose a shade with a clear undertone, reddish or slightly greenish, avoid tones that or dull or muddy. Pair cabinetry with natural materials for countertops and backsplashes to reinforce an organic feel. Alternatively, choose patterned tiles for the backsplash to underline your personal style or to echo the local setting. Finishing touches in warm brass will give the brown more depth.
So there are quite a few options when it comes to neutral and safe choices for your kitchen. But what about a more colourful approach, to bring more life, atmosphere and character into the room? Let’s take a closer look.
Burgundy Kitchen
kitchen via The Design Files
Lets start with some warm colors as an option for the kitchen furniture. Keep in mind that there are many tones and shades to consider. When I think of a red kitchen, the immediate image that comes to mind be Ferrari red, and personally I would say that would be a No Go. I’ve seen kitchens like that in the past, paired with a white countertop and black electrical appliances. Yes, you can easily imagine how that combination can feel cold and even a bit aggressive, hardly inspiring for cooking or hosting a related dinner. However, if you move towards a darker burgundy tone and combine it with terracotta and other neutrals, the space can feel much warmer and more inviting. In the picture above, for example, the cabinet handles painted in the same color as the cabinets give a very contemporary look. If those handles were brass instead, the overall effect would shift towards a more rustic character. It becomes clear that choosing the right tone and complementary materials is essential to create your dream kitchen.
Terracotta Kitchen
Terrazzo tile Otto - kitchen via Apartment ABC
A terracotta colored kitchen makes us think of spices, and will inspire us to make delicious dinners. It is a warm tone that could almost be a neutral, a color that has been quite en vogue in recent years as well. It evokes a subtle feeling of holiday and a relaxed Mediterranean ambiance. You can very well pair it with a floor in terracotta tiles or other natural materials such as a travertine. For a more contemporary look a terrazzo would be a perfect option. Keep the countertop and backsplash simple and understated to maintain a modern look, or choose some handcrafted tiles for a more rustic, artisanal approach. One practical note: orange is a color that tends to increase appetite, so take care.
Pink Kitchen
Pink could be a great choice when you are opting for a vintage type of kitchen. Whether classical or contemporary, the look will be feminine and softly nostalgic. It can be color option for a small apartment, though perhaps not ideal if you would like your husband to cook some meals during the week. Not sure if he will feel as it is his place. Bring it into a more romantic direction with an old-fashioned type of range cooker such as an Aga, or incorporate hand-painted floral tiles. A checkerboard motif, as on the picture above, instantly evokes a 1950’s ambiance.
And what about the cool colors of the color wheel?
Blue Kitchen
kitchen via Remodelista
Blue is the perfect color when you live close to the sea or a holiday home. In color psychology, blue represents a calming restorative hue. It won’t prompt the same bold culinary experimentation as a terracotta kitchen does, terracotta invites us to use more species. The blue might inspire you to prepare lighter dishes, the kind you find in Greece: crisp salads, fresh grilled fish. To avoid a room that feels to cold, introduce warmth through natural materials such as wood. If you prefer a crisp look, chrome accessories reinforce this cold breeze; alternatively, add brass to introduce in a warmer note. Blue is also a color that suits classically inspired kitchen particularly well. IIf you choose blue, aim for mid tones with a slight reddish undertone. Darker blues will be colder, more formal, while paler blues move toward pastel and a more romantic direction.
Green Kitchen
tiles from Tiles in Mind - kitchen via House & Garden
Green on the other hand is more versatile, The darker tones for a classical kitchen, while softer shades such as sage green or almond green will introduce a gentler, more calming atmosphere in the space. Olive and muted greens work particularly well for the country side or a Provence-style of interior. Both classical and modern kitchens can find the right green tone. Add wood elements to make the room feel cosier and slightly more rustic, or pair green with terrazzo for a distinctly contemporary look. For a more luxurious statement, choose a striking marble with subtle green veins running through it. Green will inspire you to cook healthy meals.
Yellow Kitchen
And yellow is maybe not the first color that will come to your mind when thinking of a color to choose for your new kitchen, but reflect a bit on it. It is a sunny, cheerful color, that lifts the mood and could be a surprisingly great option to consider. It is one of the first rooms you enter in the morning, and even on a grey, rainy day a warm yellow will brighten up your day. It does not have to be lemon yellow; think instead of a soft butter, a mustard, deep ochre, you get the idea. Depending on the style you can find a fitting yellow tone.
So, is there a perfect color for the kitchen? No.
Is there a perfect color for your kitchen? Yes, depending on personal style and preferences, the location and lighting, and how you want the space to feel, with those factors in mind you can find the right hue and tone.
neutrals: are evergreens
black: is trendy, but think twice
grey: choose a tone with warm undertone, it is not a color that will inspire you to cook
red: go for darker tones
terracotta: an orange shade that will inspire to cook, or to eat more
pink: to feminine, unless you want a 50’s style kitchen
blue: perfect for the seaside, use a blue tone with red undertone
green: versatile, works everywhere, depending on the tone
yellow: will bring sunshine inside your kitchen and put you in a good mood
What is your favorite kitchen color? I think I would go for a sage green.
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