Warm neutral, bright and earthy colors are supposed to make kitchens feel more comfortable. Grays and whites are popular as well. Having the right color palette in your kitchen accomplishes many things; the color scheme helps you to coordinate your cabinets, reflects light for a more cheerful space. Perhaps most importantly of all, the right colors make your house more attractive to potential buyers.
The Rules of Kitchen Colors
View this post on Instagram
The rules of kitchen design state that blues, greens and purples are among the cold colors that do not promote hunger. As a result, many experts believed that they don’t work for kitchens. Keep in mind that the conventions also dictate that black doesn’t work in kitchens, but it can if you implement it correctly. For example, ways to use black include combining it with white and a pale gray to make your kitchen into a light and airy space. You can use matte black to offset light browns and create an effect to complement natural wood. Ultimately, any color can work as long as you recognize that you have an immense number of gradations to work with. It’s all a matter of your taste.
Warm Neutrals
View this post on Instagram
If you tint it enough, you can make any color into a warm neutral. You just have to add red, orange or yellow. If you want to cool them down add one of the cold colors.
Red
View this post on Instagram
Not everyone will want a red kitchen, but it can work if you want to make your kitchen look livelier. If you have a lot of dark colors, you can use reds to make the space less gloomy or as a counterbalance for the grayness of stainless steel appliances and other elements.
Brown
View this post on Instagram
Browns evoke the earth that produces all of our food. If you don’t want to use neutral colors, brown can be a safe option. Warmer reddish browns can make an attractive pairing with darker brown cabinets. You can also pair it with green, another color associated with food. You can use white to lighten a space dominated by the brown from a dark natural wood flooring. White works well with quartz or marble elements such as countertops and tiles.
Grays
View this post on Instagram
Dark gray can be a striking option in a kitchen design that lets in a lot of light. Gray also plays well with white, especially a very light gray. Use light gray in combination with white and aqua to create a lighter palette to offset darker countertops.
All White
View this post on Instagram
Kitchens with white walls, cabinets and ceilings are a distinctive style of kitchen. White-on-white is separate from all other styles. Making everything white — including floors, light fixtures and appliances — is an established aesthetic choice dating back to the early 20th century. If your cabinets are already white, why not go all the way by getting white countertops and chairs? If done well, the result can be a modern and sophisticated look.
Yellows
View this post on Instagram
The general consensus among homeowners and designers is that yellows that have been toned down are great in kitchens. Pale yellows are subdued enough to not be distracting but will also blend nicely with all kinds of woods. Yellow reflects a lot of ambient light and can help to dispel gloominess without making a space feel sterile as it might with white. A yellow that is pale enough to be called cream is a perfect complement to white elements in a kitchen such as a china display. Darker, more intense yellows bring to mind a more traditional kitchen but will reflect enough light to give a deeper tone.
Blue
View this post on Instagram
You won’t see blue on most lists of the best kitchen colors because it is not typically associated with food. There are not many truly blue foods. That said, you can use it to give your kitchen a retro look or as an accent. You can also use gradations of blue or teal to help your kitchen to fit in with the color scheme used in the rest of your house. You might find that a very light blue will change color throughout the day with the variations in exterior light. The blue color can transform from greenish-gray to a more silvery gray depending on the time of day.
The kitchen is one of the rooms that sell homes. Whether you are planning to sell your home or to live it in for a while, your kitchen’s color is important to how the room looks and feels. If you are planning to remodel your kitchen, choosing the right color is crucial. If you need help with planning the colors for your kitchen, reach out to us via our contact form.
