Personalizing Your Kitchen with Color

Gone are the days of boring natural or stark white kitchens. If you’re craving color in your kitchen, an easy way to update is to paint your kitchen cabinets. Get inspired by these bold options!
If you’re passionate about interior design like we are, you know that each year authorities in the industry (Pantone, DIC, etc.) announce the latest color trends. The speed with which fads come and go can feel exhausting. How are you supposed to keep up with it all? There is some good news: we’re in an eclectic design era where you can create your own trends and blend styles to create a space that is unique to you. One of the easiest ways to do that is by personalizing your kitchen with color.
We found some of our favorite ways to incorporate gorgeous new colors into your kitchen.
Bold and Vibrant Blue

Images courtesy of Apartment Therapy & Better Homes & Gardens
Deep blue tones have stepped into the kitchen where they look quite at home. If you’ve never considered using such a bold color on your cabinets, you might think again. There are so many blue hues to choose from depending on how you want your kitchen to look and feel, and how it relates to surrounding spaces. Note how the blue cabinets in the kitchen on the left are balanced with tile and a white island, while the kitchen on the right commits to upper and lower blue cabinets. If your home has an open concept floor plan, the light flooding in from that space and adjacent windows should keep the space from becoming too dark.
The Versatility of Soft Blue

Images courtesy of Traditional Home & This Old House
Quiet and pretty, lighter blue tones have always been popular interior color choices. These days, they’re more often showing up in kitchens. Light blue is versatile enough that it can be used for formal or informal kitchens. The kitchen on the left has a sophisticated feel with large windows that form a connection to the outdoors. The kitchen on the right sets a relaxed, friendly tone, evoking coastal breezes and summertime memories.
Naturally Green

Images courtesy of Apartment Therapy & Providence Ltd Design
There are so many gorgeous green hues to choose from that it comes down to the mood you wish to set in your kitchen. The kitchen on the left is youthful and modern, but capable of blending with a variety of architectural and decorating styles. This unique kitchen uses two different green tones to signal a homeowner with a sure sense of style. The kitchen on the right blends a muted sage green with classic French style to create a timeless feel. Sage green contains grey undertones that blend well with natural elements like wood, stone and metal. Because sage hues are muted, they evoke peace and relaxation, and work with a range of architectural styles.
Gray and Greige

Images courtesy of Sheer Luxe & Home Bunch
The versatility of grey makes it an excellent color choice for kitchens. Because it’s a bit of a chameleon, it’s appropriate for both modern and traditional styles, and is either warm or cool, depending on its undertones. Slate grey creates a dramatic and sophisticated feeling in the classic kitchen on the left. The warm mid-grey used in the kitchen on the right showcases the beautiful marble countertops, allowing them to take center stage.
The Perfect Shade of White
White kitchens are perennially popular and timeless. Clever homeowners keep all-white designs from becoming flat by using several white tones to create a layered, complex effect. Blending natural elements like wood, stone, tile and metal into white kitchens creates depth and warmth.
Bright White

Images courtesy of Southern Living & Better Homes & Gardens
These kitchens use clear, bright white paint, which is a good choice in northern climates and kitchens that face north. The wood-topped island in the kitchen on the right adds warmth and visual texture. Balance bright white kitchens with wooden countertops and floors.
Soft Off-White

Images courtesy of Farrow & Ball & Les Ensembliers
The off-white kitchen on the left sets a casual tone with the addition of a rustic wooden island, while the traditional kitchen on the right blends a clean off-white with dark countertops and a patterned floor. Soft whites feel much different than bright whites, so spend some time evaluating how you want your white kitchen to look and feel as you choose your white paint.
Is Color For You?
We hope that if you’ve dreamed of creating a beautiful, vibrantly colored kitchen, you make your dream come true. If a kitchen update is on your horizon, consider looking beyond basic laminate or wood cabinets, and use color to express your unique style. There’s never been a better time to tell your story through a kitchen filled with color that’s as vibrant as your family.

About the Authors

As West Coast transplants, Debbie Green and Snowy Eischen met by happenstance in their small Massachusetts town, and discovered they had a lot in common, including a vibrant family life, and a mutual love of creating beautiful homes and gardens. The seeds of their blog, New England Home and Garden: Family Life Through the Seasons were planted when they began attending antiques fairs, show houses, open gardens, and planning unique and creative parties for families in their village. They’re passionate about photography, styling, and home staging, all with New England flair!