Kitchen Color Trends: Paint and Cabinet Colors Now

The kitchen color trends worth trying right now lean toward nature: earthy and sage greens, muted blues, warm off-whites, and wood tones, with a deeper color on the island or lower cabinets. They're popular because they're easy to live with and easy to repaint.

If you can't decide, start with a warm neutral on the walls and put the trend color on something small, like the island. You'll get the look without betting the whole room on it.

Save

What are the most popular kitchen paint colors right now?

The most popular kitchen paint colors fall into four families: greens, blues, warm neutrals and woody browns. Gray is fading out. What replaces it is warmer: cream, greige with a visible beige undertone, soft white, and clay-like tones.

I can't give you a ranking by market share, because I don't have a verified source for one. What I can tell you is why these families keep showing up: they pair well with wood, stone and brushed metals, and they hide daily life better than stark white does.

Earthy greens and moody blues

Sage, olive and deep forest green suit cabinets and islands. They read as calm and connect to the plants and wood many people already have in the kitchen.

Blue is a good choice for a room you want to feel a bit more alert. In one study, Isabella S Bower of Deakin University's School of Psychology found that "the findings show that blue coloring of the built environment increases autonomic range and is associated with modulations of brain activity linked to emotional processing." In plain terms, blue spaces affect us physically, so pick a shade you actually enjoy being around at 7 a.m.

Dusty teal and slate blue are easier to live with than saturated navy. If you love navy, as an architect I'd keep it to the island or lower cabinets and let the walls stay light.

Warm neutrals and off-whites

Warm whites, cream and soft putty are the safest of the kitchen cabinet color trends. They bounce light well and make a good backdrop for the best colors for kitchen walls if your cabinets are already a strong color.

Check the undertone before you commit. A white with a yellow undertone looks cozy in a north-facing kitchen, where daylight is cool. The same white can look creamy-yellow in a sunny south-facing room.

Save

Wood tones and brown cabinets

If you have brown or natural wood cabinets, you already own a warm color, so the wall should support it instead of competing. Soft greens, muted blues and warm creams all work. For a bit of contrast, a deep charcoal or navy island lets the wood on the perimeter glow.

Avoid walls with a strong orange or red undertone next to orange-toned wood. The two just blur together. Hold the wood sample against the paint sample before you buy a gallon.

Bold accent colors and islands

The island is the lowest-risk place for a bold color. It's one piece, it's easy to repaint, and it anchors the cooking and prep zone while the walls stay light.

Other spots that take a strong color well: a pantry door, a backsplash wall, or the inside of open shelving. Similar ideas work in other rooms too, like those in our attic bedroom paint ideas.

Save

Two-tone cabinets and color combinations

Two tone kitchen cabinet color combinations usually put the darker color on the lower cabinets and the lighter one on the uppers. This keeps the top half airy and grounds the bottom half, where scuffs show least.

• Sage green lowers with warm white uppers
• Navy island with cream perimeter cabinets
• Natural wood lowers with soft white uppers
• Charcoal lowers with a pale greige upper and walls

If you like a warm accent, a yellow-based kitchen can be balanced with a neutral, as in our yellow and gray kitchen piece. Keep to two main colors plus one accent, and repeat each of them in at least a couple of places so the palette feels intentional.

Save

Small kitchen color trends

Small kitchen color trends favor light, low-contrast palettes. When the walls, uppers and backsplash sit close in value, the eye doesn't stop at each edge and the room feels larger.

You can still use a deeper color. Put it on one lower run or a single wall, and keep everything else light. Dark colors give a small kitchen intimacy but shrink it if used on every surface.

How to test and finish your paint

1. Paint large samples, about 3 feet square, on more than one wall.
2. Look at them in the morning and in the evening, next to the countertop and cabinets you're keeping.
3. Choose a washable, mid-sheen finish for walls near the sink and stove. Satin is a practical choice for cabinets.
4. Save matte for ceilings and walls away from splashes. It marks more easily.

If you have a dog, the lower cabinets and the wall by the water bowl take the most wear. A scrubbable finish there pays off. Pair painted cabinets with stone, wood and brushed metal, and keep to one main metal finish for cohesion. If you pick soapstone, Iowa State University Extension notes it doesn't need sealing but does need regular oiling.

Save

Trend colors age fastest on the things that are cheap to redo. Keep cabinets, counters and floors classic where you can, and spend your trend budget on paint, hardware and lighting.

Frequently asked questions