Updating the kitchen is one of the most popular renovation projects and one that can make a huge difference in the feel (and resale value) of a home. But whether you’re doing a soup-to-nuts remodel or just looking for a refresh, the perfect paint color can make the project a stylish success. While white is a go-to—and always classic—choice for kitchens, there’s no reason not to consider the whole spectrum. Deep colors, such as black and bright blue, add impact to cabinetry, while softer tones and neutrals provide a cleaner look and serve as a backdrop to sculptural pendant lights, tile backsplashes, or displays of china and serving pieces.
Some might worry about taking design risks in the kitchen; after all, it’s one of the rooms that gets used the most. But these rooms from the AD archive prove that bold choices can pay off and result in personality-packed spaces that you’ll want to use from morning coffee to afterdinner sweets. If you’re not ready to go for floor-to-ceiling color, there are plenty of spots to add a bit of brightness. Designer Jeffrey Bilhuber painted the base of a Manhattan home’s kitchen island red, while leaving the cabinets and walls neutral. Mark Gillette added a blue chest of drawers and a coral island to a cream kitchen in England.
Painting the kitchen cabinets is the fastest way to a completely transform the space and can create a cohesive look. For a poolhouse kitchen at a Maine compound, Suzanne Kasler used a bright Benjamin Moore blue on the walls, cabinets, and range hood, while Alison Spear painted her own Dutchess County, New York, kitchen in a deep black with a contrasting gray island. Both kitchens kept the ceilings white and the floors neutral, for cozy rooms that don’t feel claustrophobic. Browse these colorful kitchens to find inspiration—and the perfect shade—for your own renovation.
Black Kitchen Inspiration
Black and gray cabinets distinguish the kitchen in architect Alison Spear’s Dutchess County, New York, home . The room also features DuroDesign cork flooring, an Abbaka hood, a Wolf cooktop and ovens, and Harry Bertoia barstools.
Green Kitchen Inspiration
In the kitchen of his Houston home , designer J. Randall Powers installed cabinets in a rich gray-green hue to give the space a sense of intimacy.
Cream Kitchen Inspiration
For a 16th-century manor in the English countryside, designer Mark Gillette made use of classic shades of blue and red to complement the cream cabinetry.
Aqua Kitchen Inspiration
The walls and custom cabinetry in this New York kitchen were painted a vibrant aqua. Decorator Thomas Britt and architectural designer Peter Napolitano continued the color into the adjacent living room to maintain continuity.
Gray Kitchen Inspiration
In a Manhattan kitchen , the cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Gettysburg Gray, while Sherwin-Williams’s Ethereal Mood coats the walls.
Yellow Kitchen Inspiration
At Château de Fontenay , a 16th-century estate in France updated by designer Tino Zervudachi, the kitchen’s neo-Gothic millwork was painted a cheery yellow.
White Kitchen Inspiration
The kitchen of a Marin County, California, home was given a dose of traditional elegance—and white paint—by designer Suzanne Rheinstein and architect Ken Linsteadt.
Orange Kitchen Inspiration
The rooftop kitchen of this home in Essaouira, Morocco , is decorated with antique tiles and painted in a traditional terra-cotta shade.
Blue Kitchen Inspiration
At a Maine compound renovated by designer Suzanne Kasler and architect Les Cole, the walls of the poolhouse kitchen are painted in a Benjamin Moore blue.
Red Kitchen Inspiration
In a Manhattan townhouse restored by interior designer Jeffrey Bilhuber and Rietveld Architects, the kitchen island is coated in a dark and glossy red paint.
Related: AD ’s Guide to Decorating with Color