Setting the Mood for Your Meal
A splash of fresh color always promises a big impact on the atmosphere of any room. After all, not only does your paint color choice establish the base for your aesthetic (whether that's traditional or something more modern), but it can also alter the energy of a space. Subdued kitchen paint colors take the stress out of cooking, for example, while brighter tones create a lively setting for wining and dining guests. To create a suitable backdrop for all of the time you spend in your kitchen, start with one of these 14 colors that are trending for top paint manufacturers.
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De Nimes (No.299) from Farrow & Ball
Inspired by cloth used to make workwear in the French city of Nîmes, this down-to-earth blue-green is among the best kitchen colors to anchor a contemporary kitchen with surrounding surfaces of varying textures and colors. The De Nimes paint on the upper half of the wall ties together the sprawling gray-streaked marble countertops and blue-black Railings base cabinets and shelves, achieving an ultra-functional space for meal prep with a moody style.
Pure White (SW 7005) from Sherwin-Williams
As timeless as color comes, this crisp white hue lends a refined air to rustic or modern kitchens. And it's not just classic—it's versatile, too! Take a cue from the nautical palette of this contemporary kitchen and create a harmonious high-contrast look by pairing Pure White walls with a dusty white pantry and a navy-blue island lit by regal gold-plated glass pendant lights.
Fashion Gray (PPU18-15) from Behr
Anything but drab, a warm gray swatch with brown undertones lends restrained elegance to traditional kitchens. In this old-world-inspired kitchen filled with conversation-starting pieces, Fashion Gray interior walls serve as a staid backdrop for Ultra Pure White display cabinets with Leather Clutch backing, a chocolate-colored wooden island, and yesteryear wall sconces—simultaneously unifying them and allowing them to take center stage.
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Oyster Bay (SW 6206) from Sherwin-Williams
If you prize the uncluttered charm of Scandinavian design but prefer to inject some color into its characteristically all-white color palette, bathe the walls in this idyllic greenish-gray tone. Amidst the white cabinetry, countertops, and trim in this effortlessly elegant kitchen, the Oyster Bay walls provide a whimsical and welcome escape for guests seated at the island and serve as an ideal backdrop for the decorative wall-mounted dishes.
Clay Beige (OC-11) from Benjamin Moore
This off-white with brown undertones confers a sun-kissed look on stark white spaces that may otherwise skew cold and clinical. But like the best kitchen paint colors, it need not live on all four walls of the kitchen—or even directly inside the kitchen—to have maximum impact. These homeowners splashed Clay Beige paint on a wall opposite the kitchen to draw the eye out and give the kitchen depth.
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Treron (No.292) from Farrow & Ball
Like its namesake, a bird known as the green pigeon, Treron is a dark gray-green tone that lends a touch of the outdoors to traditional or modern kitchens. It’s a particularly complementary paint color for spaces that showcase other earth tones, such as grays, browns, and creams. Here, Treron wall paneling is paired with off-white cabinetry and houseplants to evoke a fresh, back-to-nature-inspired interior where you can cook and wash up in peace.
Cameo White (MQ3-32) from Behr
Dimly lit kitchens instantly look brighter with Cameo White on their walls. The white hue with ash-gray undertones is perhaps the best kitchen color for a traditional or modern space that employs other neutral tones in its palette. Follow the lead of the designers of this classic kitchen with a gentle gradated palette and combine Cameo White walls with Swiss Coffee cabinets, light gray marble countertops, and a pastel-toned tile backsplash to achieve an airy ambiance for cooking, dining, or entertaining.
Raffia Ribbon (PPU7-20) from Behr
Capture the sun-soaked ambiance of the French countryside with warm yet rustic kitchen paint colors like this particular shade of creamy brown. To recreate the undeniable country charm in your own culinary corner, apply Raffia Ribbon to paneled walls and combine with navy Nypd cabinetry and Cameo White pantry doors.
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Berry Brown (PPU24-02) from Behr
This chocolate brown hue with red undertones makes any traditional or rustic kitchen look and feel more defined, particularly those of imposing height. The red undertones can even boost appetites. Despite the lofty beam ceiling in this kitchen, the Berry Brown walls make the space feel intimate and inviting, even cozy. The lighter Off White cabinets and lustrous hardwood floors provide balance, ensuring that the darker color of the walls doesn’t overpower the space.
Golden Field (PPG1107-7) from PPG
Get your morning pick-me-up from this dark citrus yellow hue, one of the most effective kitchen color ideas for cheering up a space (especially when used in combination with large windows, as seen here). In this cookery, a subway tile wall painted Golden Field, white cabinets, and baby-blue drapes provide the jolt of color needed to uplift the space, while black countertops allow the kitchen to retain an air of sophistication.
White on White (30GY 88/014) from PPG
When the focal point of your kitchen is a natural wood surface treated with a clear coat rather than a stain, the right paint color can be the difference between a dingy, dated space and a more airy, modern aesthetic. As seen here, pairing light wood with a pale white with magenta undertones achieves the freshest results. Copy these homeowners and integrate White on White walls, counters, shelves, and island stools for a kitchen that feels more open than its actual footprint would suggest.
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Anew Gray (SW 7030) Sherwin-Williams
“Greige” has been trending as a kitchen color idea in recent years as a richer alternative to either of its components, gray and beige. Its gold undertones add a luxe quality that's right at home in kitchens used for entertaining in addition to cooking. See here: Anew Gray walls give a regal air to this kitchen and provide a warm contrast to the cool-colored steel appliances and white marble countertops.
Mascarpone (AF-20) from Benjamin Moore
The color equivalent of comfort food—named after the decadent Italian cheese, no less—this creamy off-white paint color brings warmth without sacrificing brightness in a small space. Take this dreamy kitchen and dining room setup: Mascarpone walls live alongside Simply White cabinets and a wooden table with wicker chairs to create a convivial cottage-style interior.
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Stardew (SW 9138) Sherwin-Williams
One of the top kitchen color ideas for high-traffic zones of the home, this muted gray-blue instills a calm to cooking spaces of any aesthetic. In this contemporary kitchen, Stardew walls provide a soothing distraction from the more dramatic black stone countertops, tray ceiling, and oblong pendant lights, making everyday cooking a relaxing, unrushed affair.
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Believe it or not, even with the vast number of paint color options available, a select handful of hues surpass all the others in popularity. We spoke with industry experts to uncover their best sellers. Click to view now!
