Decorating & Design
70+ Kitchens That Make A Case For Color
Updated on November 28, 2023
It’s easy to play it safe with neutrals, but more and more homeowners are committing to color in every area of the home. The classic white kitchen isn’t going anywhere, but make no mistake, colorful kitchen cabinetry is impactful and fresh. Whether it’s bold lower cabinets, an accent backsplash or a bright wallpaper, click through for 70+ inspiring ideas that prove color has a place in the heart of your home.
Scroll down to discover how you can bring a dose of color to your kitchen!
London designer Beata Heuman is known for her theatrical style and bold use of color and pattern. In her own kitchen, her Dodo Egg pendants draw the eye up to a glass ceiling inspired by patisserie ceilings in Stockholm. Blue cabinets bring the wow factor.
If you’re not ready to go all in with color in your kitchen, consider adding a dose of cheer to your pantry, like in this one that features floral wallpaper and pink cabinets.
This monochromatic kitchen exudes elegance with its green-hued cabinets, pretty pattern and hits of brass.
Skylights aren’t the only thing that bring sunshine to this farmhouse-style kitchen. Daffodil-hued cabinets and green accents are a burst of joy.
Teal green tiles and pink walls are nothing short of spectacular in this Mediterranean-inspired kitchen.“Tiny flecks of pink within the marble floors were beautifully similar to my favorite Farrow and Ball paint color Setting Plaster, so the walls were now decided on too.” says Helen Parker, the Creative Director of British kitchen firm deVOL.
Leave it to deVOL once again to capture our imagination. In another whimsical kitchen, handmade Zellige backsplash tiles, fairytale-like wallpaper and green and white striped curtains create a historic and magical feel.
This bold kitchen feels retro with a modern twist. Designer Ami McKay used Sherwin-Williams’ Rosemary for the green kitchen cabinet color, and French bistro-inspired tile for the backsplash. “Everything sparks joy to me when I walk into this kitchen,” says Ami.
This all-white interior gets a burst of sunshine from a Scullery Yellow prep table from deVol Kitchens.
This kitchen packs a punch with emerald green herringbone wall tile and robin’s-egg blue upper cabinets. “I decided that I wasn’t going to be conservative in my color choices,” says Montreal homeowner Sylvie Renaud.
These kitchen island tiles shine like blue-and-white seashells and echo the ocean vistas outside in this cottage-style home in Lions Bay, British Columbia.
We couldn’t think of a better kitchen cabinet color than Aegean blue for this Harbor Island cottage by designer Tom Scheerer. Patterned tile in the same hue adds to the retro and cheerful feel of the space.
Halifax designers Colin Blanchard and Kenneth McRobbie of 31 Westgate are all for giving rooms personality. In this charming English-inspired kitchen, wallpaper and cabinets in Farrow & Ball’s Farrow’s Cream (67) give the space subtle color without going overboard.”Color is optimistic and cheerful and perfect for the moment,” says Colin and Kenneth.
This sweet shade of sage is a huge trend for spring. It’s a must-have in the kitchen when paired with rustic accents, like a vintage lantern pendant and white brick veneer wall treatment.
When it comes to colored cabinetry in the kitchen, this rich blue is a no-brainer, especially accented with crisp white walls, warm wood and an eclectic tile floor.
A Winnipeg bungalow gets a healthy dose of retro flair with olive paint, a rail-and-hook system and a handy pot filler.
In designer Ali Budd’s new office, the kitchen is pretty in pink. “We wanted something bold we wouldn’t have the opportunity to do in a residential setting,” she says. Statement marble and a heavy dose of black keep the space from feeling too sweet.
Benjamin Moore’s Bonsai (CC-666) on the cabinetry and coffered ceiling gives this kitchen a rich, historical look. “It’s a modern version of avocado,” says Nova Scotia-based designer Jonathan Legate.
Designer Cynthia Ferguson is never one to shy away from color, and this mood-boosting kitchen is no exception. Blue millwork, stained glass tiles and striped bar stools create a one-of-a-kind gathering place.
“This kitchen is truly a bespoke experience and uniquely tailored,” says designer Jack Creasy of Bloomsbury Fine Cabinetry. “I love the dramatic presence of the Lacanche range in that off-black color; it’s also soothing against the green.”
For a fresh take on farmhouse style, designer Nyla Free layered shades of blue in this inviting kitchen. Light blue tile frames the windows and contrasts beautifully with the warmer tones in the space, while a dark teal island adds heritage charm.
“Blue, the family’s favorite color (Go, Leafs!), was just the ticket for the island cabinetry, which, through careful space planning, we managed to size at a spacious 17-and-a-half feet long,” says designer Arren Williams of this historical family home‘s kitchen.
Housed in a circa-1890 house, this vintage-inspired kitchen is relatively muted in color, until you look up. The dropped ceiling was replaced with beadboard from an old church and painted in a robin’s egg blue hue.
“The house is filled with different woods and black, gray and white so, in the kitchen, we wanted something colorful, rich and slightly traditional,” says homeowner Kendra Patton of the green cabinets.
If painting your cabinets a bold color is too far out of your comfort zone, invest in fun dining chairs instead. “The key is to choose what you love — as long as you can still see yourself loving it 10 years from now,” say the designers behind Cuisines Steam of this playful kitchen eating area.
Think of dark blue as a neutral: it goes with almost everything and is a more subtle way to embrace color in the kitchen. Designer Barbara Purdy kept the cabinets neutral but took the plunge with the handsome island.
It’s all about the details in this striking showhome kitchen. Between the custom vent hood with metal straps to the shiplap island and book-matched marble backsplash, almost every inch of the space is adorned in a rich, blue-gray color.
This mossy hue in the home of designer Francesca Albertazzi has consistently drawn raves from our readers. The custom shade makes Francesca’s childhood home look all grown up with a hit of brown for heritage flavor.
Dreamy pale mint is an unexpected hue in this millennial-approved kitchen, but it definitely was the right choice by designer Ami McKay, who says the color can read as blue or gray depending on the time of day and light.
This heavenly shade of pink on the round baking station is an unexpected focal point in this bespoke kitchen. The handsome black Regency Moderne style island balances the sweetness of this culinary confection for a licorice allsorts effect.
There are five different shades of blue in this cheerful kitchen on the cabinetry alone, resulting in a moody medley. The mid-toned blue cabinetry gets an extra boost from a swath of mod patterned tiles behind the cooktop. “I wanted to do something fresh and dynamic yet timeless,” says designer Jean Stéphane Beauchamp.
To brighten up the kitchen, the interior of the old wooden cabinets were given a new lease on life with a coat of vibrant pink paint in this Montreal home. The pretty pink balances out the blue cabinetry, and is amped by a selection of multicolored cookware in the uppers.
This emerald green pantry is a real jewel in this modern weekend home, and makes a collection of cobalt cookware look even more vibrant. The patterned tile, butcher block counters and oversized subway tile all nod to traditional farmhouse style.
Calgary designers Aly Velji and Katie Nelson gave this prairie-modern kitchen a shot of major personality with an ice-cream pastel, apothecary-style island that’s a real people pleaser.
Not quite ready to make the leap and replace those kitchen cabinets with something a little more chromatic? A roll-away tomato-red island is one way to inject luscious color without committing to an all-red kitchen.
A striking shade of cerulean blue enlivens the cabinetry in this downtown Toronto home. The kitchen cabinets were made by a boutique millworker and hand-painted using historical shades for added interest: the lowers are Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue, and a warm neutral, Drop Cloth, is on the uppers.
Tour this French bistro-style kitchen on H&H TV.
This saturated kitchen amps up a plummy licorice cabinetry (Farrow & Ball’s Paean Black) with a fondant rose shade (Farrow & Ball’s Sulking Room Pink) on the walls for a luscious combo.
The grey-blue kitchen cabinets in the 2018 Princess Margaret Showhome designed by Brian Gluckstein creates a cooling effect for a kitchen that’s serene and sophisticated.
Emulating the wild tones of the tropics — feathery flamingo pink, deep sea blue and vibrant emerald green — this color-packed kitchen is a daring feast for the eyes.
A prismatic grouping of triangles on the runner color this airy, vaulted-ceiling kitchen pretty, adding a dash of modernity to the hardworking terracotta-tiled flooring.
Capitalizing on luxe metallic finishes, this modern family kitchen is glamour at its finest. Most notable is the expansive and eye-catching, copper-hued island, which — believe it or not — is actually laminate!
Sunny canary yellow accents inject a cheery vibe in this otherwise all-white kitchen tailor-made for a trendy Montreal family of five.
Inspired by the serene blue sky and glittering waters beyond the borders of this boathouse, designer Anne Hepfer ensured the airy hue continued its way into the interior — light blue stools in the kitchen make a stylish splash.
A soulfully-colored olive banquette and exotic red runner punctuate the space with a welcoming warmth while the sapphire blue cabinets up the ante.
Swathed in a rosy millennial pink and an inky black with red undertones on the lower cabinets, this aesthetic hub reads cozy yet elegant.
Former Holt Renfrew president Mario Grauso’s charming Bridgehampton, New York, abode — a relaxing respite away from the hustle and bustle of city life —boasts a character-driven kitchen with all the charm of a French country retreat.
Feeling brazenly blue, the cool patterned backsplash tile in this nautical kitchen adds a refreshing dose of Mediterranean flavor.
Muskoka living brings the outdoors in in this cottage kitchenette inspired by the Ontario region’s scenic terrain. Mint-green light fixtures, light blue window trim and aqua blue cabinets make for a complimentary color scheme that sings.
Rustic salvaged barn beams, architectural details and bespoke cabinets painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue factor a taste of heritage into homeowners Andraya Frith and Graham Kenchie’s 600-square-foot English country kitchen in Stirling, Ontario.
A fashionable stretch of white veining marble that serves as both the countertop and backsplash juxtaposes seamlessly with the traditional forest green cabinets and vintage paintings that perch atop the brass-mounted open shelf.
The democratic denimy-y hue (who doesn’t love blue jeans?) in this family-friendly kitchen makes it even more inviting. Brass accents, rustic wood beams and a rich runner enhance the cosy vibe so it’s no surprise that everyone wants to pull up a chair.
Cornflower blue cabinets brighten grey subway tiles and white walls in this light-filled kitchen, providing a soft counterpoint to the bold patterned tile. Gold hardware and pendant lights warm up the crisp palette.
The homeowner’s Scandinavian background provided the inspiration for the dramatic wall covering in this kitchen dining area. Raspberry-colored upholstery on the mid-century chairs are an unlikely yet perfect match.
Two-tone kitchens are a great way to bring in color without going overboard. Keep the hardware the same throughout to unify the space.
Designer and homeowner James Davie embraced color wholeheartedly in his kitchen, where soft blue cabinets, ceiling beams, and millwork tie into the patterned floor.
Create an impact with a punchy wallpaper. Here, an orchid pattern adds vigor and picks up on the real-life orchids on display.
A bistro-style kitchen gets a jolt of warmth thanks to the beige-green panelling and green-leather banquette. A sandy quartz countertop adds interest.
An indigo subway tile backsplash feels British and historical, and picks up on the deep veining in the Calacatta marble countertops.
If you can’t commit to a full kitchen in color, opt for a more neutral base and add in bright accents, like the purple stand mixer and yellow stool seen here.
For a classic look, pick a rich cabinet color, like Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke (47), and pair it with a creamy neutral on the walls.
In this kitchen’s eat-in area, a fireplace mosaic unites the space’s orange and cool tones into one impactful effect.
Bold color meets bright patterns in this British kitchen, with the hypnotic backsplash tiles picking up on the deep green of the cabinets.
Splashes of bright botanical wallpaper are slightly mod and bring a welcome hit of warmth to the kitchen’s soft blue-green cabinets.
Tour this space on H&H TV.
A bright blue faucet and bank of marigold yellow cabinets add energy to a blond wood kitchen.
Bold blue lower cabinets ground this otherwise light white kitchen.
A classic wall of base cupboards done in a soft eucalyptus green suits this Victorian kitchen perfectly. The backs of the glass-fronted cabinets painted in the same matching hue complete the look.
Denim-covered armchairs pick up on the cabinet’s deep blue hue, and blue bistro chairs add an extra jolt of energy.
A small kitchen gets a big design lift with the help of bright colors and bold pattern. An abstract diamond-pattern backsplash brings plenty of color to the space without overwhelming.
Why stop at one color? A riot of reds, oranges, blues and greens combine to create a one-of-a-kind kitchen.
Tour this space on H&H TV.
A dark gray patterned tile on the floor picks up on the blue hue of the cabinets and softens its modern lines.
A statement red lantern pendant is a showpiece in this neutral kitchen, providing it with all the color it needs.
A feature wall of a whimsical fairy tale-like wallpaper makes the blue-grey cabinets really pop and creates a statement-making space.
Dark sage cabinets are amplified by a green-and-cream backsplash, green vase and upholstered chairs.
A splash of color, hidden in the island cutouts, adds a pop of life to an otherwise neutral kitchen.
Soft blue cabinets pick up on the patterned backsplash made of vintage Egyptian tiles for a worldly flair.