15+ Kitchens That Make a Strong Case for Colour
Colour can be a powerful design tool in the kitchen.
There’s no denying the enduring appeal of a neutral kitchen, but adding a fresh burst of colour to your cook space will keep you feeling inspired. If you’re not ready to commit to a bold, all-encompassing hue, consider an accent colour on your kitchen island, a patterned tile for your backsplash or a soft pastel on your cabinets. Below, see 15+ colourful kitchen ideas to inspire your next makeover!
“I like mixing colours and textures — not everything needs to match,” says designer Emily Wunder. Here, a scenic forest wallpaper full of swirling greens envelops the room, grounded by cabinets painted a mushroom hue. “The kitchen is a beautiful backdrop to the nature outdoors,” says Emily. “I love connecting the two spaces using wallpaper.”
Colour is used confidently and with intention in this Vancouver home. The kitchen’s butter yellow lower cabinets bring warmth, balanced by ash flooring and white oak accents. “She told me she’d always dreamed of a yellow kitchen and a pink bathroom,” says designer Ami McKay. “I got so excited — I knew right away these clients were unafraid of colour, creativity and a bit of playful magic.”
In this West Coast kitchen, terracotta-hued cabinets are paired with honed quartz counters; rare Blue Stone quartzite is striking on the vent hood, backsplash and island. The homeowner didn’t want a white kitchen, noting that the cabinets painted in a terracotta shade feel bold but also surprisingly calm.
When it came to designing her quirky two-storey studio, designer Alberta Ellis was inspired by mid-century kitchens. Dark turquoise-green, muddy salmon pink and clay orange, seen in the kitchenette were the jumping-off point for the space. “The bold, colour-blocked effect plays into the scheme and helps guide your eye,” she says.
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A guest cottage kitchen is the perfect place to experiment with bold hues. Designer Cynthia Ferguson painted the door frame, mullions and wainscotting a standout grass green in Benjamin Moore’s Richmond Green (553).
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In designer Orsi Panos’s circa-1855 heritage home, a painted, furniture-style island adds a subtle pop of colour against a linen wallpaper mural and navy blue cabinets.
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A petite kitchen in Nanaimo B.C. has a coastal feel thanks to layers of blue. “Don’t be afraid to use large items or dark colours in smaller spaces,” says designer Alana Dick of Ivory Design Co.
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The colour Porch Swing (CSP-750) by Benjamin Moore stuns in this north Toronto kitchen by designer Beth Lowenfeld. “The Canadian Shield became the inspiration for our rich palette of colours and textures,” Beth says of the space. “We wanted to stay close to colours that are inherent in nature.”
In this Parisian brasserie-inspired kitchen, designer Sabrina Albanese layered in a range of eye-catching elements. The scheme of the pale blue Lacanche range is echoed in the checkered quartz floor tile, counter stools and roman blinds. The purple-hued, heavily veined Calacatta marble on the backsplash and counters brings more colour to the dynamic space.
Mossy green painted cabinets and the pop of pattern above the backsplash are the stars of this Morrisburg, Ont., kitchen designed by Brian McCourt. “We had planned to install fieldstone above the shelves in the kitchen but, by accident, I found this Lee Jofa wallpaper sample in my office that brought the fresh green cabinet colour to life,” the designer says.
“The kitchen has lots of European influences, from the natural materials to the dark cabinets,” says designer Lyndsay Jacobs of the hub of her Toronto home. The honed Calacatta Nero Borghini marble counters and backsplash are striking against the soft black cabinets and limestone travertine floor. “The stone has pinks, greens and blues in it,” says Lyndsay. “That was the jumping-off point for the kitchen design.”
This guesthouse kitchen by Canadian designer Ashley Montgomery doubles as a pool bar. The patterned backsplash, cabinets and island facing — all in a soft duck-egg blue — evoke feelings of calm and tranquility.
These floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets, painted a dark olive, complement this Toronto condo’s best asset: its ceiling height.
The pale pink cabinets in artist Christine Flynn’s thoughtfully eclectic kitchen provide contrast and warmth to the Verias Green marble and other moody accents in the space.
In this carriage house, designer Susannah Holmberg transformed the kitchen’s formerly all-white millwork and ceiling. Having them painted in rich hues adds personality and emphasizes the room’s ceiling height.
When designer Jack Creasy was hired to transform this Victorian house, the vision for the kitchen and bar included jewel tones, brass fixtures and bold wallpaper. In the bar area, bold wallpaper and purple walls in Farrow & Ball’s Pelt (254) reflects the owners’ heritage and love of Bollywood.
Bloomsbury Fine Cabinetry
To disguise the varying ceiling heights in the kitchen, Jack painted the entire room — including the ceiling — in Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green (93).
Bloomsbury Fine Cabinetry
This cottage on Lake Huron was largely influenced by its natural surroundings. “The lichen and mossy green hues in the kitchen are from the path in the woods, and the robust orange of the tile is taken from pine tree needles,” says designer Lucy Penfield.
For a softer, more versatile shade, pale blue cabinets in Benjamin Moore’s Wedgewood Gray (H-146) feel almost neutral in this English-inspired kitchen by Bloomsbury Fine Cabinetry.
This sophisticated kitchen with rich, oxblood-hued cabinets confirms the Unexpected Red Theory. For Chused & Co.’s renovation of this city townhouse, glossy, wine-hued cabinets are paired with warm metal accents for a modern vibe.
Designer Olivia Botrie balanced bold colour with practical finishes in this mid-century modern–style kitchen. “My clients wanted more than one pop of colour, so we added green tile in varying sizes and pale blue uppers,” she says.
If you’re worried about beige cabinets feeling boring, take cues from this country kitchen designed by 31 Westgate. Botanical wallpaper and green subway tile energize the neutral kitchen cabinets.
For the kitchen in this vibrant condo — the room that spurred the homeowners to hire designer Cori Halpern — Cori created a dream space. “I always knew I wanted to do a two-tone teal kitchen in here,” says Cori.
“Olive green is the signature colour for my brand, and I’m always dressed in olive,” says designer Tiffany Leigh of this kitchen she designed in Benjamin Moore’s Crownsville Gray (HC-106).