NEUTRAL KITCHEN COLOR IDEAS AND DESIGNS
Using neutral kitchen colors can create a timeless, tranquil and spacious feeling in the room where you cook and entertain. Neutral kitchen color schemes can also serve as the perfect understated backdrop for dramatic appliances, exciting pops of color, and on-trend natural textiles and materials. Whether you’re remodeling a kitchen for a forever home, or getting your home ready to sell, investing in a neutral kitchen can be a great aesthetic choice and produce a robust return on investment.
WHAT ARE NEUTRAL KITCHEN COLORS?
Neutral colors are those that serve as a good “base” or background to other colors. Whites, grays, beiges, soft sage greens and even black shades are common in neutral kitchen color palettes. Whites can help make a room feel clean and bright. Grays and beiges can bring warmth and coziness to a kitchen space. If you’re looking for ways to bring the outdoors in, sage greens can help create a serene, natural feeling. Black, when done thoughtfully, can make a striking statement.
8 NEUTRAL KITCHEN COLOR IDEAS
Neutral kitchen colors go far beyond basic white. Here are a few ways to make neutral tones work beautifully in your cabinetry:
1. CHOOSE WHITE OR BLACK KITCHEN CABINETS
Because cabinets are a visually prominent feature in a kitchen, they provide the perfect opportunity to make a color statement. White cabinets are a perennial favorite. They can add lightness and airiness to a kitchen, work beautifully with a variety of countertop materials, and can be a subtle counterpoint to an interesting backsplash. At the other end of the spectrum, black cabinets can help create a sophisticated, dramatic vibe. Pair them with brass hardware to warm them up.
2. TRY BOLDER NEUTRALS FOR CABINETS
If the idea of a bolder neutral—black, pewter, sage, even navy—is compelling, but if you’re afraid a dark neutral will be too heavy for your space, consider painting an island or the lower cabinets a darker hue and leave the upper cabinets white. The dark color can add interest and help ground the room without being overwhelming.
3. GO FOR GRAY OR BEIGE KITCHEN CABINETS
Between white and black there’s a whole world of neutral grays and beiges that can help you tell your kitchen color story. Grays can lean blue, green or brown and come in soft or saturated hues to accommodate different neutral kitchen color schemes. Beiges can add warmth to a space and provide a beautiful canvas for strong pops of color or bold accents.
4. CHOOSE APPLIANCES WITH COMPLEMENTARY FINISHES
Whatever your kitchen style—midcentury-modern, farmhouse, modern, traditional or eclectic—a neutral color scheme can provide a beautiful backdrop for your decor. Adding appliances in complementary finishes and colors along with countertops, hardware and backsplashes in a mix of textures and materials, can all help create an inspired look and feel.
SHOP KITCHENAID® MAJOR APPLIANCES IN NEUTRAL COLORS AND FINISHES
If you’re remodeling your kitchen yourself and purchasing new appliances, keep in mind that kitchen appliances play a star role in every kitchen’s decor. In addition to being key to the performance of the space, they’re important visual/style pieces as well.
When you're considering major appliances from KitchenAid® for your kitchen remodel, think about finishes. KitchenAid brand offers major appliances in white, stainless steel and black stainless steel—with smudge resistant Printshield Finish™—to work seamlessly with any neutral palette. Additionally, ranges like this milkshake-toned KitchenAid® 36'' Smart Commercial-Style Dual Fuel Range with 6 Burners featuring Even-Heat™ True Convection, circulate hot air throughout the entire oven, providing consistent temperatures for flaky baked goods, well-browned roasts and carmelized vegetables.
5. CREATE A SEAMLESS DESIGN WITH PANEL-READY APPLIANCES
Panel-ready appliances allow you to install a custom front panel and handle (generally not included) over the appliance door to create a seamless look with kitchen cabinetry. These appliances fit almost flush with cabinets and bring clean lines to the kitchen in most placements.
KitchenAid® Smart+ wall ovens
Oven attachments to unlock your creativity
KitchenAid® Smart+ wall ovens offer interchangeable attachments that connect directly to a powered hub in your oven to create whatever your imagination calls for next
SHOP KITCHENAID® PANEL-READY APPLIANCES
Panel-ready appliances are a great way to enhance a sleek, monochromatic look in a kitchen. Just affix an exterior panel (not included) that matches surrounding cabinetry to the appliance for a wall-to-wall cabinet look. Find panel-ready options from KitchenAid brand for dishwashers, undercounter refrigeration and more.
6. USE WHITE TO OPEN UP YOUR KITCHEN SPACE
The size of your space will also influence how you style your kitchen and the color scheme you use. Whites are great for small kitchens. They can make a space feel more continuous and unified. Using glossy finishes can reflect light, giving the space a sense of lightness and openness.
SHOP WHITE APPLIANCES FROM KITCHENAID BRAND
White appliances like this KitchenAid® Third Level Utensil Rack Dishwasher with 30+ Total Wash Jets, and 39 dBA blend utility with decor. It blends seamlessly into any kitchen and the Adjustable Middle Rack makes room to fit tall items.
7. ADD COLOR TO A BACKSPLASH OR ACCENT WALL
If you want to bring color into a small kitchen, add a backsplash with color, or paint an accent wall. Painting a larger space, like an open concept kitchen, with a neutral shade can help it blend in seamlessly with surrounding areas, creating a cohesive look and feel in your home.
8. ADD A SPLASH OF COLOR TO YOUR KITCHEN DECOR
There are so many great ways to bring color into a neutral space. Add a colorful woven rug, a painting or a beautiful bench cushion. Natural colors and textures are very much on trend. Consider bringing nature’s colors in with houseplants or an indoor herb garden. Accent an all-white kitchen with a backsplash created with hand-painted tiles.
WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR KITCHEN COLORS?
White continues to be a popular choice for kitchen color. There are so many ways to customize a white kitchen so it’s easy to see why people gravitate to white. Subtle shifts in shades of white can make a big impact and change the mood and style of the room.
Make whites cool and modern with glossy countertops and sleek, stainless appliances. Or, shift to creamier whites, reclaimed woods, an appliance in a soft green color and brass cabinet hardware for a warmer traditional or farmhouse vibe. Learn more about white appliance trends and features to consider for your kitchen.
DESTINATION: DESIGN
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