Choosing the right kitchen colour scheme isn’t just about style; it shapes the entire mood of your space. From calming greens to bold blues and classic neutrals, your chosen palette can transform the feel, light, and character of your kitchen. Whether you’re starting a kitchen remodel or planning a subtle kitchen upgrade, this guide is full of inspiring kitchen colour ideas for all kitchens, contemporary and traditional alike.
We’ll explore bold and timeless kitchen colours, small kitchen colour ideas, colour combinations, and smart tips for pairing cabinetry with walls and worktops.
Explore our brochure for a closer look at our kitchen colours, or book a free design appointment to bring your ideas to life with the help of our experts. For some immediate kitchen colour inspiration, read on below...
How to Choose The Best Colours for your Kitchen
Before diving into colour combinations, think about how you want your kitchen to feel.
Lighter colours are great for opening up compact layouts and bringing brightness to rooms with limited natural light. Shades like cream, pale grey or soft blue are a great idea for a small kitchen as they can make a space feel more spacious and airy.
Darker colours, think navy, charcoal or black, add depth and drama, but they work best in larger kitchens or spaces with plenty of light. Always test your chosen colour in your space, as natural and artificial light can dramatically change its appearance.
If you’re undecided, grey is a great starting point. It was the most popular kitchen colour among Kutchenhaus customers last year, with nearly a third choosing grey cabinetry.
What to Consider When Choosing a Kitchen Colour Scheme
Choosing a colour scheme is about more than just picking your favourite shade. It’s about how that colour will function and feel in your kitchen every day. Here are a few important factors to consider when deciding on your colour palette:
1. Natural Light: Think about how much light your kitchen gets. North-facing rooms that may not get that much light benefit from warmer tones, while south-facing bright kitchens can carry off cooler lighter hues.
2. Existing Home Decor: Consider your adjoining rooms. Do you want your kitchen to complement or contrast with the rest of your home? For open-plan kitchens, this is an especially important consideration. Do you want your colours to flow harmoniously between areas, or do you want a colour blocking effect?
3. Personal Taste and Lifestyle: Are you drawn to calming neutrals or bold colour statements? Do you like warm, welcoming tones or cool, crisp colour palettes? Choose shades that match your personality and how you plan to use the space.
4. Kitchen Use and Function: A busy family kitchen might benefit from forgiving tones and durable finishes that won’t show marks and mess easily. If your kitchen doubles as a social space, you might want statement colours and sleek surfaces that make an impression.
5. Finishes and Materials: Colour doesn’t exist in isolation. Think about how it will pair with your chosen worktops, flooring, handles, and lighting.
For tailored advice, our designers are here to guide you through options that fit your needs and taste.
Modern & Bold Kitchen Colour Ideas
Blue Colour Ideas
Blue remains a favourite in modern kitchen design, helping to add a touch of class to your space.
Deep tones like Fjord Blue bring sophistication, especially when paired with light marble or veined stone worktops. The deep colour enhances the sleek nature of modern designs, while creating a sense of calmness, making for a relaxing space to cook and spend time in.
For a softer touch, mix mid-toned blues with brushed brass or soft pink accents for a playful contrast. Choosing a matt or ultra matt finish adds texture and elegance as seen in our Easytouch range. Whether you want a darker, cutting-edge space or a brighter kitchen that prioritises functionality, our range of blue kitchens has something for everyone. Blue can be found in many different hues, so for even more blue kitchen ideas explore our full guide.
Grey Colour Ideas
Grey is one of the most flexible and popular kitchen colours, for good reason. This versatile colour works well in various kitchen designs, perfectly meshing with other shades and kitchen features.
Dark grey creates a moody, modern look, especially when combined with oak flooring or matt black hardware. Light greys, on the other hand, feel clean and calm. Whatever tone you go for, we have plenty of grey kitchen ideas. This modern kitchen colour works fantastically well in any kitchen design, providing a neutral canvas for you to have fun with.
Try pairing light grey cabinetry with a contrasting kitchen wall colour or mixing grey units with warm wood and stone finishes for a layered, balanced look. Gloss surfaces look fantastic in a grey finish, working to enhance sleek designs. Our grey kitchens will let you combine a combination of tones and textures to create a unique space.
Black Colour Ideas
Black kitchen cabinetry is bold, confident, and can help create a truly luxurious kitchen design. It adds instant drama and sophistication, enhancing modern kitchens to create a truly striking design.
Black works beautifully with gloss or matt finishes. When combined with gloss cabinetry, metallic hardware, or open shelving, black truly shines to create a beautiful contrast with these elements. With a matt finish you can create a sleek kitchen that will modernise any space.
If you're working with a smaller kitchen, balance black cabinetry with lighter flooring and worktops to maintain a sense of openness.
Working well in matt finishes, concrete finishes, glossy finishes and more, black allows you to combine with other colours for some memorable combinations. Explore our detailed guide for even more luxury black kitchen ideas. Contrast with a red or blue to let these shades shine, or pair with white to create a minimal, sleek aesthetic, perfect for modern homes.
Red Colour Ideas
Red kitchens are full of energy, warmth and expression, perfect for creating a fun space for hosting and spending time with loved ones. Red can also work to stimulate an appetite, perfect for dining in the kitchen, something exploring our top kitchen island ideas can help with…
Shades like Rust Red, as seen in our Easytouch range, create a rich, elegant look, especially when balanced with white walls or brass features, adding brightness to the space. This unique shade will make any kitchen stand out, and can also be paired with other elements to create a memorable look. Metallics, black accents, and natural textures all work well with red, helping you to create a bold kitchen of your own.
Timeless Kitchen Colour Ideas
White and Cream Kitchen Ideas
Whether you prefer white kitchen cabinetry or cream kitchen units, these classic shades are bright, clean, and endlessly adaptable. These colours reflect light, helping your kitchen feel larger and more open. A timeless combination of colours, they’ll make sure your kitchen’s style stands the test of time!
These clean colours work great in smaller spaces, making the room feel brighter. They also lend themselves well to cosy, traditional designs like our Cascada range, contrasting beautifully with natural materials and decorative elements like houseplants and open shelving.
However, their versatility makes them shine in contemporary spaces too. Our Flash range, for example, features white glossy units that can be made even more sleek with handleless cupboards and integrated appliances, working to create a clutter-free, clean kitchen design.
Discover the versatility of white and cream kitchen ideas to help you design a truly timeless kitchen that suits all tastes and design approaches.
Sand and Pale Neutrals
Sand and ivory coloured kitchens create a warm, welcoming space; they’re a soft approach to traditional kitchen hues. Ivory works similarly to white and cream kitchens, providing a soft, neutral base for you to personalise with other colours and features.
Use sand-coloured cabinetry with wood worktops and open shelves to create a lived-in, family-friendly space, perfect for farmhouse and cottage-styles, like our Nordic range in Laquer Sand. Ivory is a great option for period homes or smaller layouts in need of warmth and brightness.
Calming & Natural Colour Ideas
Green Kitchen Colour Ideas
Green kitchens continue to rise in popularity. A versatile colour that works well to create a calming atmosphere, it can adapt to fit a range of styles. We have plenty of green kitchen ideas to explore…
Muted tones like Reed Green, used in our Cascada range, create a peaceful, grounded atmosphere. Pair green cabinets with natural wood worktops and open shelving for a cosy, organic feel. Or, contrast matt green surfaces with marble worktops and brass fittings, as seen in our Mineral Green Easytouch range, to allow green to thrive in a more contemporary space.
Our green kitchens are the perfect choice for creating a tranquil, inviting space, ideal for those looking to bring nature indoors, whether that be in a traditional or contemporary kitchen.
Natural Colour Ideas
Natural-coloured brown kitchens are warm, grounded, and effortlessly timeless. Inspired by the tones of the earth, from sand and stone to clay and cocoa, these shades offer a tactile, welcoming quality that feels both stylish and comforting.
If you’re looking to design a kitchen that feels calm, authentic, and connected to nature, our wood-effect kitchens offer a wide range of ideas to explore.
Finishes like Havana Oak Repro in our Structura range bring instant warmth and texture, working beautifully with matt black hardware, stone-effect worktops or soft neutral cabinetry. In our Structura and Riva ranges, you’ll find natural wood finishes that span the spectrum, from lighter tones like Como Oak for a relaxed Scandi-style kitchen, to deeper shades like Milano Walnut for added depth and drama.
These kitchens are perfect for layering materials. Think open shelving in matching woodgrains, ceramic accents, and warm ambient lighting to complete the look. Whether you're working with an open-plan layout or a cosy cottage setting, natural wood kitchens create spaces that feel truly inviting.
Colour Combinations That Work
Some of the most effective kitchen designs come down to well-balanced colour pairings. Whether you're aiming for contrast, cohesion or a blend of traditional and modern, these combinations are tried-and-tested foundations for creating a standout space:
Blue and white kitchens: This crisp, uplifting palette evokes a sense of calm and freshness, ideal for light-filled kitchens or homes with a coastal influence. Blue cabinetry paired with white worktops or walls creates a bright, open atmosphere that still feels grounded.
Our Touch range in Aqua, contrasted with white walls or a white quartz worktop, makes for a breezy, bright space.
Grey and wood kitchens: Pairing soft grey tones with natural woodgrains brings out the best in both finishes. Grey keeps the look refined, while wood adds warmth and depth. This combination works beautifully in contemporary kitchens where you want a sense of texture without overpowering the space. Our Structura range in Como Oak alongside Stone Grey base cabinets is a perfect example of modern elegance with subtle character.
Green and natural finishes: Earthy green tones like Sage or Mineral Green feel calm and timeless, especially when combined with wood accents, ceramic details, or stone-effect surfaces. The result is a kitchen that feels inviting, balanced and closely connected to nature. The Premium Honed Jade Senso range, styled with open shelving and natural wood worktops, creates an earthy space, perfect for nature lovers.
Black and white kitchens: This high-contrast pairing never goes out of style. Black cabinetry offers drama and definition, while white surfaces brighten and balance the space. Together, they create a sleek, monochrome look that works equally well in classic and modern settings.
A good example is our Easytouch range in Graphite Black Ultra Matt, teamed with white marble-effect worktops or upper cabinets in Alpine White for a refined, modern aesthetic.
You’ll find all of these pairings across our traditional and contemporary kitchen collections, making it easy to tailor a palette that reflects your home, style and way of living.
What Colour Makes a Kitchen Look Bigger?
Lighter shades are your best friend when it comes to making a kitchen feel more spacious. Colours like white, pale grey, cream, and soft blue reflect natural light, helping to brighten the room and create an airy, open feel.
But it’s not just about colour - the right finishes and layout choices make a big difference too. Gloss cabinetry helps bounce light around the space, while smart kitchen storage ideas can reduce visual clutter. Choosing minimalist, handleless designs also helps a space look bigger, making even compact kitchens feel larger.
Find Your Perfect Colour
Whether you’re drawn to calming neutrals or bold clashes, the right colour scheme brings your kitchen to life. It’s not just about following trends; it’s about finding a palette that reflects your lifestyle, your home, and how you want the space to feel.
If you’re ready to start planning, our designers are here to help. Book a free appointment, download our brochure, or continue exploring kitchen colour ideas to discover the perfect palette for your space.
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