After a long stretch with nothing but white kitchens we’re now entering a new era of colour. If you have a white kitchen, don’t worry. They’ll never go out of style. Colour is making a big comeback, so get ready to see it everywhere in homes for the next several years. One of the most dramatic ways to introduce colour into your home is to add it in the kitchen. We’re seeing a lot of painted cabinetry but it’s still a lot for most homeowners. I’m going to show you the best paint colours for kitchen island and lower cabinets. This is the best of both worlds. You get an injection of colour without committing to an entirely bold kitchen.
SOURCE: Doris Leslie Blau
If the idea of painting your kitchen in two colours is new to you don’t worry, this is not only safe but it’s tried and true. You can still have the white uppers or even all white on the perimeter. This is just a nice way to incorporate some personality into your kitchen.
The secret to doing it well is to be brave. Don’t go for white uppers and then use cream on the lowers or island. That will look like you ran out of white paint or made a mistake at the paint store.
For this to be effective you need high contrast. You need two colours that set each other off in the most flattering way.
10 BEST PAINT COLOURS FOR KITCHEN ISLAND AND LOWER CABINETS
SHERWIN WILLIAMS NAVAL (SW 6244)
Don’t be afraid to go bold in your kitchen. Navy is often thought of as a neutral so even though it’s deep and saturated it still doesn’t read as a colour. It can add a lot of impact into your space, particularly if your home has a lot of neutral materials and you want some drama. You can see from this beautiful kitchen below how adding in SW Naval hasn’t made this room look dark and dingy as you might have expected. It’s still got a very light, bright feel to it even with the navy island.
FARROW AND BALL OFF BLACK (No. 57)
If you really want to go for a classic tuxedo look in your kitchen, try this gorgeous black. Again, you can see how it isn’t scary or depressing to have black in your kitchen. It will pair well in any style of home, from traditional to contemporary. It allows you treat your metal pulls and knobs like jewelry because it will sparkle and shine against the black backdrop. If you’re looking for a more masculine vibe in the kitchen, try pairing this black with perimeter cabinets that are light to mid-toned wood.
BENJAMIN MOORE BLACK (HC-190)
Another tried and true black from Benjamin Moore and this one would look good in any kitchen. It will transform your kitchen and add whatever personality you want it to have – glamorous, edgy, sophisticated. This colour can handle any of those requests.
BENJAMIN MOORE HALE NAVY (HC-154)
This is one of those colours that has been a Benjamin Moore fan favourite for quite a long time and isn’t going anywhere. It’s the perfect shade of navy. This colour breaks a lot of the rules around colour, namely that it’s a cool colour but it still looks great with warm colours. There’s virtually not a neutral that doesn’t work with Hale Navy. There are plenty of examples of entire kitchens done in Hale Navy along with entire rooms. This is as safe as you can get with a bold, deep colour.
BENJAMIN MOORE CUSHING GREEN (HC-125)
Let’s move away from the super dark colours and let me show you how bolder colours can work well in kitchens as well. Unless you see a kitchen with green cabinetry it might sound like we’re talking about a home from the 70’s. Rest assured, I haven’t lost my mind.
This is a very popular colour right now. All the major paint manufacturers have used green as their Colour of the Year (read my blog post here). The secret to using green that doesn’t look like Kermit green is to use the historical colours from Benjamin Moore. They all have a gray undertone to them so they’re classic rather than being child-like. If you happen to be a nature lover, this is a colour you’ll want to explore because it’s like bringing the outdoors into your kitchen.
BENJAMIN MOORE PEALE GREEN (HC-121)
This is similar to Cushing Green but it has a bit more brightness to it. This one has more “green” as opposed to the dark green gray of Cushing. I love how this homeowner used the colour to wrap the perimeter but only did the base and left the uppers in a white. The dark perimeter can give a stable look to a large space that needs something dark to anchor it.
CREDIT: Jenna Sue Design Co.
BENJAMIN MOORE SHERWOOD GREEN (HC-118)
This one is definitely more playful but again, the historical collection will keep you safe. I would use this is a home that leaned more on the contemporary side but if your cabinetry is traditional and you want to modernize it, you could use this colour. In terms of paint colours for kitchen island, this is on the lighter side but will bring joy and happiness to your home.
SHERWIN WILLIAMS KRYPTON (SW 6427)
This colour is perfect for creating a beachy vibe in your home. It doesn’t have to be just for the cottage either. This is a great way to add a pop of colour into your home without going too bold. If you want something that feels fresh and happy, this is it!
FARROW AND BALL CALLUNA (No. 270)
Purple or lavender might be the furthest thing from your mind when you’re thinking of a paint colour for your kitchen, but some just work. I would be careful about going too dark because deep plums would need a room with a lot of natural light. It could easily run the risk of looking as though it was meant for another time period. This light lavender is anything but old looking. It’s fresh and bright and would be perfect for so many spaces.
One of the reasons this colour works so well is because the black veined marble is keeping it from floating away. This stone is strong and bold and the lavender is the perfect complement. In this case, they’re not fighting with each other. They work harmoniously to make each other look even better together than alone.
CREDIT: Hunker
BENJAMIN MOORE GENTLEMAN’S GRAY (2062-20)
We’ll end with another beauty that we’ve talked about before. Gentleman’s Gray is a deep blue but it has a lot more colour to it than some of the navy we looked at earlier. My client did her entire kitchen in this colour (read about it here) and it still looked bright. If you are looking for an amazing colour to create that strong base for the perimeter this is a great contender.
CREDIT: Porch Daydreamer
I hope you’ve been convinced to consider bold paint colours for kitchen island and lower cabinets if you’re in the market for a new kitchen. The colours here are just a drop in the bucket of what’s out there to explore.
As I always do, I highly recommend buying either tester pots of paint before you commit. Another great option is Hello Paint. You can order the exact colour you’re looking at and it will arrive quickly to your home. They’re made to stick to any surface so you can hang it on your cabinets for a few days to see whether you like the colour in all types of natural light.
