20 Kitchen Paint Colors to Try in 2024
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There are few things worse than a drab kitchen. Whether it’s a galley sporting unimaginative renter-friendly faux wood laminate; cabinetry woodwork that has lost a battle with your not-yet-declawed cat; or, simply, cupboards swathed in a hue you’re so over, your cooking space is far from inspiring—and it’s manifesting in your cooking fare. We have great news for you. A color touch-up might be all you need to make the most ordinary of spaces look and feel resplendent—and provide just the inspiration you need to step up to your bragworthy culinary reputation.
But where to start? Knowing what colors are in vogue can help get you outside of your color comfort zone. Zillow’s latest paint color analysis found that recent and prospective home buyers would offer at least $2,500 more for a home with a mid-toned cement gray or dark charcoal gray kitchen. The classic white kitchen, on the other hand, has fallen out of favor with today's buyers, who reported they would pay $612 less for a home that has one. The report also found that bright red, mint green, and terracotta brown are associated with higher offer prices.
“Paint is a relatively affordable and easy change, yet it has an outsized impact on a buyer's perception of the home,” says Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trend expert, adding that darker shades of gray not only hide imperfections, but they signal to a buyer that a home is modern and up to date. “Buyers have been bombarded by dark gray spaces on their social media feeds and home improvement TV shows for several years now, and they perceive it to be current.”
But it’s not only dark hues that are in vogue this year, according to Pinterest’s latest analytics. In the past month, Pinterest searches for ‘green kitchen paint’ rose by 55%, and ‘retro pink kitchens’ searches went up by 40%. Other terms that proved popular are ‘eclectic kitchen decor’ and ‘kitschy kitchen’. “We predicted a trend we're calling Kitschens to take over in 2024,” says Pinterest’s Arianna Thomas. “It is all about quirking up your cooking areas with thrifted finds, vintage appliances and eye-jarring pops of paint. No minimalist aesthetic is safe!”
Not sure which colors speak to you? “Start in your closet for inspiration,” advises designer Matthew Quinn in Caesarstone’s Beyond the Surface report. “How we choose to adorn ourselves often reflects the colors and materials that evoke our individuality.” Beyond something so personal, there are a few hard and fast spatial considerations to be made. When choosing colors, consider a room’s amount of natural light around the calendar year, product and furniture designer Kickie Chudikova adds in the report. “Lighting factors provide context to make a space feel more dark or cold, warm or bright—which changes with the seasons,” she explains. “Surfaces can come alive, reflecting light differently when bathed in light versus when cloaked in shadow. Simply put, the same colors can provide different experiences when paired to the natural world.”
All lighting temperatures considered, need some inspiration to fine-tune your final decision? That’s where we come in. We’ve tapped 20 of our favorite designs to share the kitchen cabinet colors that will strike it big in 2024. From goes-with-everything neutrals to bright, bold hues, think of the kitchen cabinet colors below as the color equivalent of a chef’s kiss.
Wow with Warm Whites
Trends might come and go, but one thing’s for sure: “In 2023, neutral color palettes in the kitchen are here to stay,” designer Noelle Isbell explains. “A neutral background is versatile and acts as a grounding palette within the space.”
The catch? In the new year, designers will be trading in their paper-bright shades in favor of richer, more nuanced tones. According to Houzz’s 2023 Home Design Trend Predications, greiges and off-whites will take center stage—not to mention they’ll look spectacular with light wood grains, muted tiles, and subdued patterns.
Behr might’ve dubbed Blank Canvas as its go-to white—and the company’s 2023 Color of the Year—but designer Erin Sander prefers a shade with a subtle yellow undertone. Her choice? Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, which “marries the juxtaposition of bright and soft while contrasting wood accents perfectly.”
Meanwhile, Indigomaven Interiors’ Monica Guarnaschelli credits Sherwin-Williams’s Gossamer Veil for its chameleonlike color. “Throughout the day it dances between beige to gray to white, with just enough saturation to be interesting,” she explains. “Yet [it] remains a calming neutral, even in the most chaotic kitchens.”
Back to Black
Though warm neutrals are in play for 2023, stark all-white kitchens are not. To shake up the status quo, many designers are looking to the opposite end of the color spectrum. “Kitchens are increasingly becoming extensions of entertaining spaces,” New York City–based designer Phillip Thomas points out. “They need a glam backdrop!”
For the perfect dose of goes-with-anything-glamour, Thomas reaches for black, a shade that’s equal parts practical and pretty. “[It’s] particularly fabulous in a smaller kitchen, and while most people would shy away from a dark color in a smaller space, I find it tricks the eye into making the space feel larger,” he shares.
The key to this color is finding a shade that’s not too harsh. That’s exactly why designer David Frazier considers Benjamin Moore’s Mopboard Black a mainstay. “It’s neutral and goes well with any style kitchen but creates a depth and richness that is hard to achieve with lighter colors,” he says.
Go Bold with Berries
Admittedly, pinks and purples may not be the first palette you’d consider for your kitchen cabinets, but after spending every single day at home, you might be ready to unlock your inner maximalist. Turns out, the industry’s top paint companies agree. Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams crowned Raspberry Blush and Redend Point as their 2023 Color of the Year, respectively, while Pantone’s Viva Magenta is poised to drive 2023’s It scheme. “Viva Magenta is the color of joy; it can be used to highlight kitchen cabinets, an island, or chairs,” explains designer Sara Mosele. “It can be an accent against dark wood or a contrast with metals and glass.”
If berry tones are new to your design vocabulary, fear not: They can yield absolutely gorgeous results. For example, Cochineal Design employed Farrow & Ball’s Preference Red in this compact galley kitchen.
Stay Grounded with Green
Just because social distancing protocol has loosened up since March 2020 doesn’t mean our yearning for all-things outdoors is dwindling. “Green has really been making its way into the kitchen,” says Linda Hayslet of LH.Designs. “It’ll continue into 2023 because it’s calming, but also interesting in terms of bringing some nature color into the room.”
In fact, many designers foresee green being so common in the incoming year’s kitchens that it almost takes on the role of a neutral. Here, designer Hattie Sparks used Sherwin-Williams’s Green Earth for a kitchen that was “classic but fresh all at the same time.” Meanwhile, Gary McBournie favors Teresa’s Garden by Farrow & Ball. “Not quite green yet not quite blue and toned down to a nice subtle shade, [it] extends a warm invitation to the space but retains enough sophistication for a proper cup of tea,” he says.
Say Bonjour to Blue
Known f0r its serene vibe and endless versatility, blue is a famously failsafe color for any room of the house. But come 2023, inky navy and vibrant cobalt will be traded in for a lighter, refreshing tone. Or, as Chairish calls it in its annual trend report, French Blue. “It’s a sophisticated but often subtle way to make a color statement without shouting,” the brand says.
So how does one bring that colorful je ne sais quoi to their kitchen? Designer Robin Gannon reaches for Selvedge from Farrow & Ball. “We love moody gray-blues that cast brighter and bolder in the day and then change to a stormy gray blue in the evening amid the artificial light,” she explains. “It is a perfect blue that reads as a sophisticated neutral.”
For a “sexy contrast,” Gannon painted the upper cabinets in this Boston home a refreshing white. The result? A color take on a minimalist’s comfort zone.
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