Top Color Trends for Kitchens in 2024
Kitchens are the heart of the home. As we spend more time cooking and gathering with loved ones, kitchen design trends reflect our desire for warmth, comfort, and connection. Updating the color palette is an easy, affordable way to give your kitchen a fresh, on-trend look that leaves guests feeling energized and uplifted.
In 2024, bright, bold colors that radiate positivity and earthy shades that promote tranquility are surging in popularity. Read on for an in-depth look at five major kitchen color trends you can implement to stay ahead of the latest styles.
Earthy Greens Inspired by Nature
As people continue embracing biophilic design and seeking connections to nature, rich green hues are flooding modern kitchens. Deep forest greens, olive tones, and muted seafoam greens complement wooden cabinets and natural materials, creating a soothing, welcoming atmosphere.
Designer Tricia picks recommends pairing sage green backsplashes with warm wood countertops and cream cabinetry for a look that's both calming and elegant. Her clients adore how the earthy green shades blend beautifully with natural sunlight streaming in through windows above the sink.
Popular Earthy Green Paint Shades
When selecting the perfect earthy green, it's crucial to consider factors like the quantity of natural light, cabinetry finishes, counter materials, and accent colors used throughout the space. Overly bright greens can feel lurid in dim or windowless kitchens, while deeper forest tones easily appear too dark and muddy.
Here are five of the most popular earthy green paint options:
- Benjamin Moore's Huntsman Green HC-154 - a rich, woodsy tone
- Farrow & Ball's Arsenic No. 231 - sophisticated gray-green
- Sherwin-Williams' Urbane Bronze SW-7041 - dynamic green-brown
- Valspar's Sage Advice 6005-7C - soothing, elegant green
- Behr's Midnight Olive MQ4-3 - deep, dramatic green
Before choosing a final shade, designers recommend testing swatches on walls with different lighting at various times of day. This helps assess undertones and prevent the color from appearing too bold or muted upon full application.
Where to Use Earthy Green Hues
When working earthy greens into your kitchen, popular placement options include:
- Cabinetry or island painting
- Vibrant green backsplash tile
- Textured green accent wall behind sink
- Sage green open shelving unit
- Deep green glass subway tiles above range
These complex green undertones pair effortlessly with woods like oak or maple while adding a pop of color. They work in contemporary kitchens with sleek finishes and modern appliances as well as farmhouse spaces with more traditional charm.
Warm, Neutral Sand Tones
For homeowners looking to update their white or aging kitchens with a fresh neutral shade, warm sand colors are surging in popularity. These muted, versatile hues add a subtle warmth without the bold commitment of a darker color.
Popular designer Hector Ish uses sand tones on kitchen cabinets, islands, walls or as an accent shade. He says the trick is choosing soft colors with yellow, red or brown undertones to avoid a flat, lifeless look.
Sand Tones to Boost Mood
The psychology of color plays a key role in sand tones trending in 2024. Warm beiges, tans and light browns have an intrinsically uplifting effect most stark whites lack. They envelop spaces with comfortable warmth reminiscent of time spent relaxing on sandy beaches.
This triggers a positive emotional response and welcoming atmosphere perfect for gathering with friends and family. Lighter earth tones also make small kitchens appear more spacious compared to bolder paints that can overwhelm.
Trending Warm Neutral Paint Colors
Avoid basic beiges and ensure dimension with warm sand tones like:
- Sherwin-Williams' Creamy SW-6106
- Benjamin Moore's Van Courtland White OC-10
- Farrow & Ball's Skimming Stone No. 232
- Valspar's Sandstone 7029-3B
- Behr's Sand Dune BDC-E-12
Go a shade darker on lower cabinets to introduce subtle contrast against walls or ceiling beams in a lighter sand hue. This creates the illusion of higher ceilings. For variation, use the deeper tone on an accent wall or island.
These flexible shades lend themselves well to multiple design aesthetics, from modern to traditional to industrial. Their versatility and subtle warmth make them one of the hottest 2024 kitchen color trends.
Bold, Impactful Accent Colors
While earth tones and neutral shades are ruling kitchen color trends this year, bold pops of color in key accent areas are also surging in popularity. Vibrant yellows and rich reds are leading the pack - when used thoughtfully, they inject cheerful energy into any space.
Award-winning designer Tara Cambridge notes these eyecatching hues work best on focal points like islands, range hoods or shelving. She suggests vibrant yellow on lower cabinetry to evoke warmth and happiness. Using island paint colors in a saturated red or detectible blue elicits drama and excitement.
Choosing the Right Bold Shade
With limitless vibrant paint options available, selecting the perfect accent color can feel overwhelming. Experts recommend assessing existing elements like counter tops, backsplashes, flooring and window treatments before deciding. Bold yellows and oranges tend to clash with reddish materials like cherry wood or terra-cotta tiles. Cool shades compliment these warmer undertones best.
The size of the kitchen is another consideration. Deeper, bolder hues have a cocooning effect in large kitchens with high ceilings - but can overwhelm a smaller galley space. Lighter tangerine oranges or softer sky blues are ideal here. When in doubt, brighter, primary colors generally feel more playful and uplifting.
5 Bold Kitchen Color Combos
Some eyecatching bold accent ideas include:
- Red island and green lower cabinets
- Yellow open shelves and blue uppers
- Orange range hood and neutral cabinetry
- Blue perimeter cabinets and red island
- Green perimeter cabinets and vibrant yellow island
By limiting these daring shades to smaller feature areas, they pack visual impact without overwhelming the space. Clever combo pairing prevents the kitchen from appearing too loud or mismatched.
Two-Tone Color Schemes
Two-tone kitchen color palettes are also gaining steam this year. This trend puts a contemporary spin on the classic kitchen by using different hues or saturations of one color throughout the space for added dimension.
Award-winning designer Amy Sklar enjoys using deeper and lighter shades of green or blue for a refreshing, water-inspired look. She says mixing multiple tones of the same color scheme results in a cohesive yet striking space.
Why Homeowners Love Two-Tone Colors
Unlike daring multicolor kitchens, two-tone palettes feel cleaner and more visually cohesive. Varying shades and finishes of one color family create noticeable contrast without appearing overly busy or mismatched.
Using a deeper color on lower cabinets grounds the space, while lighter accents or backsplashes keep things airy and bright. Two-tones add special dimension you don't get from flat, one note cabinets which can read bland and lifeless.