Kitchen Design
New This Week: 4 Kitchens With Balanced Color Schemes
See how these designers use color to achieve cohesive kitchen looks
Color in kitchens can be tricky. Too much and you start to lose cohesiveness in the design. Too little and you risk being stuck with something boring and bland. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. The right kitchen color scheme is balanced and simple, usually with no more than three colors working together. And it doesn’t matter whether you go with something calm and muted, moody and dramatic, or bold and vibrant. As long as your color scheme is well-coordinated, it will be effective. Here are four kitchens with balanced color palettes.
Other special features. Beadboard, corbels and tall baseboard on the island. Glass-panel cabinet doors. Frosted-glass pantry door. Large white farmhouse-style sink.
Designer tips. “Designing cabinetry that went up to the 9-foot ceiling as well as incorporating glass in the top of those cabinets allowed the kitchen to feel larger than it actually was,” Coombs says. “Also, while not changing the shape or layout of the island, adding design elements such as wide beadboard, tall baseboard and chunky corbels can change the feel from a plain island to a very stylish one.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The homeowner wanted to add the farm sink. However, we were not replacing the countertops or base cabinets,” Coombs says. “So the challenge became cutting out the granite and existing undermount sink, modifying the sink base cabinet in place and then installing the farm sink while not damaging any existing cabinetry or granite countertops and tile backsplash. It was a difficult challenge. However, with our top-notch carpenters and an experienced granite fabricator, the farm sink was installed and turned out wonderfully.”
Designer tips. “Designing cabinetry that went up to the 9-foot ceiling as well as incorporating glass in the top of those cabinets allowed the kitchen to feel larger than it actually was,” Coombs says. “Also, while not changing the shape or layout of the island, adding design elements such as wide beadboard, tall baseboard and chunky corbels can change the feel from a plain island to a very stylish one.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The homeowner wanted to add the farm sink. However, we were not replacing the countertops or base cabinets,” Coombs says. “So the challenge became cutting out the granite and existing undermount sink, modifying the sink base cabinet in place and then installing the farm sink while not damaging any existing cabinetry or granite countertops and tile backsplash. It was a difficult challenge. However, with our top-notch carpenters and an experienced granite fabricator, the farm sink was installed and turned out wonderfully.”
2. Black, White and Brass
Designer: Karen Dubinsky of Marcia Moore Design
Location: Clayton, Missouri
Size: 240 square feet (22 square meters); 16 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. A “swanky, sophisticated and moody kitchen” reminiscent of the 1920s, the era in which the home was built, designer Karen Dubinsky says.
Color scheme. Black cabinets, range hood and baseboard and window trim. Black soapstone island countertop with white-and-pink veining. Black bar stool seat tops. Brass shelves, stools, light fixtures, cabinet hardware and bar stool bases. Small-scale white tile backsplash in herringbone pattern.
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Designer: Karen Dubinsky of Marcia Moore Design
Location: Clayton, Missouri
Size: 240 square feet (22 square meters); 16 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. A “swanky, sophisticated and moody kitchen” reminiscent of the 1920s, the era in which the home was built, designer Karen Dubinsky says.
Color scheme. Black cabinets, range hood and baseboard and window trim. Black soapstone island countertop with white-and-pink veining. Black bar stool seat tops. Brass shelves, stools, light fixtures, cabinet hardware and bar stool bases. Small-scale white tile backsplash in herringbone pattern.
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Designer tip. “A successful space challenges the client to move just outside of their comfort zone but still honors their style. With a little encouragement, my clients agreed to paint the trim black, and that powerful element creates the melodrama in the space,” says Dubinsky, who used photos on Houzz to convince her clients to go with all-black trim.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The brass shelving is extremely heavy, and we were not sure if the supports in the ceiling would hold up suspended shelves,” Dubinsky says. “To solve this problem, we decided to continue the brass rods from the countertop to the ceiling. In the end, we loved the vintage-bakery-style shelving.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The brass shelving is extremely heavy, and we were not sure if the supports in the ceiling would hold up suspended shelves,” Dubinsky says. “To solve this problem, we decided to continue the brass rods from the countertop to the ceiling. In the end, we loved the vintage-bakery-style shelving.”
3. White, Blue and Gray
Designer: Kackie Gilbert Interiors, Tom Williams Residential and Harrison Design Group Architects
Location: Atlanta
Size: 234 square feet (22 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A more open kitchen with simple, clean lines and generous workstations.
Color scheme. Blue wall and island paint (Tempe Star by Sherwin-Williams). White cabinet and trim paint (Bright White by Benjamin Moore). Antique blue-and-white serving platter, breadbox and pitcher. Gray-veined white quartz countertops and backsplash. Silver appliances, light fixtures, faucets and cabinet hardware.
Designer: Kackie Gilbert Interiors, Tom Williams Residential and Harrison Design Group Architects
Location: Atlanta
Size: 234 square feet (22 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A more open kitchen with simple, clean lines and generous workstations.
Color scheme. Blue wall and island paint (Tempe Star by Sherwin-Williams). White cabinet and trim paint (Bright White by Benjamin Moore). Antique blue-and-white serving platter, breadbox and pitcher. Gray-veined white quartz countertops and backsplash. Silver appliances, light fixtures, faucets and cabinet hardware.
Designer tip. “When designing a white kitchen, it is important to know how much color can be tastefully added so that it does not detract from the crisp white of the cabinets,” designer Kackie Gilbert says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “During demolition of the original kitchen, we discovered that the existing columns on the island were not decorative but load-bearing,” Gilbert says. “Installation of a steel beam was required to allow for opening up the space.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “During demolition of the original kitchen, we discovered that the existing columns on the island were not decorative but load-bearing,” Gilbert says. “Installation of a steel beam was required to allow for opening up the space.”
4. Bold Yellow, White and Brass
Designer: Adam Talianchich of Hatch Works
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 175 square feet (16 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A colorful, vibrant kitchen. “From our first meeting, we knew that the black-and-white kitchen so popular with many clients was not for them,” designer Adam Talianchich says.
Color scheme. Custom yellow cabinets color-matched to a sweater belonging to one of the homeowners. “We spent a few hours at the paint store combining three different yellows to come up with our custom yellow to derive the perfect match to the sweater,” Talianchich says. The brass light fixtures, cabinet hardware, faucet and range knobs complement the warm cabinet color. Off-white backsplash tile, marble countertops and a custom white painted sheet-metal range hood bring in even more brightness.
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Designer: Adam Talianchich of Hatch Works
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 175 square feet (16 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A colorful, vibrant kitchen. “From our first meeting, we knew that the black-and-white kitchen so popular with many clients was not for them,” designer Adam Talianchich says.
Color scheme. Custom yellow cabinets color-matched to a sweater belonging to one of the homeowners. “We spent a few hours at the paint store combining three different yellows to come up with our custom yellow to derive the perfect match to the sweater,” Talianchich says. The brass light fixtures, cabinet hardware, faucet and range knobs complement the warm cabinet color. Off-white backsplash tile, marble countertops and a custom white painted sheet-metal range hood bring in even more brightness.
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Designer tip. “Don’t pick out your elements in isolation,” Talianchich says. “Form a grand vision and your visual anchor or ‘hero moment’ first. Once we had the bright turmeric yellow cabinets, we went with an off-white backsplash tile and used the texture of [Fireclay Tile’s] Picket tile to add depth through the pattern, not with color. We wanted the color of the cabinets to sing and not fight for its voice among the rest of the kitchen elements.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The most challenging aspect was narrowing down the right color,” Talianchich says. “Yellows can be so difficult. Green-yellows, sunny yellows, gold-yellows, orange-yellows, soft yellows — it’s very hard to find the right one.”
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“Uh-oh” moment. “The most challenging aspect was narrowing down the right color,” Talianchich says. “Yellows can be so difficult. Green-yellows, sunny yellows, gold-yellows, orange-yellows, soft yellows — it’s very hard to find the right one.”
More on Houzz
Will These 9 Paint Colors Dominate Homes in 2019?
Get kitchen design ideas
Find professionals near you
Shop for kitchen products
Designer: Nate Coombs of DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen
Location: Layton, Utah
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters); 20 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. A white kitchen with cabinets to the ceiling and a more pleasing and inviting layout.
Color scheme. A warm golden-yellow tile backsplash ties in with similar gold tones in the granite countertop. Brushed-gold pendant lights and cabinet hardware, honey-colored cane chairs at the island, light yellow wall paint and yellow highlights in the window treatment round out the color scheme. “The kitchen came together beautifully,” designer Nate Coombs says.
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