The major components of a kitchen are often relatively neutral, but that can become boring after a while. Whether you’ve just installed new white cabinets or you’re still cooking amidst natural wood cupboards, you’ve probably wondered how to add colour to your kitchen. 

For this post, we’ve asked Holly Wiebe, our in-house interior designer, for some pro tips.

9 Ways to Add Colour to Your Kitchen Without Commitment

It’s easy to add colour to your kitchen without commitment. These inexpensive ways give you the freedom and flexibility to change your colour scheme often. Try changing the colours with the seasons or for special occasions and holidays.

1. Kitchen linens like dish towels and dishcloths
2. Small appliances like your stand mixer
3. Serving dishes and dinnerware
4. A bowl of fruit
5. Fresh flowers
6. Art pieces
7. Drapery
8. Seat cushions on dining chairs or bar stools
9. Runner or mat in front of the sink and/or stove

The amount of colour you want to add to your kitchen is up to you. Choose coloured versions of all of the above options, or just select a few standout items.

5 Ways Colour Can Make Your Kitchen Pop

If you really want to make your kitchen pop, you can add colour in bigger ways. These cost more, but if you’re renovating your kitchen or installing one into your new home, these will take your kitchen design up a notch.

1. Choose a coloured island. The countertop can be the same or different from the rest of the kitchen, but definitely choose a colour for the base of the island.
2. Use a combination of colours for your cabinetry. For example, use one colour for your upper cabinets and a different colour for the base cabinets. 
3. Select coloured light fixtures. This works well as a colour statement with pendants above the island.
4. Add interest with coloured tile. If you’re hesitant to get too bold with colour for your backsplash, you can still make a statement with monochromatic colours by choosing geometric patterns or textured tiles.

A kitchen designer can help you choose the best places to add colour to your kitchen. The designers at Riverstone Kitchens & Renovations create full-colour 3D renderings so you can see exactly what the new design will look like.

How to Choose Your Kitchen Colours

You know how to add colour to your kitchen. Now the issue is how to choose your kitchen colors. 

Take a step out of your kitchen for a moment and go into your bedroom. When you choose your bedroom colour scheme, your first colour decision is your bedding, an upholstered piece of furniture, or a piece of artwork. Once you’ve found your inspiration piece, you choose your paint and other colours to coordinate with that piece.

Don’t start with your paint colour.

For your kitchen, choose your cabinetry and countertop or tile first. Cabinets set the tone for the kitchen, so the rest of your colours should complement those selections. 

If you have no idea where to start, create a kitchen concept board for design inspiration. Read this post for instructions and examples. 

The Best Colour Combinations for Your Kitchen

There is a bit of strategy involved in choosing the best colour combinations for your kitchen. Think of your house as a piece of art. Everything in a painting, for example, plays off each other and is connected. Your house is the same. 

So the colours you choose for your kitchen should complement the colours in the rooms nearby. This is especially important in open concept homes. The kitchen doesn’t have to match every single room in your house, but the colours in connecting rooms should be complementary. It might be strange to have a blue, white, and red kitchen connected to a pink and purple living room.

If you plan to keep your kitchen for the next 10-20 years without renovating it, keep the major components of your kitchen neutral. This will give you the freedom to change the less expensive stuff for a fresh look easily.

2021 Kitchen Colour Trends

Benjamin Moore’s top colour for 2021 is Aegean Teal.

At Riverstone Kitchens & Renovations, our top two colours are Chantilly Lace and Latte.

Here are the 2021 kitchen colour trends:

Kitchen Colour Schemes

To add an inviting, vibrant colour scheme to your kitchen, choose complementary colours. Complementary colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel. It’s best to choose one main colour with one or two complementary colours for accents. 

Depending on your style, it is possible to get bold and a little outrageous with your colour choices. The Bohemian style is a good example of this.

If something a bit more tame is your style, use neutral colours as your base with a couple of complementary accent colours. Keep in mind that blue can be neutral if it’s done right. Neutral doesn’t mean boring!

This is your home, so your kitchen should reflect yourself. If you love black, it might not be best to have black cabinetry, black countertops, and black flooring. That kitchen would look like a dungeon. But you could use black cabinetry, a white granite countertop with black and charcoal veining, and gold hardware. That’s a classy way to bring colour in.

Add Colour to Your Kitchen With a Pro

Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It should be a room you are proud of and one you love to be in. Colour plays a gigantic role in the look and feel of any space. It sets a tone. 

If you lack confidence in choosing the right colours for your kitchen, contact Riverstone Kitchens & Renovations to speak with one of our designers.