6 color schemes, each on a real kitchen

Kitchen color palettes

In a kitchen the cabinets are the color decision: they cover more wall than paint ever will and cost the most to change. Pick the cabinet color first, let the countertop and backsplash quiet it down, and use hardware to add the warmth or the shine.

6 kitchen color schemes

Hex codes to match against paint and fabric samples. Colors on screens and in daylight never quite agree, so hold a sample up in the room before you commit.

Sage Shaker

Soft green cabinets with white and brass, the friendliest kitchen color of the last few years. Pictured: a Farmhouse kitchen.

Warm white Walls and upper cabinets #F3EFE6
Sage green Lower cabinets #9AA88A
White quartz Countertop and backsplash #ECE9E2
Natural oak Open shelf and stools #B8935F
Aged brass Hardware and faucet #A88A54

Design with this palette

Navy and Brass

Deep navy lowers under white uppers, classic and hard to tire of. Pictured: a Transitional kitchen.

Soft white Walls and upper cabinets #F2F0EA
Navy Lower cabinets #25344D
Marble white Countertop #E9E6E0
Pale gray Backsplash #D3D3CE
Brass Hardware, faucet and pendant #B8934A

Design with this palette

Cream and Oak

Cream painted cabinets and honey oak, a dark kitchen made light without losing its warmth. Pictured: a Traditional kitchen.

Cream Cabinets #EFE7D6
Warm white Walls #F5F1E8
Honey oak Countertop and floor #B98A50
Stone beige Backsplash #D8CBB4
Antique bronze Hardware #6B5440

Design with this palette

Charcoal and Oak

Charcoal lowers and pale oak uppers, modern and forgiving of fingerprints. Pictured: a Minimalist kitchen.

White Walls #F4F4F1
Charcoal Lower cabinets #3A3B3C
Pale oak Upper cabinets #CFB58C
Concrete gray Countertop and backsplash #B4B2AC
Matte black Hardware and faucet #1F1F1F

Design with this palette

Olive and Terracotta

Olive cabinets with clay-colored tile, a sunny kitchen with a southern feel. Pictured: a Mediterranean kitchen.

Lime white Walls #EFE8DA
Olive green Cabinets #6E7048
Terracotta Backsplash tile #B8653F
Cream stone Countertop #E3D8C3
Aged brass Hardware and faucet #A88A54

Design with this palette

Dusty Blue

Pale blue-gray cabinets with oak and white, calm and bright in a north-facing kitchen. Pictured: a Scandinavian kitchen.

White Walls #F5F4F0
Dusty blue Cabinets #8FA3B3
Light oak Countertop and shelves #CDAE82
Off-white Backsplash #EDEAE3
Brushed nickel Hardware and faucet #A7A8A6

Design with this palette

How to use a palette

Every palette here is listed from the most of the room to the least. Keep roughly to that order and the colors hold together.

1
Most of the room: the first color

The walls, and often the ceiling. A light, quiet color that everything else sits against.
2
A third: the next two

The big pieces: the sofa, the rug, the wood. They set the mood of the room.
3
A tenth: the last two

Cushions, a lamp, frames, a vase. Small, so a bold accent stays an accent.