2 days ago
I Asked 5 Designers the Worst Color to Paint a Kitchen, and They Named Two
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms of the home, so shouldn't it dress the part? Just like any other space, color palette plays a major role in a kitchen's look. After all, the right shades can lay the groundwork for some truly delicious digs.
There's an entire rainbow of shades you can add to a kitchen, but I wondered if there's one hue on designers' 'do not paint' list. Well, it's a little more complicated than that. I asked five interior designers about the absolute worst paint color for a kitchen, and turns out they're torn between two shades. Ultimately, it all depends on your interior design style.
If you're a maximalist, you probably want a kitchen that features a pop of color. There's no one way to do it. (Bold backsplashes? Statement cabinetry? Artful appliances? Why not all three?) However, if you're going to go big on color with paint, designers are begging you to avoid red. 'We would never paint a kitchen red,' says designer Flynne Nathanson, who co-founded Bay Area-based design firm Refresh Your Space with Patty Hampton.
Although Northern California designer Lisa Simopoulos never rules out an entire color family — 'the right shade will always work in the right setting,' she reasons — red isn't exactly on her short list for kitchens either. 'It's a powerful color, and, in the kitchen, it can be overpowering,' Simopoulos explains. 'It's famously used to stimulate appetite — think: fast food branding — but that's not usually the goal in a well-balanced home.'
The psychological effects of the color red go beyond a casual case of the munchies. While the fiery tone certainly commands attention, many experts note red is also linked with aggression and extreme caution. Let's be honest — that's not the energy you want when you're making meals. If you're craving the warmth of red without the drama, pink could offer the best of both worlds. (Psst … these pink-to-perfection kitchen ideas prove you don't have to go into full-blown Barbiecore territory.)
Alternatively, you can take a cue from Simopoulos by bringing the unexpected red theory to your kitchen. 'If it's something a client has their mind set on, I will guide them toward using it as accents, not the main color,' she says.
Of course, many people wouldn't dream of painting their kitchen any bold color, let alone red. But just preferring neutral colors doesn't mean you're totally safe from a kitchen paint faux pas. White, a very popular kitchen paint color, can go very, very wrong in certain cases. 'Stark, cool whites suck the soul out of a kitchen,' says designer Lauren Saab of Saab Studios in Dallas. 'What should be the heart of the home ends up feeling more like a sterile showroom; pretty in photos, but lifeless in reality.'
Designers Meredith Still and Kari Ivanitsky, co-founders of The Meredith Project in Santa Barbara, California, agree. 'They can feel cold, uninviting, and, frankly, uninspired,' Still shares. 'These shades lack warmth and originality, and they don't do much to make a kitchen feel like the heart of the home.'
If stark white's cold undertone isn't enough to dissuade you, Saab points out that it's not a particularly practical pigment either. '[It] reflects every harsh glare, spotlights every smudge, and amplifies the chill of stainless appliances,' she adds. Instead, if you are looking for something subtle and light, Saab recommends opting for warmer neutrals like greige or a soft clay.
'These colors bring out the depth of surrounding textures and bounce light in a way that feels welcoming and dimensional,' she explains. 'The result is a kitchen that feels quietly expressive, where color adds comfort rather than canceling it out.'
Although red and stark white are very different colors, they represent extremes: The former is super-intense, while the latter reads lifeless and bland. While finding a middle ground will make your kitchen easier on the eyes, Ivanitsky says it's crucial to see how your paint color interacts with the rest of the room's details. 'Before landing on a paint color, figure out your metal finishes, countertops, and backsplash materials first — those will inform the overall palette,' she shares. 'Then choose a hue that feels good to you and complements those finishes.'
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