The Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Islands
Ah, the kitchen island–the unsung workhorse of the kitchen. Perhaps the most multifunctional space of any kitchen, the island provides a place to gather, work, and if we're being honest—drop your stuff when you walk in the door. In many homes they add smart storage and, in an increasing number of kitchens, a pop of color. According to the Houzz 2021 Kitchen Trends Survey, 41% of renovating homeowners are opting for a kitchen island paint color that contrasts their cabinet color. Of those, the majority go for classic colors that never go out of style; 27% go for blue and 20% choose gray, 10% went with white and another 10% picked black. Whatever hue you choose, painting your kitchen island is a great way to set the tone for your kitchen, whether that's bright and bold or totally subdued. Looking for a few swatches to start with? Here are some tried-and-true, designer-approved kitchen island paint colors.
Green Meets Gray
It only feels appropriate this serenely green kitchen is located in Watercolor, Florida. Designers Allison Smith and Anne Scott Shelley of Maison Studios used Sherwin-Williams Austere Gray (SW 6184) to achieve a laid-back coastal style. See more here.
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Bold in Black
In Holly Williams' Nashville kitchen, Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black (SW 6258) provides the perfect backdrop for brass accents and vintage-meets-modern style. See more here.
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Bermuda Blue
If you can't choose between two good blues...don't! Designer Amie Corley proves two shades are better one in this Missouri kitchen makeover, in which Benjamin Moore Bermuda Turquoise (728) transforms the island into the center of attention. See more here.
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Neutral Nautical
Designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas infused our 2019 Idea House, located in Crane Island, Florida, with a sense of coastal calm using a palette of neutral paints. In the kitchen, Sherwin-Williams Tinsmith (SW 7657) evokes the ocean at dusk. See more here.
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Daring Deep Blue
Interior designer Lindsey Herod uses Benjamin Moore Newburyport Blue (HC-155) to transform this kitchen from blah to bold. See the full makeover here.
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Catch a Cool (Blue) Breeze
Give "island time" new meaning with this breezy blue. Olivia Brock of Torrance Mitchell Designs coated this South Carolina kitchen in Farrow & Ball's Parma Gray (No. 27). See more here.
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Surfer Pearl
Chelsea Meissner used the sandy shade Benjamin Moore Seapearl (OC-19) to ground the kitchen in her Low Country surf shack. See it all here.
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Gray Zone
Gray gets a bad rap, but Natasha Lawler's colorful Charlottesville, Virginia, kitchen uses Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray (HC-168) to prove it can have just as much personality as any other hue. See the full tour here.
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A True Classic
For our 2018 Idea House, designer Meredith Ellis wanted to create a kitchen "that would look just as good in 20 years," so she coated the kitchen cabinets and island in a classic, Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray (SW 7015).
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Airy & Bright
Homeowner Ginny Stimpson coated everything but the floor and counters in her Fairhope, Alabama, kitchen in Farrow & Ball Borrowed Light (No. 235) to brighten and lighten the space. See more here.
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Earthy Elegance
Designer Melanie Pounds designed this Birmingham, Alabama, kitchen to have a European flair, and a coating of Benjamin Moore's Cromwell Gray (HC-103) on the oversized island was just the ticket. Read more here.
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Just-Right White
Benjamin Moore Cream Froth (2158-70) adds to a palette that's light and bright but not too stark for this Alabama lake house. See the full tour here.