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  4. The Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Islands

The Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Islands

Katherine Owen
By Katherine Owen
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Modern Family Kitchen
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

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.

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Green Meets Gray

Maison Studio WaterColor, FL Neutral Kitchen with Shiplap Wall Backsplash
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

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

Holly Williams Colonial Revival House Renovation in Nashville, TN
Credit: Annie Schlechter; Styling: Matthew Gleason

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

Modern Family Kitchen
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

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

2019 Idea House Kitchen
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong

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

Blue Herod Kitchen
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Adam Fortner

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

Julia Engel of Gal Meets Glam Charleston, SC Home Blue and White Kitchen
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox

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 Kitchen
Credit: Jillian Guyette

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

Natasha Lawler Charlottesville Home with Gray Kitchen
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

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

2018 idea House in Austin, Texas Kitchen
Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

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

Ginny Stimpson's Bay House in Fairhope, AL Blue Kitchen
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

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

Dream Kitchen: The Gathering Room
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

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

White Lake House Kitchen
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

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.

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    1 of 12 Green Meets Gray
    2 of 12 Bold in Black
    3 of 12 Bermuda Blue
    4 of 12 Neutral Nautical
    5 of 12 Daring Deep Blue
    6 of 12 Catch a Cool (Blue) Breeze
    7 of 12 Surfer Pearl
    8 of 12 Gray Zone
    9 of 12 A True Classic
    10 of 12 Airy & Bright
    11 of 12 Earthy Elegance
    12 of 12 Just-Right White

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