Tasteful Ways to Add Color to Your Kitchen

By Mary Shannon Wells
July 16, 2019
Pinterest/Bestor Architecture
The kitchen is the room where my family spends the most time, and with open floor plans at peak popularity (partially thanks to Joanna Gaines), kitchens aren’t strictly reserved for cooking. Since guests and family always end up in the kitchen, you'll want it to be one of the prettiest rooms in the house. White kitchens are all the rage, and we agree, they are beautiful. But you might miss happy yellows and cool blues as you look around that all-white room. These kitchen hues are vibrant ways to brighten up your cooking space. Some of these ideas are low-cost and super easy, like throwing some new dishtowels out or displaying your colorful china pattern. Other ways to add accent colors are big-picture (and sometimes big-risk) ideas, like painting the floors or using wallpaper. Don’t get stuck in a neutral rut—add some color to your kitchen! Coming home to a little color will instantly boost your mood. 
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Add Natural (Or Faux Natural) Elements

Credit: Pinterest

There’s nothing prettier than a big bowl of bright green apples or yellow lemons, and it’s always nice to have some greenery or flowers around. If you can’t keep house plants alive for long, just go faux! But be sure to invest in a realistic faux plant (it’s worth it).

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Tile the Floors

Credit: Pinterest/The Cozy Space

It’s a big project, but tile floors are so much fun, and they’re easy to clean up when spills happen.

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Rug Love

Credit: Pinterest/lark & linen/Amy Bartlam

Is your white kitchen a little too stark? Throw some colorful rugs on the floor for a cozy, stylish upgrade.

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Wallpaper It

Credit: Pinterest/Inside Out

Wallpaper doesn’t have to be stuck in the 80s and 90s, and you can wallpaper the whole kitchen or just one wall. If you don’t have a backsplash (or cash to cough up for expensive tile), create a faux backsplash with wallpaper.

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Sit In Style

Credit: Pinterest/Home Bunch

Adding a bench or window seat is a low-cost update with a big effect. If a bench won’t fit your space, switch out head-of-the-table chairs for bold club chairs, use varied colors of wooden chairs, or simply switch up your seat cushions.

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No Boring Backsplashes

Credit: Pinterest/Style Me Pretty/Tessa Neustadt

There are endless color, pattern, and tile-shape possibilities with backsplashes, so have fun with this element.

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Display Your Cookbooks

Credit: Pinterest/Temple & Webster

You have countless cookbooks lying around, so make use of them in your kitchen design. Take off a few kitchen cabinets to create open shelving and create a colorful display.

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Colorful Cabinets

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Painting your kitchen cabinets is a bold move with bold results. You can’t help but smile when you enter a kitchen with colorful cabinets.

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Chalk It Up

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You don’t have to go all out with a chalkboard door, but a small chalkboard on a bare wall is an ideal place for your little ones to add color and creativity to your kitchen. A chalkboard is also a great surface for weekly schedules and chores or a monthly calendar.

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Float On

Credit: Pinterest/VT Interiors

Display colorful dishes on floating cabinets for a sleek look. Cabinets with glass doors will also showcase your bright pots and pans.

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Add Artwork

Credit: Pinterest/Instagram/Flack Studio

Whether a painting, an old map, a cool print, or a creation from a little one, a piece of art is a great way to add color.

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Paint the Ceiling

Credit: Pinterest/Laurel Bern Interiors

There’s nowhere else to go but up! This color is modern and bold, but for a look that will work in any kitchen and make a small space seem larger, use a soft blue paint color.

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Lighten Up

Credit: Pinterest/Bestor Architecture

Pendants that pop are cute, fresh, and fun.

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Appliances That Stand Out

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Colorful appliances are not something you see every day, but we’d love to see more of them. If you’re a little nervous about purchasing a bright blue stove, start with smaller items like a colorful standing mixer or toaster.

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A Place for the Pup

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If a place for the dog bed is too much, hollow out an area on one side of the kitchen island for the dog bowls. You wouldn’t want Fido to feel left out during family dinner!

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Bold Countertops

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A sleek countertop in a bright color is modern and unexpected. This trend would be ideal for a small kitchen island.

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Beautiful Barstools

Credit: Pinterest/Collins Interiors

Swapping out the barstools is an easy way to add color. Go fabric-covered, wooden, or iron.

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Win With Windows

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Whether you add a window treatment, colorful flowers and plants in the windowsill, or replace a small window with antique stained glass, windows are an overlooked opportunity to add color.

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Inside the Cabinets

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Painting inside the cabinets is less risky than painting the outside. A coat of paint that contrasts with the color of your dishes will make your china stand out.

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Don’t Desert the Island

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If you have an island in your kitchen, it’s literally the center of attention. Shouldn’t it be beautiful?

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Cute Corkboard

Credit: Pinterest/Better Homes & Gardens

Whether it’s the kids’ artwork, family pictures, event flyers, local restaurant menus, or weekly reminders, a corkboard is an inexpensive and easy way to tack up some color in the kitchen.

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Fabulous Floors

Credit: Pinterest/Britt Kingery

We’ll admit it—painting over gorgeous hardwood floors is a minor sin, but it can look incredible. This idea would be great to try if you have concrete floors, too.

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Show Off the Good China

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Gorgeous china shouldn’t spend its life locked away. If you don’t have room for a china cabinet, hang plates or trays right on the wall or create a display with floating shelves.

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Dress Up the Dishtowels

Credit: Pinterest/Yao Cheng Design

Dishtowels are accessible and inexpensive. Change up the colors of your towels every now and then for a bright boost.

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Wall Color Change

Credit: Pinterest/Viscusi Elson Interior Design

This one may seem obvious, but you’ve probably grown used to the color on your kitchen walls. You may not realize the difference a fresh coat and color can make.

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By Mary Shannon Wells