Small Kitchen Colors: How to Use Color to Maximize a Small Space

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and I genuinely believe that. Whether you’re a chef or not, kitchens are where everything is fun, social, and relaxing. It’s almost unconscious, but people tend to gather in kitchens. Have you ever noticed how crowded a kitchen will get when guests come over, even though there’s plenty of space elsewhere? I think this goes back to some instinctual longing for warmth, good food and good times!

No matter how you feel about kitchens, there’s no denying that the kitchen is a critical part of the home. Often, homeowners struggle to find their preferred color palettes for the cooking/gathering space.

Every home’s kitchen is different; some may contain imported marble, endless professionally built cabinetry, sparkling hardware and lighting. Others will showcase reclaimed wood, a two-burner electric stove, vintage cabinets, or possibly everything in between. No matter what style or time period your kitchen is from, everything you see matters and contributes to the room’s design (and use)!

In this article, I will discuss the inspired color palettes and color options that work wonderfully and are appreciated by color consultants and homeowners alike. Small kitchen colors can be just as effective at maximizing space as colors in a larger kitchen arrangement!

Creating a Dynamic Look to Your Small Kitchen

Color palettes inject doses of life into your small kitchen that can go a long way to maximize the space. It’s critical to create some contrast to the kitchen walls, appliances, cabinets, and furniture to stretch the room as much as possible. Remember, colors affect mood and alter the emotional intention of the space. For a small kitchen, we’ll want to use colors to create a dynamic mood, feeling both warm, open and airy.  

I suggest that you choose two or three main colors to incorporate into your kitchen. Small flashes of vibrant colors are always acceptable too. Still, we don’t want the kitchen feeling too animated and busy; colors in a small space that are bright and flashy can be visually distracting. Choosing colors wisely is so important when you are designing a small space.

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Exterior Color Palettes – Learn What Colors are Best for Your Home!

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Natural Hues to Create a Peaceful Space

Small kitchen spaces can be hectic environments. Finding enough countertop space to prep and cook on to feeling crowded when visitors come by while trying to put the finishing touches on the meal you are about to serve, you can see how small kitchens can be crazy places.

It’s great to use colors to counterbalance the potential tension that can arise in a small kitchen. An arrangement of whites, light grays, and less saturated colors along with natural wood tones can create a more relaxing environment. It is a great way to add color to the structure of a room where the function of the space is as important as the appearance.

Looking for a way to add color to your neutral space, add colorful appliances, display colorful dishes, or even add bright, soft linens or artwork to the room. Just think of how much fun the bright red on a teapot, tea towels, and artwork on the wall will feel in this quiet environment.

Warm stained woods set against the backdrop of quiet colors and pale-colored tile will set a beautifully inviting tone to a small kitchen. Think of adding color as if you are adding fun to your space. The beauty of this approach is that you can change up your colors anytime you would like.

Are you using red accents this year? Feel free to change them out to a more classic Navy blue or adventuresome lime green in the future. By changing out your accent colors, you have redecorated the whole space.

With an understated color palette for the smaller kitchen, adding colorful accents is a way of decorating the room in your personal style; what could be better than that!?

Pastel Colors to Lighten Up Your Small Kitchen

Pastels have a gracious, calming feel, with a whisper of fun attached, perfect for a small kitchen. These softer colors could be an airy light blue, a delicate mint green, light lemon yellow, or a softer teal blue. I suggest applying these colors anywhere from the backsplash to the countertop.

If you are going with white cabinets, these softer colors can be the perfect way of adding just enough color to your small kitchen. It’s an excellent example of where even a delicate color can go a long way!

The advantage of pastels being used for small kitchen colors is that they bring a lightness and breeziness to the area. I like to associate the kitchen with levity and life – if your kitchen doesn’t have much natural light or lacks windows with a nice view, pastel accent colors will help bring some life to space.

Slate and Copper Color Combos

If light and airy color palettes are not your desired choice for a small kitchen, there are some more “industrial” and chic color and design options that will leave a long and lasting impression on anyone who comes over for dinner. 

Metallic accents like Copper look stunning, refined, and add a bit of sparkle when arranged in a kitchen. Copper light fixtures, Edison bulbs, copper cookware, shades, or even appliances add a beautiful modern look to a kitchen. Metallic colors add a unique style that is well worth the look when it is done well!

Now, contrast the copper accents with a slate gray or slate blue base color, and you have one beautiful kitchen arrangement. The balance of the warm tones from the metallic copper hues and the cooler tones of the gray and blue create a balanced small kitchen color arrangement that makes a statement without seeming cold or abrasive to the senses. They are quite the opposite: warm, inviting, both vintage and contemporary, although that’s hard to believe! 

Recognizing the need for the right colors in every kitchen design, I wrote Can’t Fail Color Schemes: Kitchens and Baths a while ago, and I still see people using it as their guide years later. This book offers visual inspiration and color suggestions to go along with each kitchen. Looking for fresh ideas, I suggest you take a look! 

As a color specialist, I love hearing about your favorite color palettes and design ideas! Please reach out and share what color ideas you are drawn to – I’d love to see what colors you have used in your small kitchen!