7 Popular Kitchen Accent Colors to Elevate Your Kitchen Space

Your kitchen is a place where you spend a lot of time, meaning it should feel comfortable, personal, and inviting — not ugly, cluttered, and dated. Unfortunately, several trends can make your kitchen look like it’s straight out of the 1990s, including cheap-looking plastic appliances and overly ornate kitchen cabinets.

However, as badly as you might want to overhaul your kitchen — a project like this can be expensive. Fortunately, updating your kitchen with new accent colors can make a big impact on its overall look, infusing the space with new energy without the cost of a whole-kitchen renovation. Here are some popular kitchen color palettes we’ve been noticing during our interior decorating projects in Florida and Texas that you can quickly (and easily!) incorporate into your kitchen design for a fresh look.

What are the best accent colors to enhance my kitchen space?

Neutral tones like whites, grays, and beiges are all the rage for kitchens. At The Staging Co., we’re not seeing many bold accents or high-contrast stuff right now. Light wood floors, light wood cabinets, and light cream countertops are in. However, a neutral kitchen doesn’t have to be boring. Many homeowners are gravitating toward subdued hues, like sage green, navy blue, and warm mustard, to add warmth and pops of color to an otherwise neutral kitchen.

Need some help breathing fresh life into your kitchen? Contact our team at The Staging Company to choose a paint color and accents that highlight your kitchen’s best features — all while incorporating popular colors that will boost buyer appeal and resale value.

Popular Kitchen Accent Colors to Incorporate Into Your Kitchen Design Today

1. Classic Black and White Kitchen

Black and white is a classic color combination that never goes out of style.

Create contrast with simplistic white walls, white marble countertops, and black kitchen cabinets. To break up the dark tones, consider adding natural wood touches, like floating shelves or wood on the island or lower cabinets. If you’d like to make a bold statement while still keeping a cohesive look, consider adding a black-and-white tile backsplash or flooring with a subtle pattern.

2. Sophisticated Gray and Gold Kitchen

If warm tones are more your style, consider white kitchen paint for your walls with light gray tones and gold accents. In fact, we’ve noticed that gold is kind of coming back, so if it feels true to your style and personality, embrace gold fixtures and accents as much as possible!

Pale gray cabinets paired with gold touches, from matte faucet fixtures and pendant lights to gold-toned natural wood flooring and butcher-block countertops, create a neutral color palette that feels modern and aligned with today’s current kitchen trends, yet still warm and inviting.

3. Sage Green and White Kitchen

Green (and especially sage green) is a popular accent color for modern kitchens. Sage is such a great shade because it acts as a soft neutral that aligns with current design trends, but as an earthy tone, it also adds warmth and depth to your kitchen. Sage green accents, such as a painted island or cabinets, paired with all-white kitchen walls, are an unbeatable combination.

Sage or olive green works beautifully with white, natural wood tones, and antique brass. Natural wood, gold accents, and white are all super popular right now — so sage as an accent color just makes sense.

4. Navy Blue and White Kitchen

A white kitchen with navy blue is a great color scheme for homeowners who want to introduce color into their kitchen design, but who aren’t ready to commit to bolder colors. Navy blue creates a striking contrast in neutral kitchens and can create a sophisticated look with very minimal effort.

Navy blue looks great painted on cabinets and drawers, or as a statement, like a kitchen island. Then, the key is to keep everything else super simple to tie this look together. White kitchen walls, white marble countertops, and sleek stainless steel appliances allow the navy blue to really “pop” in this kitchen color scheme. (And bonus, navy blue pairs well with brushed gold hardware!).

5. Inviting Blue and Gray Kitchen

While dark blue cabinets can add contrast, sometimes, a light blue kitchen is the way to go. This color scheme can enhance the natural light in your kitchen and make the space feel larger and more open.

Choose pale blue (like sky blue) or blue-green (like muted teal or soft aqua) for a blue kitchen island or a tile backsplash. Then, balance the “blues” with white and grey details, such as grey cabinets and white countertops or floors. This color scheme is subtle while still bright enough to make a statement.

6. Bold White and Red Kitchen

While we’re not seeing a lot of bold colors in kitchen design, there’s something about an all-white kitchen with hints of red that feels a little daring but still classic, all at the same time.

If you like the idea of a red kitchen without going “all in,” you can choose cabinetry with red undertones (like cherry, mahogany, or hickory), or add some brick on an accent wall for an industrial-chic look. Neutral tones like white, gray, beige, and sand can help red accents “pop” without feeling too intense.

7. Warm Terracotta and Cream Kitchen

We’ve noticed that warm, earthy tones have recently been requested among homeowners who want to stick to a neutral color palette in their kitchen, but who want to steer clear of a sterile, all-white look.

For these kitchens, we recommend pairing warm terracotta cabinets with cream walls, countertops, and open shelving to create an inviting look that aligns with modern trends, but will stand the test of time. You can even opt for cream cabinets and bring in terracotta details elsewhere, like a tile backsplash, a kitchen island, or even on furniture, like barstools, to keep the color as a true accent rather than the main event.

Dream Up the Perfect Kitchen Color Scheme with Our Interior Decorating Team

Need help choosing a kitchen paint or accent color for your own home that works with your cabinets, countertops, and lighting? Our team at The Staging Company can help you choose the right accent color and pull the whole look together, whether you’re refreshing for yourself or prepping to sell. Learn more about our home staging and interior decorating services to get started.

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