A Dash of Optimism: Colorful Trends in Kitchen Design

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Feb 26, 2022

In this time of transition, we’ve seen that many habits adopted in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to carry on. For a lot of us, this includes rediscovering the simple joys of cooking at home.

The kitchen has now become a “happy place” for clients - a place where they express culinary creativity and gather with family or guests. It’s up to us to get adventurous in how we express that happiness in design.

A Bright Outlook for Modern Kitchen Design

Clients have found a comfortable rhythm in the kitchen that is likely to become routine, and more time spent at home has inspired many to translate these newfound passions into kitchen redesign projects.

Designers are able to add a dash of creativity in these highly personal and heavily used spaces. Inventive designs and thoughtful color choices can help combat cooking fatigue by spicing up the spaces where clients cook, dine, and entertain.


Kitchen cabinets: Ripe Olive SW 6209 (217-C7), window trim: Avocado SW 2861. Courtesy of Raili Clasen Design, photographed by Karyn Mille.t

Bringing Joy to the Kitchen

A number of different factors play into this newfound optimism around home cooking. For some, it’s the sense of order and organization that home cooking entails, so time- and space-saving solutions are a key component in a well-considered kitchen.

On-display storage is still a trend, turning kitchen odds and ends into showcase pieces and encouraging a little design flair in details like curated kitchen implements and open shelving, which visually opens small spaces and caters to the rising number of clients investing in beautiful kitchen products.


Kitchen walls: Extra White SW 7006 (257-C1). Photos courtesy of Chango & Co

Ethically sourced materials are more important than ever, especially among a growing cadre of sustainability-minded clients who are interested in “closing the loop.” Designing for home composting, recycling, and the disguise of these disposal methods, as well as appliance selections that go beyond aesthetics to factor in energy efficiency, are examples of other meaningful considerations for modern kitchen design.


Kitchen cabinets, walls, and ceiling: Snowbound SW 7004 (256-C2), island: Salty Dog SW 9077 (253-C2). Courtesy of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, photo by Lindsey King Photography.

What’s Cooking? Color Trends for Cheery Kitchens

Bright kitchen basics are trending, so incorporating pops of a mood-boosting color that resonates with your client’s signature tastes can result in a composed and cohesive look kitchen-wide, whether the color in question is only used in small doses, like an island only, or on wall-to-wall cabinetry.

Bright white kitchens continue to be a mainstay, but with rich timber tones and curved countertops for a gentle nod toward midcentury design. These nostalgic influences are also making themselves known in playful retro motifs and color palettes with a vintage appeal.


Kitchen cabinets: Bunglehouse Blue SW 0048. Photo courtesy of Shauna Glenn Design.

The biophilic design movement has also made its way into the kitchen with small touches that bring nature’s benefits to life, so choosing paint and coatings colors that balance natural materials and organic elements invites authenticity and textural timelessness.

The True Colors of Happiness

There have long been opinions linking specific hues to certain human emotions. These resonate with many of us, influenced by where we live, the society we keep, and even when and where we attend school. For some, yellow is an inherently happy color, but if it doesn’t work for a project or make your client happy, then it isn’t.


Kitchen cabinets: Urbane Bronze SW 7048 (245-C7). Photo courtesy of John McClain.

The “happiest” colors are the colors that make the client happiest. As their tastes change, so might our color choices, and working with hues that speak to a client in the moment, and not what they think should make them happy, is going to make for more satisfied clients—and more successful outcomes—in the long run. And that makes the design world a much happier place to be.

@SWDesignPros #SWDesignPros @SWPaintPros #SWPaintPros

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