How To Liven Up a White Kitchen with Big, Bold Colors

According to recent research, 60% of the objects that surround us are either black, gray or white. Compare that to the 1800s, when just 15% of the objects surrounding us were black, white or gray, according to the same research. Where did all the color go? When did we shun turquoise blue and sunshine yellow? Color is slipping out of our world, and you should not go gently into that gray night.

70% percent of all new cars are black, white or gray. The most popular decorating trends for interiors are colorless, too. The top-selling vinyl plank flooring is gray, the most popular carpet is gray, and the best-selling interior paints have names like “Pure White,” “Classic Gray” and “Delicate White.” Neutrals can be a blank canvas for colorful accessories, furniture and art. But back away from an all-white kitchen and veer onto the road less taken, one with red toasters, cobalt blue ranges and orange barstools. Studies show that colors can improve your memory, strengthen positive emotions and spark creativity. You’ll find that color makes all the difference.

Stainless steel appliances are in their second decade as a must-have, so dare to be different with a brightly colored appliance. Ranges and refrigerators come in all the shades of the rainbow now, not just black, white and stainless. Pick a range like this one, with a royal blue door, that adds a bold splash of color to your cooking area.

If a large appliance in a bright color isn’t in the budget, buy a small one. You can get toasters, waffle makers, stand mixers, coffee pots and microwaves in hues that will liven up your kitchen quickly and affordably. Put one or two out on the counters and give your white kitchen a splash of hard-working color.

Inject an illuminating shot of color into your kitchen by installing pendant lights over your island. Choose lights with colorful shades that can accommodate powerful bulbs to make a style statement while boosting your task lighting. Novice DIYers, get an electrician to do the wiring to ensure a safe install.

If buying new cabinets isn’t in the budget, paint your existing white cabinets a bright color. It’s an economical way to brighten your kitchen. Orange cabinets bring a splash of citrusy, sunny color to this contemporary kitchen. Incorporate the color you paint your cabinets into other room elements of the room, like accessories or funiture, to create a cohesive look.

Don’t want to paint all your cabinets? Just paint the bottom ones a darker color. Lighter upper cabinets make the room look bigger than it really is, while the dark color on the lower cabinets hides fingerprints, dog-nose smudges and all other types of high-traffic zone messes. Adding a different paint color allows you to add personality and creativity, so don’t be afraid to try a two-tone kitchen look.

Swap out neutral chairs or bar stools with brilliantly hued places to sit. With so many vibrant chairs and stools on Lowes.com to choose from you’ll never have to settle for landlord beige or meek white again. Look for metal seating in powder-coated finishes and chairs upholstered in brightly colored fabric. These fabulous cadmium orange stools riff on classic mid-century mod bistro seating.

Don't want to paint or replace any of the cabinets? Give your kitchen a fast hit of color by painting just the island. There's less prep work to do since most islands have fewer doors and drawers than a wall of cabinets. Your island will go from functional workspace to flashy focal point in the room.

There’s nothing more practical than buying colorful cooking tools and putting them on display. You get form, you get function, you get pops of color that you can make dinner with. Hang a statement-making set of cookware from a pot rack. Pile your colorful dishes and coffee cups on open shelving. Think of your tools as art. Here, mint green cookware with blingy brass handles brightens a white kitchen.

Yes, a rug in the kitchen. It warms the room, making the space look pulled together and adding a splash of color under your feet. Put an area rug under an eat-in dining table or a runner on the stretch of floor between the kitchen island and range. Pick a style made of stain-resistant material since it might get splashed with marinara, popped by grease or doused in a juice box in the line of duty. Indoor/outdoor rugs are a savvy choice for a kitchen because they can handle a lot of foot traffic and frequent cleaning.

Add low commitment color to walls and backsplashes with peel-and-stick wall decals. So if you don’t have the time to paint, the patience for wallpaper, or money for tile, they take a room from meh to marvelous, fast. Kitchen decals are made of plastic, so they’re like a cross between stickers and wallpaper. Buy them in rolls or sheets and stick them to the wall you want to change, no wallpaper paste required. If you mess up, wall decals can be repositioned, so pull them off and try again. A great option for renters, when it’s time to move or you’re tired of your wall color, simply remove and throw them away.

Tile is durable, beautiful and permanent. It’s the floor and wall covering equivalent of putting a ring on it, because a tile backsplash and floor are high commitment. You can’t peel tile off and throw it away like you can peel-and-stick-wallpaper, or paint over it in an hour, and that’s why we love it. If you’re serious about bringing your all-white kitchen into the maximalism of the modern world, pull out the white subway tile backsplash and the gray vinyl plank flooring (LVP) and embrace pattern and color. Pick bright tile and mortar it to the walls and floor. Commitment to color is a good thing.