Choosing Kitchen Colours — 7 Rules

Colour is the longest-lived decision in a kitchen. Appliances change, worktops get replaced, even the hardware can be swapped. But the colour you choose for the doors lives with you for 10–15 years.

This guide breaks down 7 practical rules we lean on before ordering custom kitchens and during their initial design phase.

1. Start with the light

Colour doesn’t exist without light. Before you pick a palette, ask one question: what kind of light does your kitchen get?

• Natural south-facing light — warm, bright. Pulls everything toward yellow. Cool colours (grey, blue) look balanced here.
• Natural north-facing light — cool, soft. Pulls everything toward blue. Warm colours (cream, beige, wood) feel right.
• LED only — check the colour temperature (3000K warm, 4000K neutral, 6000K cool). 3500–4000K is the sweet spot for a kitchen.

And remember: a colour under a store’s fluorescent light looks nothing like the same colour under your home light. Always take a physical sample home before you commit.

2. The 60-30-10 rule

One of designers’ go-to rules:

• 60% — dominant colour (walls, large doors)
• 30% — secondary colour (some doors, contrast area)
• 10% — accent (hardware — see our Blum vs Hettich hardware comparison, appliances, accessories)

Hold to this ratio and the kitchen feels balanced. If one colour dominates 80%, it’s monotonous. Five colours at 20% each is chaos.

3. Small-kitchen rule

If your kitchen is under 8 m², where small kitchen design requires a highly tailored approach, one rule applies hard: don’t use dark colours on large doors.

Black, anthracite, deep navy — wonderful at 20+ m², but they shrink narrow spaces visually.

For a small kitchen:

• Light base (cream, cashmere, white, soft beige)
• One dark accent (an island, or only the lowers)
• A mirror or gloss finish to bounce the light

4. Colour + colour contrast

A monochrome kitchen feels safe but often boring. A contrasting pair ages much better:

• Cream + navy — classic
• Oak + white — Scandinavian
• Anthracite + brass — industrial
• Light oak + olive green — contemporary

5. Wood tones — used carefully

Wood imitation (such as Egger cabinetry materials, see also our LDSP vs MDF comparison) is stunning, but one rule applies: don’t mix two different wood species in one kitchen. Pick one and let it dominate.

If you already have wood flooring (laminate works the same), don’t pair it with oak fronts — the eye gets tired. Use a solid colour (cream, anthracite) and let the wood live in the floor.

6. Bold colour — in small doses

Any bold colour — red, teal, bright mustard — can work in a kitchen. With one condition: keep it small.

If an accent colour covers more than 10%, you risk getting tired of it within a year or two. Keep it under 10%: an island front, one bank of doors, or an accent splashback.

7. Finish — the whole impression

The same colour in three finishes feels like three different colours:

• Matt — soft, “characterful,” forgiving of fingerprints
• Satin — mid-sheen, the best all-rounder
• Gloss / lacquer — bright, reflective, visually opens space, but requires care (see our laminated furniture care guide)

Dark + gloss = striking but high-maintenance. Dark + matt = premium feel, easier upkeep. Light + any finish — all three work.

Bottom line

Colour is the foundation. Finish is the effect. Contrast is the breathing room.

Want a hand on a specific project? Reach out — we’ll match physical swatches under your own light, not under a showroom fluorescent.