Giving your kitchen cabinets a colorful makeover can transform the entire look and feel of your kitchen. Vibrant cabinet interiors inject energy and personality into the space, creating an eye-catching focal point. Whether you opt for a bold, saturated color or prefer a more muted tone, a colorful interior provides the perfect backdrop for displaying your beautiful dishes and glassware. Read on to explore ideas and inspiration for jazzing up your kitchen with colorful cabinetry.
Choosing Interior Cabinet Colors
When selecting a color for your cabinet interiors, consider the overall style and color scheme of your kitchen. Think about the look you want to achieve – do you prefer a bright, cheerful vibe or something more subtle and sophisticated? Here are some popular interior cabinet color options to consider:
Vibrant Colors
Make a bold statement with a highly saturated interior color like emerald green, sapphire blue, or fire engine red. These dramatic shades pair nicely with crisp white cabinet frames and black or stainless steel hardware and appliances for pops of contrast. Vibrant colors work best in contemporary, modern, or retro-inspired kitchens.
Earthy Neutrals
Warm neutral tones like beige, tan, and soft grey have an understated yet cozy vibe perfect for traditional or farmhouse style kitchens. Pair with natural wood countertops and antique brass hardware for a timeless look. Buttery yellows and muted greens give off a soothing cottage feel.
Cool Hues
Light blue, airy aqua, pale sage, and robin’s egg blue offer a calming reprieve from all the warm wood tones in many kitchens. These tranquil cool colors complement marble, quartz, or concrete countertops. Deeper shades of navy and cobalt jazz things up.
Unique Colors
Make your kitchen truly one-of-a-kind with an unconventional interior color like dusty rose, rich eggplant, mustard yellow, or deep teal. These exciting shades inject a fun, artsy vibe into modern or eclectic spaces. Consider mixing and matching a few bold colors in different cabinets for extra pizzazz.
Black and White
A black or white interior provides an eternally chic, versatile backdrop that works with any style. Use black to ground bright countertops or white to amplify light cabinetry. Add visual interest by alternating black and white cabinets or try black lowers and white uppers.
Factors to Consider
Keep the following factors in mind when selecting your colorful cabinet interior shade:
- Lighting – Lighter colors show off contents best in dark kitchens, while deeper tones make sense in bright rooms.
- Countertops – Contrasting cabinet and countertop colors create harmony. For beige countertops try blue or green cabinets. With white marble, go for black or navy interiors.
- Flooring – Wood or tile flooring can handle vibrant cabinet colors. With light floors, use softer interior hues to avoid clashing.
- Window Treatments – If your window treatments are colorful or patterned, stick to solid cabinet colors to prevent a busy look.
- Personal Preference – While trends come and go, choose a color you’ll love long-term since changing cabinet interiors is expensive.
- Resale Value – Neutral white, black, or wood-tone interiors have the widest appeal for future buyers. Save bold colors for accents.
Ideal Cabinet Types for Colorful Interiors
While paint or stain can give any cabinets a pop of color inside, certain cabinet door styles really let the hues shine through:
Glass Front Cabinets
Glass front cabinet doors and open shelving optimize visibility, allowing your vibrant interiors to take center stage. Try colored glass like deep aqua for added dimension.
Shaker Style Cabinets
The clean, simple lines of Shaker cabinets don’t compete with a colorful interior. Their thin frames highlight the color while still concealing contents.
Slab or Flat Panel Cabinets
Like Shaker cabinets, slab cabinet fronts let the interior color speak for itself. The minimalist style contributes to a sleek, modern look.
Application Methods for Colored Interiors
There are several options for adding color to your cabinet interiors depending on your cabinets’ existing finish and your project budget:
Paint
Painting the interior (and optionally exterior) offers the simplest, most budget-friendly option for achieving any color you desire. Use a high-quality cabinet paint formulated for the rigors of kitchen use.
Stain or Glaze
For wood cabinets, apply an interior stain in your preferred tone for a transparent finish that highlights the wood grain. Or use colored glaze for a more intense opaque stain.
Colored Laminate
With new cabinetry, opt for colored laminate on the interior for a sleek, durable finish. Many companies offer dozens of laminate colors and patterns to choose from.
Interior Wallpaper
Self-adhesive wallpaper or contact paper lets you easily line cabinet interiors with any colorful print or pattern imaginable. This is a temporary, removable option suitable for renters.
Thermofoil
Thermofoil cabinetry features a thin, molded plastic laminate over all interior and exterior surfaces for seamless, durable color coverage. Thermofoil comes in endless solid colors and woodgrain options.
Ideas for Color Combinations
Mixing and matching interior colors can create visual interest and display unity between upper and lower cabinets. Here are some stylish color combo ideas to inspire you:
Complementary Colors
Choose complementary colors (opposites on the color wheel) like navy and orange or yellow and violet for striking contrast.
Analogous Colors
Use three analogous colors (adjacent on the wheel) in a color scheme, like blue, teal and green. This creates a harmonious graduated look.
Tone-on-Tone
Try different shades of one hue – light, medium and dark blue interiors, for example. This adds subtle depth.
Primary Color Scheme
The classic combination of blue, red and yellow makes a cheerful statement. Mix all solids or try two solids and one patterned print.
Black, White and One Color
Pair your bold color choice with classic black and white for a stylish pop. Try green, red or navy interiors with crisp black and white.
Wood Tones and Color
Mix natural wood cabinet interiors with your paint color of choice for texture and contrast. For example, stain lower cabinets a walnut hue and paint upper interiors robin’s egg blue.
Maximizing Storage with Colorful Interiors
Beyond just looking pretty, colorful cabinet interiors can help you optimize kitchen organization and storage. Here are some tips:
- Designate different cabinet colors for different types of dishes – blue for mugs, yellow for plates, etc.
- Use interior shelves or trays in alternating colors for easy visual categorization of items.
- Choose see-through refrigerator bins and drawers in different shades to quickly identify contents.
- Pick deep tones like navy to hide cooking splatters and other messy evidence of well-used kitchens!
- Opt for white or other light colors to illuminate dark corner cabinets or other low visibility areas.
- Attach self-adhesive chalkboard panels on interior cabinet doors for an artsy way to label contents.
Displaying Dishware and Glassware
Vivid cabinet interiors serve as the perfect backdrop for showing off beautiful stemware, dishes, and collectibles. Here are some tips:
- Add LED or puck lighting inside cabinets to spotlight prized pieces.
- Install glass-front cabinet doors, open shelving or glass shelves to put the interior color on full display.
- Angle dishes so the cabinet color reflects off them. All-white dishes will pick up the hue.
- Arrange collections by color – blue bottles on a yellow shelf, multicolored bakeware in a green cabinet, etc.
- Stack dishes in descending order from largest on the bottom to smallest on top for visual appeal.
- Display everyday dishware mixed with a few accent pieces like colored glass or patterned china.
Maintaining Colorful Cabinet Interiors
While colorful cabinets make a gorgeous statement in any kitchen, they do require some maintenance to keep looking their best. Here are some care tips:
- Use self-closing doors and drawers to reduce impact and wear.
- Attach felt pads on cabinet door corners to prevent chipping if banged.
- Avoid using harsh cleaners or abrasive pads/sponges which can damage the finish.
- Clean promptly when spills occur to prevent stains from setting.
- Touch up paint scratches right away to avoid visible damage. Keep extra paint on hand.
- Use wood oil on interior wood stains when they appear dried out.
- Dust regularly and wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth to remove grease buildup.
- Replace hardware periodically since handles and pulls see heavy use.
- Diffuse sunlight streaming into glass cabinets to prevent fading over time.
Hiring a Pro for Your Color Transformation
Some homeowners opt to hire a professional kitchen designer or contractor to assist with their colorful cabinet plans. A few key benefits of professional help include:
- Expertise in cabinet installation, electrical work, plumbing, etc. for a fully functional result.
- Access to wholesale cabinetry, hardware, and other materials to save money.
- Knowledge of building codes to ensure any changes meet requirements.
- Complex cabinet modifications like adding glass doors or shelves.
- Ability to perfectly match new cabinets with existing.
- Insider supplier relationships for specialty services like custom cabinetry or antique glassware.
While a pro may charge more upfront, their skilled results and timesaving abilities can pay off in the long run. Be sure to get multiple quotes and check references before hiring.
FAQs About Colorful Kitchen Cabinet Interiors
What color makes kitchen cabinets look more expensive?
Deep, saturated colors like navy blue, forest green, black, or charcoal grey appear rich and luxurious inside kitchen cabinets. Glossy finishes also seem more upscale.
Do colorful cabinets go out of style quickly?
Trendy colors may look dated after a few years, while classic white, black, or wood tones have more longevity. For the interior only, bold colors are easily changed when desired.
How do I decorate the inside of glass cabinets?
Display decorative bowls, colored glassware and plates to let the interior color shine through. Prop up cookbooks or decorative objects on risers. Add lighting. Include a few baskets or trays for interest.
What cabinet color makes a small kitchen look bigger?
Light, bright cabinet colors like white, light grey, or soft blue will reflect light and create the illusion of a larger space. Dark colors will make a small kitchen feel more closed in.
What is the most popular kitchen cabinet color for 2023?
White remains the most popular cabinet color by far for its clean, timeless appeal. But for cabinet interiors, rich blues like navy and cobalt are rising in popularity this year.
Conclusion
Revamping your kitchen with colorful cabinet interiors provides an easy and affordable way to infuse personality into the space. Whether you prefer a dramatic jewel tone or an understated neutral, a colorful interior creates an eye-catching focal point showcasing your dishware and glassware collections. Carefully selecting a color that complements your overall kitchen aesthetic is key. Glass-front cabinetry really lets the hues shine through. Maintaining the finish will keep your cabinets looking freshly vibrant for years to come. With so many colors and combinations to select from, you’re sure to find a look that suits your unique style.
