In a world of seemingly endless color trends and palette predictions, it can be hard to decipher which colors are in and which are out. Will painting your kitchen cabinets a darker shade of forest green be a look that lasts? Or will you be happier with a nice, warm neutral?
When redesigning what is for many the heart of the home, it's easy to get lost in the vast array of kitchen color ideas. To save you from endlessly shuffling through a stack of peel-and-stick paint samples only to come to a stalemate, I have asked designers what they predict are the color trends for kitchens we're bound to grow tired of in 2025. Patrick O'Donnell, brand ambassador for Farrow and Ball paint company, says that when deciding on the right kitchen paint color, "it is not so much about what is or is not in style, and more about avoiding ambiguity in your palette."
Kitchens are sociable places where many of our memories take place, so you want it coated in a palette that reflects comfort and resonates with you. Below are all the kitchen color ideas designers say to avoid, and a few tips on what to look for instead.
1. Gray
Gray is one of the most debated and controversial colors when it comes to interior color trends. Interior designer and founder of Custom Home Design, Nina Lichtenstein, claims that "the reign of cool grays is coming to an end." Once upon a time, they were beloved for their sleek, modern aesthetic (remember the millennial gray phenomenon?) they are now considered too cold and impersonal for spaces as inviting and sociable as the kitchen.
Nina goes on to explain that "grays with blue or green undertones tend to lack the emotional depth that kitchens now crave, and they can make a space feel disconnected from natural elements, which are becoming more crucial in modern home design."
Decorating with gray has never been for the faint of heart, but now it is something that might be better left in 2024.
2. Muted Blues and Greens
Similarly, blues and greens with gray undertones are the next colors on the 2025 chopping block. French grays (which lean very green) and soft, neutral blues once dominated the modern farmhouse kitchen look. But while blue and green are classic kitchen colors, kitchen trends are becoming more joyful and less sober in appearance.
While Patrick is not ruling out blue and green altogether, "it's about a different approach to these shades, such as opting for an acidic, bold olive green rather than the more austere French Gray, or a cleaner blue rather than heritage classics," advises Patrick.
3. Stark Whites
I am not so surprised to see stark white on the list of colors on the way out. Sometimes a kitchen that looks too crisp and clean can detract from the point of the room: to cook, host, and get a little messy.
Tash Bradley, color expert and founder of Lick Paint, says "For 2025 we’re seeing a move away from the all-white, clinical, minimal-style kitchens. Because you have a lot of reflective surfaces in these spaces, if you only have white or grey it can make the space feel cold." Feeling cold is exactly the opposite of what you want from a place as lively as the kitchen.
Of course, white is still a beautiful neutral when done the right way. So if you cannot get the classic, white kitchen ideas out of your head, remember to consider how to make a white kitchen look better. First, opt for a warmer, off-white to balance out the brightness of the pure white hue. "The trend in 2025 leans towards softer, warmer whites that feel more organic and blend effortlessly with natural textures and earthy tones," says Nina.
Kitchen Colors to Embrace Instead
Now that we have announced what kitchen colors will not be flooding our mood boards in 2025, let's discuss what to consider instead.
The key is finding a kitchen color that you will not get tired of from one season to the next and as you spend much of your time there. As Tash says, " What people are realizing is that they still want their kitchens to be the hearts of their homes where friends and family gather and spend time together, regardless of shape or size." Rich, warm, and bold hues are just the hues to together.
Butter yellow has recently emerged as the color of the season, and these yellows are a must for kitchen cabinetry (or a window inset like the image above). "Teamed with warm whites, they'll exude a certain joy and uplifting spirit- who doesn't want that day or night?" asks Patrick.
Another honorable mention is the moody shade of purpley-red that Livingetc's style editor, Julia Demer, recently coined as "cabernetcore." Tash describes this draw to deep reds as a shift "towards richer, earthier but still nature-inspired colors that are super inviting but have a bit more attitude to them."
There is a lot to look out for in the world of color trends. The most important thing to keep in mind as you design your cooking space for 2025 is to choose colors that reflect your style and create an inviting backdrop for all the memories you have to make in your kitchen.
