In this blog post, we’ll explore what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets, various colour combinations that effortlessly enhance the beauty of grey kitchen cabinets. When it comes to kitchen design, the colour palette plays a crucial role in setting the tone for the entire space. Grey kitchen cabinets have gained immense popularity for their versatility, providing a sleek and modern look. However, choosing the right colours to complement grey cabinets can be a bit tricky.
The Importance of Colour
Selecting the right colour palette for your kitchen is a pivotal step in interior design, as it significantly impacts the overall look and feel of the space. The kitchen is often the heart of the home, a place where functionality and aesthetics converge. The colour scheme sets the tone for the room, influencing the mood, atmosphere, and even the perceived size of the space.
As this post is about what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets, we can use the cabinets as a starting point. One of the primary considerations in kitchen design is the cabinetry, and when it comes to grey kitchen cabinets, the importance of the right colour palette becomes even more pronounced. The ideal combination enhances the visual appeal, creating a harmonious and inviting environment where you and your guests can comfortably gather.
Avoiding ‘Millennial Grey’
Grey is a very versatile colour (or lack there-of) which comes in many shades. When looking for what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets, the first temptation may be to just mix and match it with different shades of grey but be careful, you may unwittingly enter ‘the millennial grey’ trend. Grey has been particularly ‘en vogue’ in the past 15 years, where people would decorate their homes in all grey. Grey carpets and grey sofas and grey/silver decor.
The ‘Millennial Grey’ fad, with its prevalence in modern interior design, has its fair share of drawbacks. While the colour initially gained popularity for its sleek and minimalist aesthetic, its overuse has led to an oversaturation that feels uninspired and monotonous. It becomes particularly problematic when there is a lack of depth, where similar shades are used throughout, and when there are no accent colours, with grey in everything from walls to furniture and decor has resulted in an almost clinical, sterile atmosphere, devoid of personality and warmth.
The relentless embrace of ‘Millennial Grey’ in design trends has, ironically, rendered it somewhat generic, stripping away the individuality that a home’s interior should ideally convey. The overreliance on this particular colour also risks creating spaces that lack character and fail to reflect the diverse personalities and tastes of the people inhabiting them, turning what was once a chic choice into a mundane and tiresome cliché.
When it comes to interior design, we typically have 3 colours incorporated into each space. If you’re searching for what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets then we can assume one of your dominant colours will be grey. You can then decide on a second semi-dominant colours, and an accent colour. These can be incorporated through flooring, textiles, walls and accessories, so never fear!
Understanding warm and cool greys
The distinction between “warm” and “cool” greys lies in the undertones that subtly influence the colour. Warm greys often contain hints of red, yellow, or brown, imparting a cozy and inviting feel to the space. On the other hand, cool greys tend to have undertones of blue or green, creating a more contemporary and calming ambiance. Identifying whether a grey is warm or cool can be determined by examining its undertones in various lighting conditions.
In natural light, warm greys may exhibit a slightly beige or tan hue, while cool greys might appear to have a bluish or greenish tint. It’s essential to observe the greys in the context of your specific environment, as the lighting and surrounding colours can influence how the undertones manifest. Testing paint samples or swatches in your own space and observing them at different times of the day can help you confidently discern between warm and cool greys and choose the one that best suits your desired atmosphere.
If your kitchen cabinets are labelled dove grey, they’re likely to be a warm grey. If they’re a charcoal grey or slate grey then they are more likely to be cool. It is important to know what tone of grey we are referring to, when asking what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets, as this will influence the complimentary shades. For example, very warm wood floorings look awful paired with cool grey kitchen cabinets, whilst they may look more appealing with warm grey ones.
What colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets
Grey is a great starting point, as it goes well with most colours. In order to answer the question of what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets, you’ll have to identify the type of grey that you are working with. Is it light or dark? Cool or warm? One common mistake is neglecting the impact of lighting on colours. The same grey hue can appear drastically different under various lighting conditions, and failure to account for this can lead to disappointment when the chosen colour doesn’t look as expected.
Another pitfall is overlooking the coordination between different elements in the kitchen. A mismatch between cabinet colour, countertops, backsplash, and other components can result in a chaotic or disjointed aesthetic. It’s crucial to consider the entire colour scheme and how each element contributes to the overall cohesiveness of the design, and in this article we will be approaching each aspect one by one.
Best Worktops for Grey Cabinets
The most common materials for worktops are stone or wood, and with good reason. These are often the durable options, of course, but they are also the most timeless. A bright pink durable plastic worktop may look awesome for a couple of years but will quickly make your space look dated.
I’m a huge fan of marble (/ marble effect) worktops, complete with veining for a splash of colour. As always, what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets will depend on the tone of the grey you’re working with – for cool cabinets and silverware I would recommend grey veining, whereas with warmer shades you can opt for beige, warm grey or even green veining!
With woods, you will need to be careful as choosing the wrong shade or tone can result in your space feeling ‘off’ in a way you can’t quite put your picture on. If you’re a fan of darker wood such as cherry or walnut then you’ll need to ensure your cabinets are also darker, as against lighter cabinets these woods can look quite overpowering.
You’ll also want to take into consideration the tone of your cabinets – for warmer cabinets you can go for more ‘orangey’ woods (although I would try to stay away from going too ‘orange’ either way), and for cooler woods a deep walnut can look beautiful. Oaks and pines – which are slightly lighter and less saturated woods work best, in my opinion – particularly for lighter grey kitchen cabinets.
Flooring
Everything we have discussed in terms of woods for worktops also applies when it comes to woods for your flooring, if that’s your preference. What colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets will largely come down to your personal preferences and style, but it is always worth taking the time to order samples of your preferred flooring style and leaving them next to your cabinets for a couple of days so you can get a feel for how they look in different lighting.
Just to reiterate, dark saturated wood flooring (or tile) can look quite odd when under cooler coloured kitchen cabinets, as we can see on the below left. Lighter, less saturated wood flooring often works best, often with both cool and warm cabinet shades.
Tiling also works beautifully – if that is your preference. If your kitchen cabinets are a darker grey, you’ll often want to opt for lighter colour schemes to keep a bit of balance in your space, and vice versa as we see in the two images below. Black, white and grey are the most timeless floor tile options, and again you’ll want to avoid anything too ‘orange’ like terracotta tiling, for example. If you have a large space and you want to lean into the moody theme, however, you may want to incorporate darker tiling even so.
What colour walls go with grey cabinets
As mentioned earlier, grey is an incredibly versatile, interesting colour. Most colours will go well with grey kitchen cabinets, as long as you are careful matching tones and creating contrast with your colour scheme and accessories to keep things visually interesting. Below we’ll have a look at some ideas for what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets.
Greys (darker or matching)
Mixing and matching grey is often the most fool proof way to go, and can look really elegant as long as there is a good mix of contrasting elements and accent colours. If you have grey floors and cabinets then I would look at incorporating a different colour, but if your floors are wood you are probably safe from falling into the ‘millennial grey’ trap. If painting your walls the same (or a different) shade of grey, make sure to buy some art and accessories in complimentary colours to keep things from looking bland and flat.
Pinks
Pink kitchens are making a huge comeback as of late (and you can check out my post on pink kitchen styling tips if this is of interest), and they are usually the first things that come to mind when someone asks me what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets. You can find warm and cool pinks that create a fun pop of colour in any otherwise monochrome kitchen. Match with lots of plants and muted shades of green for a stylish, calming space.
Pops of colour
If you’re looking for something more dramatic for your kitchen, pops of bright colours work wonderfully with darker grey kitchens. The contrast created through mixing oranges or bright yellows with charcoal is truly stunning and gives off a very modern feel. This is great for an accent wall, and if you’re feeling nervous can even be done through the addition of large pieces of bright art work or your textiles such as chairs and table cloths.
Greens
Green is another colour that works beautifully with grey kitchen cabinets – particularly if you have wood flooring and gold hardware already in place. Most often we see the shade of green being matched with that of your kitchen cabinets (eg dark greens for dark grey cabinets and lighter sage greens for light grey kitchen cabinets), however this is not a hard and fast rule. As we saw above, green and grey kitchens work beautifully with blush pink and brass accents, and help to create a really organic field.
Dark blues
Another colour combination we see when searching for what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets is blue. Often used for a section of the kitchen cabinets, or for a stand out island, this does seem like a match made in heaven. Sophisticated and modern, this could work well for a feature wall or for the whole room – particularly if you are working with a lighter grey.
Woods
Perhaps an unexpected one as not a paint colour per se, however wood panelling works so beautifully with grey kitchen cabinets of all shades. Again, the same rules apply as with floors and worktops so be sure to purchase samples and leave them by your cabinets for a couple of days before taking the leap and purchasing new panelling!
Tiles
The same applies with tiles, when it comes to what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets – in that all colours should work well with grey as long as you match the tone of the colour accurately. One guideline, however, is that tiling and backsplashes have a tendency to be the same shade or lighter as the kitchen cabinets. This is likely due to them being recessed, and so creating their own shadows which can look too deep if the colour is much darker than those around them.
Grey kitchen cabinets top 5 looks – what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets?
- Classic White Elegance: White and grey are a match made in design heaven. Pairing grey cabinets with white countertops and backsplash creates a timeless, clean, and sophisticated look. The contrast between the cool grey and crisp white adds depth to the kitchen, making it appear brighter and more inviting.
- Neutral Bliss with Beige or Taupe: For a warm and cozy ambiance, consider incorporating beige or taupe elements into your kitchen. These neutral tones harmonize seamlessly with grey, creating a soft and inviting atmosphere. Choose beige countertops, taupe walls, or even beige accessories to add warmth without overpowering the coolness of grey.
- Bold Contrasts with Navy or Midnight Blue: Inject a sense of drama into your kitchen by introducing deep navy or midnight blue accents. Dark blues complement grey exceptionally well, creating a sophisticated and moody aesthetic. This combination is perfect for those who want to make a bold statement while maintaining a modern and refined look.
- Earthy Tones for a Nature-inspired Retreat: If you crave a connection to nature, consider incorporating earthy tones like olive green, sage, or warm browns. These colours bring a sense of tranquility and coziness to the kitchen, creating a space that feels grounded and welcoming. Wooden elements, such as a natural wood floor or rustic accessories, can enhance this earthy theme.
- Playful Pops of Colour: Add a touch of vibrancy to your grey kitchen by introducing pops of colour through accessories or accent pieces. Whether it’s a bright yellow backsplash, bold red stools, or vibrant greenery, injecting a splash of colour can bring energy and personality to your kitchen while still allowing the grey cabinets to shine.
Conclusion: In the world of kitchen design, the perfect colour combination can transform a simple space into a stunning masterpiece. So what colour goes with grey kitchen cabinets? When working with grey kitchen cabinets, the options are limitless. Whether you prefer classic white, earthy neutrals, bold contrasts, or playful pops of colour, there’s a combination that suits your style. Experiment with these ideas, and let your creativity guide you as you create a kitchen that not only meets your functional needs but also reflects your unique aesthetic preferences.
