5 Paint Colors You Should Never Use in Your Kitchen, Designers Warn

Choosing the right paint color for your kitchen is no easy feat—after all, it’s the heart of your home. However, not all colors are created equal since some can actually make your space feel cramped or outdated.

Keep reading to discover five paint colors that design pros say you should never use in your kitchen—as well as five vibrant alternatives they recommend you dish up instead.

Yellow

From buttermilk to sunny-side-up eggs, it’s no wonder yellow is often seen as a natural fit for the kitchen. Yet designers warn that a yellow kitchen can grow tiresome.

“It’s best to avoid warm colors like yellow and orange in the kitchen,” Sabah Mansoor, the founder and principal designer at Sabah Mansoor Design, says. “These colors can easily make the space feel outdated and create a sense of claustrophobia and stress.”

What to Use Instead: Alabaster

If yellow catches your eye, don’t dismiss it. After all, there’s probably no better color to add a sunny disposition to your space. Rather than using pure yellow, however, Mansoor recommends swapping it for a cream color with a warm, amber undertone such as alabaster. A soft, yellow-based cream like alabaster will brighten your kitchen without overwhelming it.

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Bright White

Scroll on Pinterest and it’s easy to fall into the misconception that everyone’s painting their kitchens bright white. Kitchens that appear bright white online are usually cloaked in a much softer hue in real life.

“I would not recommend brilliant white as it creates a cold and clinical environment and lacks that warm, homey feel,” Mansoor explains. “As a man-made color, it is the only one that does not appear in nature, making it feel particularly jarring.”

What to Use Instead: Dove

Rather than bright white, choose a color like Dove, Mansoor suggests, who chose to dress the kitchen above in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. This long-time Benjamin Moore best seller is beloved by top designers for its warmth and versatility—and its decidedly non-yellow undertones. It has a white appearance but has a depth that prevents it from feeling too cold or stark.

Red

Red creates drama, Mansoor explains, which has the dual effect of making a kitchen feel overheated. She says it’s best to avoid red unless you are aiming for a kitchen that will fade out of style quickly. Red hues are often better suited for spaces like a local diner rather than your personal kitchen.

What to Use Instead: Swiss Coffee

If you like the coziness of red, Mansoor suggests opting for a soft beige, like Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee, instead. Touted as “an essential white with just the right amount of warmth,” Swiss Coffee pairs well with shades of green or blue, making it the perfect match if you have cabinetry in either color.

Black

Given how chic an all-black exterior can look on a house, it’s reasonable to think that an all-black kitchen might land the same. But according to Emily Ruff, an interior designer at Cohesively Curated Interiors, that’s not always the case.

While black certainly brings drama, it can also come off as harsh or overly industrial, especially when paired with white or metal appliances. Even worse, black can be an unforgiving shade when it comes to things like fingerprints and grease splatters. Black surfaces, especially matte finishes, show every smudge, making it tricky to keep black-painted walls looking pristine.

What to Use Instead: Charcoal

When a client floated the idea of black kitchen walls to Ruff, she proposed a dark charcoal gray instead—specifically, Sherwin Williams’ Iron Ore.

“Iron Ore is a bit softer than black and has some blue undertones so it didn’t feel harsh,” Ruff explains. She notes that she knew it would coordinate well with the gray counter slabs her clients wanted while still managing to feel timeless.

Gray

While gray is a favorite in living rooms and bedrooms, many designers shy away from using it in the kitchen. The reason? In a space meant to foster warmth and socializing, gray can often feel too dreary.

Additionally, if used in large amounts—or used without enough contrast—gray can create a monotonous look.

What to Use Instead: Green Smoke

For a butler’s pantry that connects to a timeless white kitchen, Mansoor went with Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke. This shade has cool, smoky-blue undertones that create a calming mood like gray, but it also ushers in a vibrance that will dial up the energy in a kitchen.