Unexpected Drama: An Out-of-the-Box Kitchen Color Combo

updated Jul 17, 2020

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It’s an exciting time to be choosing a kitchen color scheme. Not only have we seen a lot of fresh trends emerge in recent years, but bold and playful hues are ever more welcome in this traditional space. If you’re a color lover looking to branch out in your kitchen this year, you might want to take a peek at this surprising color combo to see if it’s right for you.

(Image credit: Bethany Nauert)

→ Black and mint!

I wouldn’t have thought painting the walls, ceilings and most of the cabinets black and accenting with mint-colored cabinet doors and drawer faces would work, but clearly the proof is in the photos from Rebecca & Jared’s Eclectic Hollywood Regency.

Not only does this color combo work well with the narrow galley kitchen, the black and white floors and the whole home’s decor, using these two surprising colors in the kitchen turns what could have been a bland and boring space into a dramatic tunnel of style—the kind of space you’d want to cook in!

(Image credit: Bethany Nauert)

This color palette works so well with this kitchen because it embraces the color trick that other small space dwellers know: Sometimes using dark colors in a small space makes a room feel more expansive and cozy at the same time, like a colorful cocoon.

I think this look also works for this home because Rebecca and Jared smartly created a light-colored seating nook visible through the doorway on the other side of the kitchen. This not only provides a visual rest from the bold black paint, but it also serves to pull you into the kitchen and through it. The bright and cheery nook at the end helps the the dramatic design choices in the kitchen not feel so harsh, heavy or serious.