Statement Kitchen Color Ideas We Found on Instagram

The navy kitchen may have reigned supreme in recent years and luxurious white marble and clean color palettes may seem like a safe, timeless option, but trust us when we say a colorful kitchen can bring pure joy to the home.

The kitchen, for many, is the most utilized space in the house. It’s thought Brits spend an unbelievable seven hours and 37 minutes a week cooking for themselves, add to that working from home at the kitchen table, homework sessions, weekend kitchen parties, dinner parties and everything in between and the hours you spend in the kitchen really clock up. So why not make it a space that’s going to fill you with joy? Think of it as dopamine dressing but for the home.

One person who has embraced a shot of color into their own kitchen is chef and author, Syke McAlpine. If you’ve followed her on Instagram you will be familiar with her stunning lemon sherbet shade kitchen, designed by architect Ben Pentreath. The style of kitchen leans into a country aesthetic – comforting and homely – whilst the zesty shade, which was inspired by Monet’s dining room in Giverny, no less, brings a light, fun and modern edge‌

“We wanted a joyful color,” explains Skye, “ I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and as I work there as well as cook, host and live, so it was really important to me that above all it felt like a happy space.”

Gemma McCloskey, interior designer and founder of Cúpla Studio, recently worked on the breathtaking new RIXO store on the King’s Road. It’s a feast for the eyes, a bounty of print and color and definitely a source of inspiration for anyone looking to inject statement color into their home. We spoke to Gemma and Skye to find out what their top tips were on making color work in the kitchen. Here’s what they had to say…

Gemma McCloskey, Interior Designer & Founder of Cúpla Studio

DON’T BE AFRAID OF COLOR

People often think going bold and bright in a kitchen will make it date quicker but that is not necessarily the case. Don’t be afraid to inject color, ensuring it’s not too overpowering and it’s balanced with the rest of the room. I think light, bright colors in the kitchen can be really fresh and uplifting

THINK ABOUT BALANCE

I think you can have bold colors in any style of kitchen from contemporary to traditional. You just need to make sure colors selected complement each other and are balanced. I tend to start with the worktop material, selecting a really nice natural stone or a glazed lava stone and then work out the rest from there.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO ADD COLOR EVERYWHERE

If you’re on a budget or aren’t brave enough to go full on color throughout the room, the kitchen backsplash is a good place to start. A glazed colored tile can inject a pop of color without needing to change the worktop and joinery. When I moved into my apartment, the kitchen joinery wasn’t necessarily what I would have personally picked, however I couldn’t afford to change it all. The backsplash was painted white, so I decided to tile it in a light blue handmade glazed tile from Bert and May. It made a huge difference and was relatively low cost.

Skye McAlpine, Author & Chef

FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN PRACTICAL & PRETTY

First and foremost, the kitchen should be a practical space that you can then tweak to make it pleasing to the eye as well as useful. For example, I collect old copper molds which I use to make panna cotta and jellies and to bake bundt cakes in. But when I’m not using them I hang them on the wall so they have a decorative element too.‌

EMBRACE IMPERFECTIONS

I think a kitchen space improves and becomes cozier and more welcoming the more you use it. We put in marble worktops when we redecorated and as much as they looked beautiful when they were new and pristine, I actually think they look better now that they’ve had a chance to gather a few stains and scratches and a little patina of life. I like to embrace imperfection in the kitchen and add touches of bright, happy colors to bring the space together.‌

DISPLAY THE THINGS YOU LOVE

Fill the kitchen with things that you love to look at and love to use – this will help it feel cozy and welcoming. Over the years, I’ve collected a wonderful set of copper pots and pans, which give me as much joy to look at hanging over our cooker, as when I use them to cook.

BUILD A KITCHEN TO SUIT YOUR LIFESTYLE

Think about how you want to use the space and then make that a priority. For example, I love to host big dinner parties for lots of friends, so we put our kitchen island on wheels so we can easily wheel it out of the way and extend the dining table to accommodate 20 or 30 people. Similarly, I hate washing up but love to cook, so we squeezed in two dishwashers to make things extra easy.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

I’m a big believer in keeping the space as flexible as possible: freestanding storage rather than fixed; open shelving rather than built-in cupboards; a central table rather than a fixed kitchen island; and so on. I think it’s nice to have a space that easily evolves with you as you grow and your needs change.

ADD COLOR WITH ACCESSORIES

I find that if you buy things that you love to look at then they double as decoration as well as useful items. All my TAVOLA plates and glasses and serveware are on show on open shelving and in a glass fronted dresser, so that then I can enjoy it as much when I’m not using it as well as when I am.