We’ve collected 10+ alternatives to pack color and panache into your kitchen design without painting the wall.
Install a Bold Backsplash
Put down the paintbrush and pull out your pencil, friend, because the class is in session. Take notes from this jaw-dropping design and enliven your airy, white-on-white kitchen with a prismatic backsplash tile. Snowy cabinetry, streamlined bronze hardware, and creamy marble countertops serve as a crisp base in this contemporary kitchen design. Hand-painted tiles featuring a lively floral and fauna motif steal the show, encasing the space with unforgettable tropical flair.
Paint Your Trim
The design pros at Hendricks Churchill LLC prove a little paint can go a long way. Follow their lead and paint your floor, ceiling, and door trim to saturate your kitchen. Use a moody hue, like the Randolph Blue by Benjamin Moore shown here, to achieve a dramatic look.
Saturate Your Ceiling
Ready to take your design game to the next level? Use this whimsical kitchen by interior designer Swati Goora as your blueprint and wallpaper your ceiling with eye-catching color and pattern. We’re smitten with this technique because it allows you to make a major statement without making major changes to your cabinets or walls. Bonus points are up for grabs if you coordinate your ceiling paper with the upholstery, accent furniture, and window treatments used throughout your space as Goora does here.
Pick a Bold Accent Color
Aiming for the effortless chic appeal achieved in this kitchen by D2 Interieurs? Saturate your neutral space with a single accent color – the punchier, the better. The pros at D2 Interieurs use electric cobalt to complement the cool blue undertones found in the marble island and countertop throughout. Examine undertones from your natural stone or other natural elements to find the best accent color for your kitchen design.
Stack Your Book Collection
Copy designer Brian Patrick Flynn and add color to your kitchen without the cost or commitment that comes with paint projects. Flynn softens this moody black kitchen with aqua, pale pink, and sky blue books stacked on the open-air island shelves. Recreate the look at home by adding colorful cookbook stacks on your countertop or floating shelves. Pro tip: Create horizontal and vertical stacks for a dimensional, interesting display.
Enliven With Art
Bring lively color to your kitchen with eye-catching artwork to your walls. The design pros at D2 Interieurs electrify this white kitchen with vivid pops of lemon yellow via an iconic Slim Aarons print. A glossy ceramic cookie jar and sculpted brass hardware complement the print and create cohesion in the design.
Wrap Your Walls
Paint isn’t the only way to weave color into your kitchen design. Skip the stained hands and empty cans and wrap your space in chromatic wallpaper, instead. Interior designer Lucy O’Brien achieves timeless appeal with airy blue and yellow toile wallpaper, white shaker cabinets, and creamy marble countertops.
Create Showy Seating
Let this design by Caitlin Murray serve as your reminder to never underestimate the impact colorful seating has on a neutral kitchen design. Translate her genius design in your kitchen at home by adding showy, saturated banquette seating to your lackluster breakfast nook.
Dial-Up Your Doors
Interior designer Ann Lowengart ensures every day starts with sunshine, thanks to this cheery yellow Dutch door. Set the tone in your white or neutral kitchen by adding a few coats of paint to your doors. Choose a striking citrus shade, like Sunny Veranda by Sherwin-Williams, or use a rich, moody hue to create handsome contrast against your airy walls.
Install Lively Lighting
Light fixtures are the jewelry of the home, and we believe they should shine bright in every design. The flashy green pendant lights D2 Interieurs uses in this white kitchen do just that. Use bold light fixtures to create a focal point in your airy kitchen and infuse color into your design in one fell swoop.
Create a Dreamy Mural
This kitchen breakfast nook includes a blue and green mural that is sure to wow. The blues and greens compliment the green and white kitchen space and make for a truly unique and striking design element.
Put Your Cake Mixer to Work
Use your iconic cake mixer as an effortless and organic way to add color to your kitchen design. Designer Caitlin Murray uses a lime green mixer as a punch of contrast and fresh color in this dramatic teal kitchen. Pro tip: Select a cake mixer color finish based on the hues used in your living room, bedroom, or dining space to achieve an intentional and cohesive look throughout your home.