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10 Timeless Kitchen Colour Schemes

A new kitchen is a long-term fixture in your home. Ensure yours won't date by choosing a eye-catching colour scheme

Anne Ellard 4 March 2019

Houzz Australia Contributor. Kitchen designer at Kitchens by Kathie in Brisbane, Australia. I strongly believe that above all else, the most important thing when designing a kitchen is creating something that the client loves!

Houzz Australia Contributor. Kitchen designer at Kitchens by Kathie in Brisbane,... More

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Planning your new kitchen is exciting but it can be overwhelming at times too, with so many different aspects to consider. That’s why I always suggest my clients break the process down into stages and take each one a step at a time. Planning the colour scheme is the part they enjoy the most, but they are often scared of choosing one that will date quickly. These 10 classic and timeless colour schemes are worth considering for your next kitchen renovation. All can have different colour accessories added to them to change the look and feel of the space over time, but I guarantee you won’t tire of any of these schemes quickly.

To aid you in your selections, I have provided one benchtop suggestion and one cabinet door colour suggestion to help you achieve a similar look to each of the schemes in your own home (the colours and materials I have suggested are not necessarily exactly what was used in the photos). Your cabinet maker or kitchen designer will be able to source all these materials for you.

Mim Design

1. Black, white and grey
The contrast of black and white has been a much loved colour combination both in fashion and interiors. Although the contrast of black and white is strong, it’s still a very easy scheme to live with. A black and white scheme can be brightened with various coloured accessories that can easily be changed as you tire of them.

Black is a strong tone that creates big impact, so if you have a small space, use it sparingly. Consider a glossy finish for your black surfaces; this will help to bounce light around the room and make the black feel less heavy.

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: Black
Cabinet material: Paint

Countertop material: Natural marble.

Steding Interiors & Joinery

2. Navy and cream
Getting its name from the British Royal Navy, the colour navy is sophisticated and timeless.

Look at various tones of the colour and select one that suits your home and the lighting in the space the best. It doesn’t have to be the typical uniform navy that you might have in mind. A dark navy can look almost black while a more muted navy with grey tones might be more suitable as it’s not as dark and overpowering.

Team your chosen shade of navy with contrasting rich cream tones. Think coastal chic. Use warm creams that don’t appear too yellow.

Browse through images of blue kitchens

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: Blue
Cabinet material: Paint

Countertop colour:
Caesarstone
Material: Quartz (engineered stone)

Art of Kitchens Pty Ltd

3. Natural tones
Natural, like white, doesn’t have to mean boring. A natural colour scheme is warm, homey and is completely timeless due to the fact than none of the colours are strong and overpowering, so you won’t tire of looking at them. They are soft and inviting.

Think sandy and stone colours. This colour scheme looks great on either modern or traditional-style cabinets, but it really adds a grown-up touch to a traditional or country-style kitchen too.

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: Cream
Cabinet material: Laminate

Countertop colour: Gold
Material: Natural granite

Destination Living

4. White on white
White on white kitchens, although admittedly not to everyone’s taste, are perhaps the most timeless of all kitchen colour schemes and the most popular, with very good reason. White is a very easy colour to live with, it’s easy on the eye, doesn’t demand attention, you won’t get tired of looking at it and, best of all, there is an endless choice of coloured accessories that you can team with white without them clashing.

Here’s why you should get white kitchen cabinets

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: White
Material: Paint

Countertop colour: Caesarstone
Material: Quartz (engineered stone)

(This is Caesarstone’s interpretation of natural Calacatta marble. It has a crisp, white base with an elegant grey vein).

Provincial kitchens

5. French grey
French provincial-style kitchens tend to use subtle soft colours such as light blues, soft greys, antique whites and muted coffee colours. These soft colours highlight the detailed design of French provincial-style kitchens.

Combine soft grey cabinets with a natural colour countertop that also contains some grey tones, but don’t forget to create some contrast – make sure that the cabinets and countertop colours are not too similar or you could end up with a flat, uninteresting scheme.

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: Grey
Material: Paint

Countertop colour: White
Material: Natural granite

bg architecture

6. White and wood
Combine wood with white for a beautifully contrasting, once again, timeless scheme that simply won’t date because the white doesn’t compete with the wood for attention and therefore has a soothing effect.

Confine the use of wood to feature areas such as feature panelling or open shelves, so it’s not too overwhelming in the space and avoid wood that are too reddish or too dark in colour, as you may tire of these more easily.

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: White
Material: Laminate

Countertop colour: OakMaterial: Solid wood

Christian Zapatka Architect, PLLC

7. Olive green and champagne
Just as the earthy taste of green olives is complemented by the refreshing acidity of champagne, the same can be said for colours that carry the same name in interior decorating. Dress olive green cabinets with warm metal handles in champagne, brass or gold colours.

When selecting a countertop colour, choose a light-coloured material with a creamy undertone instead of crisp white. Consider a natural stone or stone-look material that has subtle veins in darker cream or champagne to provide a refreshing contrast with the more muted aesthetic of olive green.

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: Green
Material: Laminate

Countertop colour: White
Material: Quartzite

Suzi Appel Photography

8. Blues and greys
The combination of blue and grey tones creates a soothing and tranquil colour scheme that can be applied to both contemporary and traditional-style kitchens.

Here, the darker tone of the blue cabinetry is instantly brightened with the introduction of lighter grey countertop and grey and white feature tiles.

Any shade of blue and grey will work well together as long as there is some contrast.

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: Blue
Material: Paint

Countertop colour: Concrete
Material: Real concrete

Panorama Cabinets

9. Black, timber and marble
Almost any wooden colour will work with black, just avoid anything too dark or too red as it will jar with the black.

Look at veneer and laminate options when choosing colour materials for cabinetry fronts for a more cost-effective and durable alternative to solid wood. Veneer and laminate will also offer more consistency in colouring and grain pattern for a more uniform look.

Choose a marble or marble-look countertop that has a white or light grey base with darker grey veining to tie the look together.

Check out this guide to cleaning marble countertops

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: Brown
Material: Veneer

Countertop colour: White
Material: Engineered stone

Point 2 Design

10. All black
Black by its very nature is a dark and sultry colour that should be considered carefully before being used in any space, especially small and dark areas.

Some tricks that can be used to make an all-black kitchen feel less dark and overpowering include combining different textures and finishes to create visual interest, and using high-gloss surfaces to bounce more light around the space.

Add subtle highlights to break up the continuous block of black by selecting handles in a brushed stainless steel, polished chrome or polished brass.

Anne Ellard Design

Get the look
Cabinet colour: Black
Material: Laminate

Countertop colour: Caesarstone black
Material: Engineered stone

Read more:
11 Captivating Modular Kitchen Colour Combinations
Fresh Design Ideas From 20 Urban Indian Kitchens
Tell us:
Which colour scheme did you like from this list?