Kitchens have become so much more than functional spaces—they're where people really want to express themselves,” says interior designer Amanda Sinistaj of Ellwood Interiors. So far in 2026, designers are finding that this self-expression is showing itself in kitchen color selection. Clients are leaning towards hues that are warmer, moodier, and a tad more unexpected.
Here are the kitchen color trends designers are seeing right now.
Warmer Neutrals: In this kitchen designed by ELLE Decor A-Lister Montana Labelle, decorative painter Jeanne Shemilt coated the custom range hood in Venetian plaster, and the backsplash is in blue Michelangelo marble.
“I’m seeing clients move away from bright white kitchens and white oak cabinetry in favor of warmer, more nuanced palettes,” says interior designer Valerie Helgeson. “Requests for creamy whites and deeper brown stains are showing up more often which still deliver a classic feel, but with more depth.”
Sinistaj is also noticing this shift: “We are seeing a strong pull towards soft, velvet-like taupes which have proven versatile to work with and much cozier than a sterile white,” she says. Jacqueline Goncalves of Moksa Studio, who has designed spaces for Soho House locations worldwide, noted that this trend is playing out across project types.
Read More: https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/trends/a70062151/kitchen-paint-color-trends-2026/