Why Contrasting Kitchen Islands Add a Pop of Color to Your Design Scheme

Not so long ago, the typical kitchen island matched the cabinets. These days, however, more and more homeowners are choosing to go with a contrasting island. Why? This is a trend that comes from the fashion industry, where color blocking has long been popular. In the interior design world, color blocking became big about a decade ago with things like accent walls, curtains and colorful cabinets.

Now that trend has moved on to kitchen islands. Islands are a wonderful way to add color and visual interest to a kitchen. They’re not as large as cabinetry, which means that should you choose bright colors, the color won’t feel overwhelming. And, since they’re central to the kitchen, they serve well as a centerpiece, a focal point that draws the eye. Want to learn more about how to choose a contrasting island color for your kitchen? Read on to see our recommendations!

What Colors Should You Choose?

If you want to add a pop of color with your island, the sky is the limit as far as color choices go. However, there are a few colors that are trending right now. For a modern look, go with a black island that contrasts with a white kitchen. Dark gray also works well here, especially if you’d like a slightly more muted contrast.

As far as non-black and white colors go, blues and greens are in. Keep in mind that these aren’t necessarily jewel tones. The blues and greens that you’ll most commonly see are dusty shades of sky blue or navy, faded shades of green or even olive tones. If you choose a brighter shade, then one way to go about muting the color slightly is to give the island a distressed finish. This lets you keep the bold pop of color, only somewhat toned down.

Cabinet and Island Pairings

Another thing to think about apart from color choices is pairing those colors with kitchen cabinets. In white farmhouse kitchens, colorful islands are in! Here, you can go for any number of color schemes: white cabinets with a black island, blue, green, gray or even a bold color like orange if you really want to add pizazz to the room.

But what if you have wood cabinets? Here, you may want to go for something a little more muted. Perhaps olive green, sage green or navy blue. And don’t forget that you can do the reverse of this, too. Go for painted cabinets in blues or another shade, and then install a rich wood island to contrast the cabinetry.

Gray kitchens are another up and coming trend. In these kitchens, you’ll typically find distressed gray wood floors, light to medium gray cabinets, and white walls and counters. What color island should you choose for this color scheme? Black works well, as do dark shades of gray. However, if you want to add a hint of color and a little more interest to the theme, go with a dark navy blue.

Island Colors for Open Floor Plans

Homes with an open floor plan — a combined kitchen, living and dining space — are becoming a lot more popular. In these homes, you have the option of pairing your island with elements from the kitchen, or you can pair it with other elements throughout the space. For instance, if you have a gray sofa in your living area, you can always match the island to the sofa to pull the whole room together. Take a look around the space to find other large elements, like the entertainment center, the curtains or shelving, and color match these with the island to give your home a cohesive look.

There are many ways to use your island to add color to your kitchen’s color scheme. Whatever shades you choose, a pop of color as your kitchen’s centerpiece will add lots of visual interest!