The kitchen equivalent of “business in the front, party in the back”? Cabinets that are neutral on the outside and—surprise!—have a wash of color on the inside. Here are 5 sightings.
Above: In Color Meets Neutrals: A Stylist’s Reimagined 1850s Brooklyn Brownstone, open white oak shelving has a surprising, fresh wash of poppy red. Photograph by Malcolm Brown.
Above: Kitchens by Copenhagen-based Stillark (formerly called Stilleben) are “neutral on the outside, festive on the inside, and always painted by hand,” like this blue-hued one. Photograph (and featured image, above) courtesy of Stilleben and Stilleben Architects from Kitchen of the Week: A Two-Toned Design in Denmark.

Above: In An Architect’s Light-Filled, DIY Copenhagen Kitchen, Ikea Hack Included, Ikea’s workhorse Ivar cabinets are wall-mounted and given a wash of brick red for an upgraded bar setup. Photograph by @_designtales_.
Above: In A Colorful Yet Restrained Family Home That Doubles As an Art Gallery, the multi-colored kitchen is courtesy of linseed oil, including spring green for the inset open shelving. Photograph by Tanya Grigoroglou.
Above: And a sophisticated take: a pantry interior done in rusty brown/red, as seen in Kitchen of the Week: A “Not Too Kitchen-y” Kitchen in Maine. Photograph by Sean Litchfield.
More on doses of color in the kitchen:
- Trend Alert: The Case for Burgundy Accents in the Kitchen
- Seeing in Technicolor: 10 Color-Stained Kitchens That Swap Paint for Pigment