Fall in Love With the Dimension of Non-White Kitchens

White kitchens may be timeless, but sometimes classic can start to feel sterile. If you're longing to infuse a more soulful, dimensional ambiance into your kitchen, it may be time to consider painting your blank canvas in a rich, moody hue.

Deep green cabinets set against crisp white countertops. Matte black paired with light oak accents. Navy blue islands that pop against quartz surfaces. Non-white kitchens trade sterile for stunning by embracing color, contrast and texture.

Inject Personality and Customization Into Your Favorite Room

We spend so much time cooking, eating and mingling in the kitchen. Shouldn't this well-loved space truly showcase our style? Non-white kitchens allow homeowners to put personal spin on their design palette.

Painting cabinets, installing a colorful backsplash or opting for an unconventional countertop material communicates your uniqueness. It tells a story about the people dwelling behind closed doors. Whether you gravitate towards punchy colors or subtle neutrals, non-white kitchens reflect who you are.

Unleash Your Inner Artist With Color

Color wields immense power over mood and emotion. The rich tones of a non-white kitchen envelop you in warmth. Cool hues calm and soothe. A pop of brightness lifts your energy. Kitchen colors set the tone for how you feel as you cook dinner or chat over morning coffee.

Deeper colors also add stunning visual dimension. As light hits the surfaces, tones seem to shift before your eyes. It's artistic and mesmerizing. Strategically placed lighting and reflective touches enhance this interplay of light and color even further.

The Texture Dimension: Tactile Interest Through Contrasting Finishes

Color isn't the only way to incorporate stunning dimension. Contrasting textures and patterns also catch the eye, adding depth in an entirely different way.

Consider concrete countertops with a polished or matte finish next to sleek lacquered cabinetry. Or place a handmade artisan tile backsplash against beautiful reclaimed wood open shelving. Playing with scale also boosts textural intrigue. Small subway tiles adjacent to a massive stone-topped kitchen island, for example.

As you move through the space, these rich finishes delight the sense of touch as well as sight. The kitchen becomes a multi-sensory haven.

Choosing Your own Unique Color Palette

Once you've decided to jump on the non-white kitchen train, an exciting journey awaits. Namely, selecting your own captivating color scheme. Many options wait at your fingertips.

Cabinet Colors with Staying Power

Your cabinetry color lays the foundation for your entire kitchen scheme. Prime your palette right by selecting a hue with serious style mileage.

• Sophisticated black never goes out of vogue. Pair with brass hardware for a hint of glam.
• Bring nautical spirit in with a rich navy blue. Especially stunning with white quartz counters.
• Charcoal gray offers a fantastic bridge between black and greige. Its modern edge suits contemporary spaces.
• Deep green captivates with an organic, earthy vibe. From emerald to forest tones, options abound.

Choosing Countertops for Contrast

Countertops remain one of the most tactile elements in any kitchen. Selecting a material and tone that contrasts beautifully with your cabinet selection is key.

Light countertop materials create a pleasing balance against dark cabinetry. Crisp whites, concrete grays and subtle marbles enable your colorful cabinets to take center stage. The inverse also rings true: dark granite, butcher block and eco-friendly PaperStone countertops pop against lighter cabinet colors.

Backsplash Patterns and Textures

Like jewelry for your kitchen, the backsplash presents ample opportunity for infusing additional color, shape and texture.

Subway tiles in green, navy or black exude retro charm. Moroccan-inspired encaustic cement tiles catch the light. Iridescent glass mosaics glitter delicately. Handmade ceramic tiles with artisanal glazes add organic texture.

Remember to incorporate some form of contrast--whether in material, color or finish--to prevent a flat looking space. Your backsplash should enhance dimension, not take away from it.

Artistic Hardware for the Finishing Touch

Hardware and fixtures influence the room's atmosphere just as much as wall color or counters. Black iron handles offer subtle industrial edge. Warm brass, bronze and copper elicit cozy, vintage feelings. Clean-lined nickel provides understated contrast.

The possibilities for infusing a custom artistic flair with plumbing, lighting or hardware in a non-white kitchen are endless.

Building a Kitchen With Visual Balance

With so much stimulation coursing through a colorful, textural kitchen, balance becomes paramount. These design details help prevent spaces from feeling too heavy or visually overwhelming.

Ambient and Task Lighting Solutions

Strategically leverage both ambient and task lighting to keep the space bright and inviting. Ambient lighting comes from surrounding windows, overhead fixtures or wall sconces. Task lighting lives under cabinets, inside drawers or integrated into specialty hardware to assist with food prep.

When it comes to overhead light, opt for several smaller fixtures rather than one massive central fixture. This articulates a furniture-like quality while distributing brightness.

Reflective and Light Elements for Brightness

Mirrors, glass tiles and stainless steel catch and reflect ambient light. Mirrored sections on backsplashes, glass-front cabinet doors and stainless appliances boost luminescence. So too do light-hued countertops and white subway tiles.

You can also incorporate literal light elements: glass lampshades, bulbs visible through translucent materials and light wood add fluidity.

Warming Up With Natural Wood

Wood inherently creates a sense of welcome and warmth. Butcher block countertop sections, reclaimed wood dining tables and open shelving infuse organic texture. When integrated thoughtfully, wood introduces calm equilibrium without competing visually.

Inspiring Non-White Kitchens

Still craving a bit more inspiration before committing to your own colorful kitchen revamp? Below we showcase a few stunning spaces from top designers.

Soothing Blue & White Kitchen by deVol

Acclaimed English kitchen designers deVol strikes visual harmony with cabinetry in two alternating blue tones. Against the vibrant backdrop, the streamlined white Quartz island and brass accents truly gleam. A sleek porcelain tile backsplash completes the soothing scheme.

Warm and Inviting Green Kitchen by Park and Oak Design

This welcoming kitchen by Minnesota based Park and Oak exudes organic charm. To balance the deeply saturated green lower cabinets, they opted for light, rift-cut oak uppers. White Quartz countertops and backsplash prevent heaviness, while pops of brass inject shine.

Elegant and Edgy Black Kitchen by Paloma Contreras

Texas designer Paloma Contreras brings dramatic edge with inky black cabinetry set against concrete-inspired Cambria countertops. The organic texture of the laminate shelving and lighting fixtures offsets the high-gloss elements for visual flow. Pops of green infuse vitality.

Each space applies dimension, contrast and artistic details beautifully for completely unique outcomes.

White kitchens hold enduring favor for their clean lines and minimalist sensibility. Yet as we've seen, color and texture open up worlds of additional possibility. Non-white kitchens tell stories. They soothe, energize and mesmerize through contrasts in color, finish and form.

Fall in love with your kitchen again by taking a walk on the dimensional side. Be bold, creative and expressive, while still maintaining balance. Your new artistic space will feel anything but flat.