10 Small Kitchen Paint Colors to Open Up Your Space

Small pink kitchen

Studio Surface

Your kitchen is the center of your home and often one of the most frequently used rooms in the house. A beautiful kitchen can not only elevate your home's style, it can also increase your happiness every day. But for those of us with, erm, cozy kitchens that lack that open-concept style, creating the perfect space can be difficult. A small kitchen definitely comes with a few challenges, but one easy way to make a big difference is with color.

If you want to give your kitchen a burst of color, it's important to find the right hue to open up your space and keep it fresh and bright. To help, we talked to several designers to find the best paint color choices for your small kitchen. Click through for some of the top picks.

01 of 10

Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster

Pink kitchen with floating shelves
Studio Surface 

The most common theme we heard among all the designers we spoke to is that a small kitchen does not have to be boring. Michelle Salz-Smith of Studio Surface is all about colorful choices. "In small kitchens, color feels bespoke and rich," she says. "Farrow & Ball’s “Setting Plaster” [adds a] soft, almost breezy hit of color" to the kitchen.

farrow and ball setting plaster
Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster $110.00
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02 of 10

Benjamin Moore Hollingsworth Green

Kitchen with light green paint
 Michelle Berwick Design

According to Michelle Berwick of Michelle Berwick Design, a quaint kitchen is a perfect opportunity to make a splash. "Since there isn’t a ton of cabinetry in a small kitchen it’s the perfect opportunity," she says. Pair a light green such as Hollingsworth Green with gold or white accents to keep the space light and airy.

benjamin moore hollingsworth green
Benjamin Moore Hollingsworth Green $43.00
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03 of 10

Benjamin Moore Templeton Gray

Gray kitchen
 Michelle Berwick Design

A fun way to add color to a small kitchen without drowning the space, Berwick says, is by creating a two-toned space. A deep gray such as Templeton Gray pairs wonderfully with a crisp, light white. The contrast keeps things interesting and adds a touch of depth to the kitchen.

benjamin moore templeton gray
Benjamin Moore Templeton Gray $43.00
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04 of 10

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

White kitchen with stove hood

Hibou Design & Co

While we're big proponents of colorful kitchens, a beautiful all-white kitchen will always have a place in our hearts. Eugenia Triandos of Hibou Design & Co says Chantilly Lace is "an obvious choice for a small kitchen that’s still as timeless as ever." A stark white without any strong undertones, she says: "It works so well with so many other colors and in so many applications."

benjamin moore chantilly lace
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace $43.00
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05 of 10

Benjamin Moore Onyx

Black kitchen

Hibou Design & Co

Another color Triandos loves? Onyx from Benjamin Moore. "If you’re looking for a bit more drama but don’t want to make your already small space feel cramped, consider a darker lower cabinet, while still keeping the uppers light," she says. A two-toned kitchen is a wonderful way to give a small kitchen so much texture.

benjamin moore black onyx
Benjamin Moore Onyx $43.00
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06 of 10

Sherwin Williams Passive Grey

Kitchen with light gray cabinets

Hibou Design & Co

A nice common ground between a stark white and a rich color is a lovely soft gray. Triandos says "Sometimes when we’re opting for all-white walls, it’s nice to change it up by selecting a very pale gray for the kitchen cabinets."

Your color choice may look different on a cabinet. "Always ask for a cabinet sample in the color selected prior to confirming production," says Triandos.

sherwin williams passive gray
Sherwin-Williams Passive Grey $39.00
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07 of 10

Benjamin Moore Tea Light

Kitchen with soft green cabients
Amy Peltier Interior Design & Home

Amy Peltier of Amy Peltier Interior Design & Home loves Tea Light because it's " unique and fresh at the same time." If you want to add just a bit of color without over saturating the space, a hue like this one is perfect because it looks almost white in some lights but darker in others.

benjamin moore tea light
Benjamin Moore Tea Light $43.00
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08 of 10

Farrow and Ball Hardwick White

White kitchen with terra cotta tiles

Katie Hodges Design

Katie Hodges of Katie Hodges Design opts for neutrals when painting a small kitchen. Hardwick white's "subtle tones go beyond the average "whites" or "greys" to deliver a subdued yet sophisticated aesthetic," she says.

farrow and ball hardwick white
Farrow & Ball Hardwick White $110.00
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09 of 10

Sherwin-Williams Shade Grown

shade grown

Maple and Dickerson

A great choice for a modern farmhouse kitchen, Shade Grown is a deep, rich green that appears almost brown in certain light. If you must DIY, a darker color will help hide blemishes better than a lighter one. Before you attempt a DIY, "just make sure to clean all of the cabinetry, remove all doors, sand, and prime before painting," says Hodges.

benjamin moore shade grown
Sherwin-Williams Shade Grown $39.00
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10 of 10

Clare Rosé Season

clare paint rose season

Megan Zietz

If your home has a shared living and kitchen space, a bold color can help to delineate the space and create a clear separation between the two. And if you need any inspiration to paint your kitchen a bold color, Rosé Season is it. This crisp pink is soft enough to feel neutral in some lights but rich enough to give the space a whole lot of personality

clare rose season
Clare Rosé Season $54.00
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