Turn your kitchen island into an oasis with these colors
Everyone loves this stand-out kitchen feature, but picking the best kitchen island colors can prove challenging. Should your island blend in with other cabinet and counter colors, or should it stand out? What tones best complement your kitchen style and the other materials? An island or even a floating island is an excellent spot to experiment and add a splash of color. You can create an elegant spot for meal prep, breakfast, hors d’oeuvres, and much more.
PS: These color ideas are versatile, too! They work with painted drawers, cabinets, color tiles, and countertops. The daring may even want to mix and match shades for a tri-toned kitchen. Many of our island picks also match well with a butcher block counter or wooden cabinets at the bottom of the island, both popular choices in modern kitchens. Once you’ve chosen a new island color, hire a local countertop contractor to help place your colored or complementary countertop.
If you want to breathe new life into your kitchen, consider turning your island into a green accent point. Natural greens, plus a plant or two, are an excellent way to bring life into the kitchen and provide a welcome pop of color.
Different shades of green can work with different color schemes. For example, darker, warmer greens may work well with white walls and countertops. They also fit well with wood and metal appliances (especially brass accents). Lighter greens like sage green can help add a touch of color next to pale floor tiles, while complimenting natural woods and utensils. Either way, you get a calming, enriching look.
Benjamin Moore® Reef Green
Benjamin Moore® BudGreen
Sherwin-Williams® Nurture Green
Many of the best kitchen islands are an excellent choice for a splash of color, especially if your kitchen doesn’t have a lot of vibrant hues. Painting the island a color like bright red makes a striking difference.
Reds work best when they’re complemented by surrounding materials like natural wood cabinets and stone countertops. Many modern appliances are also offered in red finishes if you want to carry the theme on without overwhelming your kitchen.
Benjamin Moore® Rosy Blush
Benjamin Moore® Million Dollar Red
Sherwin-Williams® Wild Poppy
We love navy blue on kitchen islands in two different cases. First, if your cabinets are already navy blue (or a similar dark blue color option), you can extend that shade to your island. Dark blue is a very popular shade for current kitchen styles, typically when paired with white cabinets, countertops, or both. The result is a very clean yet soothing look that can also help hide minor blemishes. Navy blues pair well with wood and stainless steel, too.
The second option is to color only your kitchen island with navy blue. This solution makes your island stand out from the rest of the kitchen and easily draws attention. It’s a great solution for larger islands and islands surrounded by white walls and cabinets that must stand out for easier navigation.
Benjamin Moore® Hale Navy
Sherwin-Williams® Salty Dog
Sherwin-Williams® Dress Blues
Off-whites remain one of the most common picks in kitchen color schemes. Extending the color to your kitchen island is a good idea if you want to match the warm whites used on the cabinets.
You can also get beautiful results from choosing darker colors for lower drawers and cabinets (such as dark grays) while picking off-white colors for upper cabinets and the kitchen island. This color scheme creates a powerful contrast that complements the kitchen rather than overwhelming it with a single color. Just be careful—spills and stains will always show up more clearly against a white island surface, so they may take extra cleaning.
Benjamin Moore® White Wisp
Benjamin Moore® Calm
Benjamin Moore® Cloud Cover
Don’t be afraid of exploring browns in sand and beige shades for your kitchen. Far from looking boring, these colors lend an earthy, soothing tone to the island and can match nearly anything.
A sandy brown or beige is a great match with darker woods and metals, especially if you use them for accents on handles, appliances, and kitchen backsplashes. If you love the earth tones look, consider shifting your colors to a somewhat lighter or dark shade for nearby kitchen walls and upper cabinets to help complete the look. Pottery, plants, and herbs will make excellent accents here.
Sherwin-Williams® Accessible Beige
Benjamin Moore® Sandy Brown
Sherwin-Williams® Downing Sand
A growing number of kitchens are embracing a fun, ice cream parlor color scheme with happy colors inspired by frosted treats. One of our favorite options for the island is a tasty, lively yellow. It pairs well with other cream colors like whites, dashes of pink, and light blues. The result is a charming nook ready for breakfast with the kids or an afternoon snack.
Don’t be afraid to branch out into other bright colors, either. A creamsicle tone or citrusy orange could also work on an island. This kind of color scheme helps satisfy those who love color and want to turn their kitchen into a wonderland of treats. Even if the ice cream palette isn’t for you, yellow hues can also pair well with dark natural wood tones and, like our red picks above, give your kitchen an oasis of color.
Benjamin Moore® Cream Yellow
Benjamin Moore® Delightful Yellow
Sherwin-Williams® Pineapple Cream
Sherwin-Williams® Optimistic Yellow
Teal’s soft combination of blue and green makes for a serene kitchen island color. It calms down a busy kitchen and blends in well with a variety of other colors. Combine it with cloudy whites and light-shaded woods for a beautiful color scheme that will remind you of the ocean.
Teal is also a particularly versatile pick, depending on the exact shade. You can shift to other colors with a bit more blue (like turquoise) or more green (like aquamarine). We like the lighter shades of teal for a kitchen island, but the choice is yours.
Benjamin Moore® Aegean Teal
Sherwin-Williams® Really Teal
Sherwin-Williams® Tantalizing Teal
Bright, cheerful, and distraction-free, eggshell blue fits well in many kitchens and their islands. Even if having light-color blues all over your kitchen feels overwhelming, choosing the island for a standalone eggshell blue can help add a charming accent.
Eggshell blue can help make small kitchens seem a bit bigger, providing just the spark it needs. However, it works well with many other kitchen designs, too.
Benjamin Moore® Light Blue
Benjamin Moore® Bird’s Egg
Sherwin-Williams® Sleepy Hollow
The right combination of gray shades can be a stunning choice for your kitchen. One of our favorite picks is the “tuxedo” blend of light colors above and darker colors below. Pick a dark gray for lower sections of your island and pair it with light natural woods or bright countertops above for an excellent effect.
Bold homeowners may even want to sub out the dark gray for a black paint job. However, grays remain more flexible for matching a surrounding color scheme and keeping a kitchen from looking too dark. If you love the sleek look black paint gives your kitchen, look into pairing it with natural woods for a sharp, elegant appearance.
Benjamin Moore® Gunmetal
Benjamin Moore® Midnight Dream
Sherwin-Williams® Cyberspace
