10 Stylish Ways To Try Kitchen Color Trends Without Painting Your Cabinets Or Walls

If your heart skips a beat when you catch sight of Pantone's color-of-the-year forecasts, you likely aren't the only one. There is never a dearth of exciting color trends brimming on the horizon, but many people shy away from experimenting with them out of fear of the effort it will take. But what if there were a way to take the latest color trends for a spin without redoing everything from scratch?

There are several ways to refresh your kitchen without a full remodel — and you can take comfort in the fact that you don't need to touch larger elements, like the cabinets or the walls, to bring color into your space. Smaller upgrades also allow you to test how a particular hue responds to the ambient lighting in your kitchen and how it plays against your existing decor. Once you are happy with your choices and ready to take larger strides, you can experiment with larger, yet still renter-friendly, investments that you can take with you to your future homes. Experimenting with new color trends using the following methods puts you in the driver's seat, offering full control and minimizing future regrets.

If you don't have a heavy appetite for risk, it helps to introduce the newest color trends into your kitchen in smaller doses. Countertop accessories will be your ally on this journey. These pieces, which are affordable, impactful, and easily replaceable, allow you to test-drive new trends without committing to anything permanent. There is also very little work when it comes to installation — no drilling, meticulous measurements, or rooting around for that long-lost toolkit. The only work that you'll be expected to put in is finding the perfect arrangement to flaunt your newest finds.

We now live in an era where kitchen decor is as beautiful as it is useful, so you'll want to ask more of your countertop choices. Whimsical storage canisters can keep clutter out of sight, but also infuse a pop of color into your kitchen. Candy pastels can keep your inner child alive, while vintage storage jars in muted hues can impart some old-world charm to your space. Once you have dipped a toe into the water, it's time to take larger strides. Chopping boards lounging artistically against the backsplash can make a statement, so why not opt for bold hues like emerald green or azure blue? Round out the look with smaller finishing touches, like patterned dishdrying mats and color-drenched trivets.

Painting your walls is a project for the ambitious, and if you aren't happy with the choice of color later, do-overs can be expensive and time-consuming. Instead, it helps to direct your creative energy toward smaller projects, such as repainting your chairs, which can be done over a weekend. Colorful chairs are topping the trend charts currently, and with good reason. After all, sunshine-hued chairs can instantly add brightness to a room on a gloomy winter day. Saturated jewel tones are also in season, along with earthy hues that bring the colors of the outdoors inside.

If you are familiar with the kitchen painting mistakes to avoid, you'll find that the same pitfalls apply here. Start by checking the weather to ensure that high humidity won't hamper your drying times. After sanding and priming, resist the urge to apply heavy coats. Multiple thin coats will dry more uniformly. Unlike flat walls, furniture pieces have hidden grooves and recesses that will require extra time and effort. Even the underside of the chair deserves your attention, ensuring that the final result looks uniform from every angle. If you are going out of your comfort zone with an experimental shade, it helps to paint one chair first and view it in different lighting conditions, from natural daylight to artificial LEDs at night. If you like what you see, you can then replicate your efforts on the entire set.

After a long and successful reign, all-white kitchens are on their way out — and it is no wonder why. Modern homeowners are looking to pepper their personality into their kitchens — and colorful countertop appliances are one way to make an instant impact.

This renter-friendly investment allows you to bring emotion and drama to your kitchen without touching any major design components. Unlike other high-stakes changes — such as redoing the flooring — adding bold countertop appliances is cost-effective, less permanent, and easy to implement.

Before you make any major investments, it helps to zero in on the colors you'd like and the emotions you hope they will inspire. Vibrant reds can add excitement to the utilitarian backdrop of the kitchen, while soothing blues can promote a sense of tranquility. Mixing and matching colors can feel daring, but it needs to be done with confidence so that the end result feels intentional rather than jumbled. 

For beginners, it is best to choose one or two standout appliances to cement the color scheme. You can always test your choice of color with smaller appliances, such as a toaster or a kettle, before moving on to larger ones like coffee machines and microwaves.

Small but mighty cabinet hardware can have a major visual impact on your kitchen design. Knobs and pulls, often called the jewelry of the kitchen, can invite the latest color trends into your space. You can opt for colors that complement your cabinets, such as olive green hardware against warm neutrals, or you can choose to intentionally add some contrast — think cherry red knobs against pristine white cabinets.

It can be hard to commit to a standout color, though working in small doses can help. Start by changing just one drawer pull or handle and test-drive it over the course of a day. Does it come together cohesively with your cabinets and countertops? Is the size and grip of the hardware ideal for everyday use? Once you are satisfied with the results, you can upgrade the rest of your cabinets and drawers accordingly.

The good news is that replacing hardware shouldn't take more than an hour of your time. After removing the existing hardware, you can look to the existing screw holes to guide the placement of your new options. But if you are switching styles — such as going from knobs to pulls — you'll need to take careful measurements. The golden rule is to position the hardware in the middle third of any cabinet door. After adding the mounting screws on the inside, you can then securely attach your hardware in place.

Cabinets and walls occupy significant real estate within the kitchen, but there are several other impactful design elements that can also set the tone for your kitchen, such as window treatments. They offer valuable vertical space to introduce new colors to your space. The visual payoff isn't doesn't require a ton of effort, and you can swap them out whenever the seasons change without any additional renovation required.

Tinted curtains are a good place to start — unexpected hues, such as teal or saffron, can add a romantic slant to the sunlight streaming through the windows. Color-blocked curtains are another way to explore multiple hues at once; picture rust orange contrasted against sandy neutrals. Minimalists will appreciate smaller measures, such as vibrant red trim outlining white curtains.

There are many window treatments available, so it helps to do your homework beforehand. Those looking for a quick upgrade will want to opt for café curtains. They're generally slung across the bottom half of a window and offer privacy without hampering your view as you do the dishes. Sleek Roman shades, meanwhile, are a space-saving option ideal for smaller kitchens. Moisture-resistant fabrics are a must-have for kitchens, so you'll want to look out for polyester blends and coated cottons.

Seasons change, trends come and go, and styles evolve. You may not be able to redo your entire kitchen every season, but the vast visual expanse offered by your backsplash is a great place to experiment with the color trends du jour. From high-shine plum herringbone tiles to subway-style teal tiles, the possibilities are endless.

However, your choice of backsplash color isn't an isolated decision. You'll need to ensure that it works in visual harmony with other key players in the room, such as the cabinetry and the countertops. Complementary hues, such as a terracotta backsplash against wooden cabinets, always play together well, or you can turn your backsplash into a focal point by opting for saturated hues, such as indigo blue against white countertops.

There are several ways to update the backsplash without ever having to call a contractor. Painting over the existing tile is one of the easiest solutions and won't take more than two days to complete. An epoxy-based tile paint is recommended, as water-based options aren't as durable. For a more beginner- and budget-friendly affordable backsplash idea, try adhesive tiles and decals. Larger stick-on sheets will also allow you to cover larger surfaces with ease.

If you are looking to strategically add color to one spot instead of drenching the entire kitchen with it, colorful light fixtures might just be the answer. They're easy to install and remove, meaning you can pack up this renter-friendly investment and take it with you wherever you go. With a simple change of color, you can dictate the vibe of your kitchen. Handmade ceramic fixtures in earthy hues, for instance, can add oodles of artisanal charm to your space.

The easiest way to add some color to your kitchen is to swap the pendant shades above the island. From sunshine-yellow iron pendants to lagoon-blue steel options, you'll find the color of your dreams available in a wide array of materials and finishes. For a rustic touch, you can even paint traditional bamboo pendants in the playful hues of teal and purple.

After finalizing the colors, you'll want to brush up on the trending silhouettes and styles. Globe-shaped pendants are having a moment and are helpful for lighting dark corners with a warm glow. Those looking to make a statement can always opt for more sculptural styles, such as teardrop-shaped pendants. 

If you are looking for a truly low-stakes way to add, update, and change colors in your kitchen, you'll want to turn your attention to the soft furnishings. You can use everything from table runners to striking rugs to add some color to your space — no strings attached. Plus, you can roll them up and replace them on a whim. They also serve as an easy test for new colors before making a larger commitment, such as redoing the cabinets or the walls.

You can play it safe by coordinating your rug with the accent colors of the kitchen and seek inspiration from the window treatments or furnishings, or you can opt for a color that contrasts the flooring and the walls. If your kitchen is dominated by neutral cabinets, explore saturated hues, like emerald green or ruby red, to break up the visual monotony.

Similarly, table runners can allow you to express your personality in new ways. The color can be dictated by the season or the occasion, such as autumnal hues for fall. You will also find that certain colors create specific ambiances: Moss greens can bring a sense of earthiness , while citrusy hues will have you dreaming of airy summertime soirées.

Redoing kitchen cabinets in the latest colors might be an intimidating and time-intensive project, but what if you could achieve the same results on a smaller scale? Adding colored shelves is the fuss-free yet impactful way to leverage bold hues in your kitchen.

As kitchens increasingly become social hubs, every aspect of the interior is expected to add to the design narrative. Swapping standard white shelves for more playful hues can change the tone of your space. A set of floating pink shelves can instantly add visual interest against the canvas of a white wall. The goal here is to stand out, rather than blend in, so embrace more vibrant hues on the color wheel, from emerald green to inky blue. You can then echo this hue in subtle ways across your kitchen for greater cohesion, from the storage canisters to your choice of colored appliances.

If you'd like to go down the DIY route, painting kitchen shelves in vibrant hues is a beginner-friendly project with minimal surface area to be covered. If you aren't a fan of picking up the paintbrush, rest assured that adding freestanding shelving units will give your kitchen an instant makeover. Your choices range from standalone bookshelves in soothing sky-blue hues to colored kitchen trolleys that can be wheeled in for additional storage around the holidays. If you are feeling truly experimental, iridescent acrylic shelves will bounce light around the room and serve as an instant conversation starter at your gathering.

The first thing you'll notice when you step into Martha Stewart's kitchen is the warm wash of color from her copper hanging rack. It illustrates how color can dictate the ambiance of the kitchen — and you don't need any major makeovers to achieve the same. Simply displaying cookware in eye-catching hues can help you shift the room's palette.

Using and displaying colorful cookware is low effort yet high impact. Rotate yours seasonally, try out new colors, and match pace with Pantone's color-of-the-year forecasts with ease. A handy way to get started is to opt for one statement-making item in a color outside your comfort zone, perhaps a fire engine-red casserole dish or an amethyst saucepan. Once you are comfortable with your choice, you can gradually build a collection.

If you are looking to give the new entrants to your kitchen the spotlight that they deserve, you won't want to hide them away behind closed cabinets. Instead, organize similarly sized pieces in twos and threes on open shelving around your range. Intentionally allowing some breathing room, instead of overcrowding the shelves, lets individual pieces to stand out. Grouping similar colors together can also help ensure visual harmony, but if you are feeling daring, you can always pop in a statement Dutch oven among a sea of neutrals to create a striking contrast.