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Kitchen colours and finishes are the part of a project most people look forward to, and the part that causes the most second-guessing. It is easy to fall for a colour on a screen, then feel differently about it in a showroom, then differently again once you see it in your own kitchen at four o'clock on a grey afternoon.
That is normal, and it is worth taking your time over. Cabinetry is the largest surface in the room and the one you cannot easily change later, so the colour and finish you choose will shape how the kitchen feels for the next fifteen years or more.
Here is how we talk our clients through it at our Newton Abbot showroom.
Why green kitchens are still everywhere
Green has been the most requested colour in our showroom for a while now, and it does not show much sign of fading. Sage, olive, deep forest and softer eucalyptus tones all keep appearing in enquiries, often alongside oak or a warm brass handle.
The reason it has lasted is that green behaves more like a neutral than a bold colour. It sits comfortably next to wood, stone, brass and off-white, and it reads differently depending on the light, which stops it feeling flat. In a Devon home with a garden view, a muted green often ties the kitchen to what is outside the window without anyone having to plan it that way.
If you want green but you are nervous about committing, one option is to keep the tall run and wall units in a soft neutral and put the colour on an island or a bank of base units. You get the character without the room closing in.
Matt, satin or gloss: what the finish actually does
Finish changes a colour more than most people expect. The same paint reference will look deeper and softer in matt, slightly warmer in satin, and considerably brighter in gloss, because of how much light each one throws back into the room.
Matt finishes, including the matt lacquered ranges we work with such as Strada Matte, suit rooms with good natural light and a calm palette. They hide fingerprints reasonably well on mid tones and dark colours, though very dark matt cabinetry does show dust and marks more than people expect.
Gloss reflects light and can genuinely help a smaller or north-facing kitchen feel less enclosed. The trade-off is that it shows everything, so it needs wiping more often. Satin and silk finishes sit between the two and are the safe choice for most family kitchens.
Mixing two colours in one kitchen
Two-tone kitchens have moved from a trend to a standard approach, and for good reason. Splitting the colour lets you ground the room with something darker at floor level and keep the eye level lighter, which usually makes a kitchen feel taller.
The version that works most reliably is a darker base and island with lighter wall and tall units. The version that goes wrong is choosing two colours of similar strength, because they compete rather than complement one another. If you are unsure, pick your main colour first, then choose the second from the same family, two or three shades apart.
Handles, taps and lighting are doing more work here than people realise. A single metal finish carried through the room will hold two cabinet colours together far better than trying to match paint tones exactly.
How Devon light affects the colour you choose
This is the part you cannot judge from a photograph. Coastal light around Teignmouth or Shaldon is bright and slightly cool, which lifts greys and can make warm creams look yellow. Inland, in a stone cottage near Bovey Tracey or Ashburton with smaller windows, the same grey can turn cold and flat, and a warmer tone does far more for the room.
Whichever way your kitchen faces, look at a sample in the actual space at three different times of day before you commit. We are happy to lend samples for exactly this reason, because it saves a decision you would otherwise regret.
Which finishes cope best with family life
A kitchen has to survive school bags, wet dogs and hot pans, not just look good on the day it is photographed. Painted timber can be touched up if it chips, which is a real advantage over the long term. Laminate and vinyl-wrapped doors are hard-wearing and cost less, but damage tends to be permanent rather than repairable.
For worktops, quartz stays the practical choice for most busy kitchens because it does not need sealing and copes with everyday use. Solid timber has more warmth and character, but it wants oiling and it will mark. Neither is wrong. It depends on how you actually use the room and how much upkeep you genuinely want to take on.
Choosing colours you will still like in ten years
There is a simple test we use with clients. Put the cabinet colour, the worktop, the flooring and the handle finish together in one place, then take the trend out of it and ask whether you would still choose that combination if you had never seen it online.
The choices that last tend to be the structural ones: cabinetry, worktop and flooring in colours you have always been drawn to. The trend-led choices are better placed where they are cheap to change, such as splashbacks, stools, wall colour, lighting and accessories. That way your kitchen can move on without a new kitchen being needed.
Kitchen colour and finish FAQs
Do green kitchens date quickly?
Not in the muted tones that most people choose. Sage, olive and deep forest greens behave like neutrals and sit well with wood and stone, which is why they have stayed popular rather than peaking and disappearing.
Can you mix two cabinet colours in one kitchen?
Yes, and it usually looks better than a single colour throughout. The reliable formula is a darker base and island with lighter wall units, tied together by one consistent handle and tap finish.
Is a matt or gloss kitchen finish better for a family home?
Satin or silk is usually the best compromise. Gloss helps a small or darker kitchen feel brighter but shows every mark, and very dark matt cabinetry shows dust more than people expect.
If you would like to see colours and finishes side by side rather than on a screen, book a complimentary design appointment with Inline Design Studio at our Newton Abbot showroom.
