Say goodbye to the stark white kitchens of the past and hello to the mix of colors that define the kitchen trends of the present. A two-toned kitchen is a really easy way to create instant visual interest, as seen below. While two-toned kitchens have been around for a few years, it's clear that this dynamic trend is here to stay. It involves playing with different color variations, usually when it comes to the upper and lower cabinets in your kitchen.
Whether looking to remodel the kitchen or just spruce it up a bit with a fresh coat of paint, consider this winter’s two-toned kitchen trend. Painting cabinets in two striking colors can give a contemporary fresh air to a more traditional kitchen, but painting isn’t the only option. Try different materials in upper and lower cabinets. Maybe even choose to mix and match wood and metal elements to create a different texture throughout the space.
Choose your colors wisely
With the average American spending at least 37 minutes in their kitchen every day, the kitchen should be a place of inspiration and comfort for functional cooking. Colors can influence mood and even appetite –a two-toned kitchen can help control both of these.
Colors like blues, greens and grays will infuse a sense of calm, cool, collectedness into the space and can even give smaller kitchens the illusion of space. Bright colors such reds, oranges and yellows stimulate the senses and have been psychologically proven to increase appetite.
Dark below, light above
Use darker shades for the bottom half of the cabinets and a lighter shade for the top cabinets. This helps to ground the space and make it look larger as eyes will be drawn upward to the lighter colors.
Try a trendy blue for the bottom cabinets and a soft white cream for the upper to create a lovely mix of traditional and contemporary in your kitchen. Soft grays and jewel-toned greens are also trending in two-tone kitchens this season.
Don’t forget to coordinate
If you choose to use two different colors for your cabinets or two different materials, be sure they balance each other out aesthetically. Look at color wheel and see which colors are complimentary or even try the same color just in different shades of intensity.
If you do decide to use two clearly distinct hues, make sure that you tie the kitchen together with coordinating details like matching hardware.
While the goal of two-tone kitchens is to infuse some color and add unique personality, the space should still feel cohesive. The best way to ensure this is through grounding details like stainless steel appliances and décor that marries the two colors.
