Why Are Soft and Neutral Colours So Popular Now in Kitchens?

A trend in home design has been to make the majority of the home's colours neutral or soft, rather than the darker trends of the past. For example, kitchen cabinets and countertops are now on the lighter side — think white quartz counters and grey cabinet fronts — instead of the dark granite and black or dark-wood cabinets that have been visible in trendy kitchens for years. If you're having a kitchen custom-built for your home, there are some recent colour trends that you may want to include because these trends are practical, rather than only cosmetic.

Lighter Colours Amplify Lighting Conditions

Darker colours make rooms look darker, and it's the same concept in kitchens. If you want a lighter, airier feeling to the kitchen, light colours and a big window or two let you illuminate the space without artificial light on most days. You'll still need artificial light at night or on very cloudy days, of course, but your kitchen will seem brighter as the lighter colours reflect more light, rather than absorbing it. You can get cabinet fronts, counters, sinks and more all in varying light colours, and the contractor you work with will either have samples for you to compare, or they can point you toward their subcontractors, who will have catalogues.

The Old Concept of Hiding Dirt Wasn't Practical

One of the reasons for using granite counters and dark colours was that the dark colour was supposed to be better at hiding that bit of dust that could gather in corners in between cleanings. Your kitchen would look cleaner for longer. The problem was, those colours were so good at hiding dirt and crumbs that they hid too much. You could never really tell when you'd cleaned up all the crumbs from bread if you had a granite counter, for example. Lighter colours let you see what needs to be cleaned, and it's easier to keep your kitchen looking nice. When you plan your new kitchen, you can also ensure that there are no hard-to-reach areas that will be difficult to clean.

It's Easier to Change up the Kitchen's Look When the Base Is Neutral

Chances are that this will not be the last time you build, remodel or redecorate your kitchen. A custom kitchen should last decades, but you'll likely want to make it look a bit different now and then. It's much easier to do that when the main features have neutral and light colours. With a light counter, for example, you can still add brightly coloured decorations and small appliances; with a light-coloured floor, you can add kitchen rugs. It's harder to do this with a kitchen with dark base colours because the darker colours are so visually prominent.

Trends are normal things to consider and use only if you're sure you want them, but in this case, the trend in colours toward the lighter side is one that can benefit you for years. Speak with the contractor who is managing your custom-kitchen project about which cabinet front, flooring and counter colours are available, and look for those items that you can use for years.

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