Joanna Gaines' kitchen pantry cabinet color defies paint trends – it's the 'new way to do modern neutrals' in 2024

Color brings personality to the kitchen. As the heart of the home, and essential to family life, interior design duo Chip and Joanna Gaines wanted their kitchen pantry to truly stand out. In this instance; color was key to the final result.

One of the most appealing finishes for kitchen cabinetry, paint lends itself to both the classic looks of the traditional kitchen and crispy linear modern designers. The advantage is in its almost limitless choice of kitchen color ideas, allowing you free rein to express yourself, whether your home is period or contemporary, country or urban – you can always repaint if you decide to update.  

Joanna Gaines' butler's pantry, as seen in her Waco, Texas home, is one of the most beautifully designed pantries you will ever see. With floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets painted in Cottage Grove,  from her Castle Collection from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines®. 

'Cottage Grove is a rich blend of navy and green,' says Joanna Gaines. 'This color can take on either tone in a different light, which makes it both dramatic and cozy all at once.' 

With its strong links to nature, this pantry color scheme is a wonderful way to make a pantry look more expensive, and it is versatile enough that it can work in many schemes, even if your home doesn't have a maritime climate.

With inspiration from deep oceans to foreboding forests, dark colors are life-enhancing shades that have the power to enhance our feeling of well-being. With their wide appeal of serenity and calm, it is perhaps no surprise that dark blues continue to be one of the most popular choices for interior design.

Bringing the outdoors in by having blue-green cabinetry in your home is always a good idea; the nod to nature will create a calm atmosphere however busy the space, so integrating the color into a well-used pantry works just as well as in a spa-style bathroom. This nature-inspired hue is also said to inspire creativity, making it ideal for a chef's kitchen.

Where once pantries were considered to be 'just another addition' to our homes, we are seeing more and more people put this space at the forefront of their decorating agenda.

Old-fashioned pantries are enjoying a resurgence in popularity 'as we realize how useful storage in a kitchen really is,' says Tom Howley, founder of his bespoke kitchen brand. 'Designs can offer a huge capacity, roughly equal to six wall cabinets, but an important element to consider is the kitchen cabinet color scheme.' 

'Storage areas such as walk-in pantries are ideal for being a bit experimental with color,' says Charlotte Cosby of Farrow & Ball. 'Often overlooked or untouched, pantries and cabinets can resemble jewel boxes when painted in beautiful bold hues.'

Used in decorating for centuries, serene blue-green color schemes are enduringly popular, harmonizing with many hues for gloriously diverse results. You’ll notice that the wall color creates a stark contrast to the moody navy green. Painted in another Castle Collection color – Castle Cream – is a wonderfully versatile soft white with a timeless essence that adds sophistication and charm to this space.

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