Are colorful pantries the new statement kitchen island? According to experts this is the best way to bring color into your kitchen in 2025

In the past pantries were a spot prone to neglect: a place borne out of necessity to tuck away an abundance of items more often than not behind a closed door. It wasn't the norm to experiment with your pantry and find ways to express your artistic and aesthetic vision through it. But finally, we are realizing a pantry is the perfect spot to experiment with color.

People are now ditching the more minimalist neutral kitchen and embracing pantries becoming an open pop of color in their kitchen. There was once the statement island but today it's shifted and evolved into the statement pantry, with pantry backs adorned by wallpaper and shelves streaked with paints of all colors.

Go bold, go big, and go wonderful with this kitchen trend, and hear what experts have to say about its emergence and sticking-power.

Why are colorful pantries on trend for 2025?

The emergence of colorful pantries stems from people's evolved use of their kitchen and willingness to inject a touch of playfulness into their home.

Helen Parker, creative director at deVOL, says, 'The sixties block bold look is fresh and youthful and adds a fun element to your home. Mixed with mid-century classics and straight lines it’s a perfect antidote to the obvious pared-back look so many people opt for. Being bold with color in your kitchen can be scary, especially when mixing several together, but done well it’s a unique and unusual choice that can make for a very cheerful home.'

Today more households are opting to take the doors off of their pantry entirely as well to make it an incorporated part of their kitchen. Since it's a space that can become the most used element of the room, adding personality and visual interest to the area through color, pattern and texture is a great way to turn it into a statement.

Stephanie Lindsey, principal of Etch Design Group, says, 'Pantries today aren't closed behind a standard door like they used to be. Nowadays, pantries are on display and most are completely open to the kitchen, providing a great opportunity for a statement.'

Adding a splash of color to your kitchen by transforming your pantry is the perfect way to ease yourself into trying out more colorful home renovations, as it's a typically small area of the kitchen that can be hidden in a separate space too.

Tom Howley, creative design director at The Eponymous Kitchen Company, says, 'Fancy a splash of color in your kitchen, but feel hesitant to commit to an entire island or run of cabinets? On trend for 2025, painting a pantry in an elegant pastel can be a beautiful way to introduce color, without overwhelming the space. Imagine a bi-fold pantry where you open the black or white doors to reveal a pale pink interior, or a glazed cabinet with soft rosy tones filtering through – an excellent backdrop for showcasing your favorite glassware and characterful seasonal crockery.'

Hannah Yeo, senior manager of color marketing at Benjamin Moore, captures perfectly how a pop of pantry color can brighten not only someone's home, but also their mood.

'Like a secret sanctuary within the home, a splash of unexpected color can turn mundane tasks into moments of joy,' says Hannah. 'Small spaces, like the pantry, are the perfect opportunity to experiment with bold and daring colors that might otherwise be overlooked. Whether large or small, the pantry is a place where you can seamlessly blend functionality with aesthetics, allowing homeowners to infuse their unique style into a space that’s typically used for storage.'

The hue is completely up to you, and you can even branch out further to experiment with paint stencils, wallpaper or decals as well. It's all about what brings joy to using and seeing your pantry as a space.

How to add color to your kitchen pantry

There are endless ways to approach adding color to your pantry, but the best place to start is to decide what kind of energy you're seeking to create: contrasting, complimentary, or colorful without guidelines.

'For smaller built-ins, using a contrasting color can add a playful, eye-catching accent that brings character to the space,' says Hannah. 'Glass canisters against dark shelves create a striking contrast, while soft, neutral tones allow colorful ingredients to stand out.'

Imogen Pritchard, US design director of Plain English Cupboardmakers, is particularly fond of using strong colors when designing a pantry, and thinks their company's paint color 'Boiled Egg' would make the perfect sunny addition to someone's household.

'Since kitchens have become less sterile over the past ten years or so, people are spending more time in them and wishing to make the space their own in every possible capacity,' says Imogen. 'Using a strong yellow such as our own paint color ‘Boiled Egg’ for the interior of a walk-in pantry was so inviting and cheery as a backdrop for the packets and tins lining the shelves. A well-stocked pantry is reassuring and joyful to see and a strong colour can enhance this joy even further.'

Hannah adds, 'From a pantry's shelving to walls to doors, vibrant colors create playful contrast or thoughtful color harmonies that bring this small utilitarian space to life, transforming it into a customized space that feels uniquely your own.'

Whether you're looking to make your pantry look expensive with an on-trend moody hue, or you want to add a splash of vibrant color to a neutral kitchen, the humble pantry is a great place to experiment with bolder shades. It's not as high-commitment as painting all your cabinets, but similar to a colorful kitchen island it's sure to make a statement.