The kitchen in this historic apartment has an unexpected and utterly unique color palette – it's bold yet surprisingly timeless

Bold colors in kitchens have been on the rise recently. And we're not talking about bright, vibrant hues, but rather slightly moodier, earthy tones that feel warm and timeless.

But if there's one kitchen color idea we've not seen all that frequently, it's the bold paprika hue on the walls of this kitchen – it's bold yet still feels right at home in the historic property. The key? The color perfectly complements the original features in the space and has been balanced by natural materials.

Paired with wooden cabinetry and unexpected decor, it's a design that feels totally unique, yet still has a really classic appeal to it. Here, we find out how the designer nailed the brief and created this one-of-a-kind red kitchen.

Usually, when we share kitchen remodels, they include a dated, tired, or totally damaged 'before' as the starting point, but the process began a little differently in this historical Viennese apartment.

'There was, quite simply, nothing. Just an empty, gutted room with a sense of stillness and possibility. It was a true blank canvas – no cabinetry, no fittings, just the whispers of what might be,' says designer Laura Karasinski, founder and design director of Atelier Karasinski.

'Rather than correcting problems, the challenge here was to conjure a kitchen that felt rooted and quietly confident, as though it had always belonged to the house. One that honoured the past without imitating it, and brought in a sense of ease and permanence,' she explains.

Starting with a blank canvas, while eradicating the need to rip out the old and leaving less chance for unexpected issues, comes with its own set of challenges – especially as there is no 'old' kitchen to identify what did and didn't work.

'Everything was built from the ground up, so every decision was intentional. We designed the kitchen layout to invite both function and feeling, weaving in natural materials to ground the space,' Laura explains.

One of the biggest challenges in this kitchen design was sourcing the right materials – they needed to suit the client's style while also honoring the history of the property. But with careful material and color selections, it's a challenge that the team conquered.

'Sourcing the right materials felt more like a treasure hunt than a task. We’d had the Zellige tiles – now sitting behind the sink – in our minds for years, just waiting for the perfect project. This one felt right. As always, the art lies in letting these elements speak without dominating and allowing each to find its place without forcing it,' she adds.

'The oak cabinetry, designed by deVOL, brings a tactile richness, with unlacquered brass fittings that will mellow beautifully over time. We introduced natural stone countertops for a hint of earthiness and allowed quiet moments – like our freestanding island – to breathe.'

The completed kitchen is the perfect blend of characterful style and a design that's sympathetic to the heritage of the property. Laura describes it as 'a gentle, characterful space – warm, thoughtful, and ever so slightly nostalgic,' a description that feels totally accurate.

'We wanted it to feel like a room with soul, somewhere you could linger long after the cooking was done. The bones are traditional, but the mood is soft and unforced. It has that certain lived-in elegance – a space that embraces time rather than rushes it,' she explains.

Perhaps the most striking feature is the underrated kitchen color – a bold paprika hue that gives the space a subtly moody vibe and helps to blend the range hood into the walls. 'We painted the walls in Paprika by Bauwerk, a wonderfully unpredictable limewash that shifts and shimmers with the light. In the morning it feels grounding and serene, and by late afternoon it deepens into something moodier, almost theatrical.'

'We didn’t want a color that stole the show, but rather one that held the room with quiet confidence. It’s warm, earthy, and just a little bit wild – and it brought the whole space together beautifully,' she explains.

There are so many stand-out features in this kitchen, which all beautifully complement the wall color. The tiles – a slightly deeper tone with a more glossy finish – add a subtle contrast that instantly adds a more dynamic finish to the walls.

The wood kitchen cabinets feel right at home with the color palette and style of the space – and they perfectly frame the traditional AGA range cooker at the center, another nod to the home's traditional routes.

But for Laura, it's not one single feature that steals the show, rather the combination of many. 'It’s the layering, really – the interplay of textures and quiet detail. There’s the soft gleam of the stone countertop, the restored historical ceiling paneling (the only original element we could save), and the lovely glow of deVOL’s kitchen lamps casting warm pools of light.'

To really tie the scheme together and add a personal touch, the decorative pieces with crucial. It's those finer details that give a kitchen a more unique, lived-in feel that tells the story of who lives there.

'And then there are the little things – a stack of glasses, a bowl of lemons, an open jar – functional objects that become accidental sculptures,' says Laura, who has included an ornately framed artwork on the wall, potted plants, hints of green, and light window treatment ideas to bring in that softer texture.

It's the balance between light and dark, old and new that really brings this kitchen to life. The mix of the oak cabinetry and the rich paprika hue on the walls has a truly timeless feel to it, while still having enough unique appeal to feel one-of-a-kind. If you ask us, it truly feels like it's always belonged in this historic apartment.

This kitchen proves that just because your property is of a certain era, it doesn't mean you can't introduce bold colors. The right hues will instantly elevate your design and emphasise the beautiful original features. Just always be sure to order samples and test pots because a bold color is a commitment, and you want to live with it for a while, see how it changes in your space throughout the day.