What color should you paint the cabinets in a small kitchen? 4 palettes designers swear by that aren't just shades of white

There are so many beautiful hues to choose from when you're designing a kitchen, but what color should you paint the cabinets in a small space? It's a big decision and one you don't want to get wrong.

There's a common misconception that small kitchen ideas are limited to bright white hues, but this isn't the case. There are some truly beautiful and versatile small kitchen color ideas that designers always return to.

From earthy palettes to dark, moody hues, these are the colors experts say you should consider painting the cabinets in your small kitchen for a timeless, personality-filled design that you'll love for years to come.

What color should you paint the cabinets in a small kitchen

Color is always such a personal decision. The palette you choose will depend entirely on your style and the design you want to create. Luckily, there are plenty of small kitchen paint colors designers always return to in their designs – and these are the 4 they say always work best.

1. Keep it classic with olive green

While some shades of green are considered out of trend this year, olive green kitchen cabinets continue to prove popular. And it just so happens that this warm, earthy hue is the perfect cabinet color in a small kitchen.

'My number one choice at the moment for painted kitchens is my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Olive. It's a soft, traditional khaki green that will create a sense of space in a small kitchen. It can be a neutral, dropping into the background, or it can be the shining star of a color scheme,' says artist, designer, and color expert Annie Sloan.

'It’s a soft green, so it doesn’t dominate a space. Olive is a hard-working neutral that gives a small room a sense of space without being cold like blue, clinical like white, or dark like red or brown. Olive is a bit of a dark horse in the sense that you can easily forget how much interest and sophistication it brings to a kitchen. It gives depth and softness in equal measures,' she explains.

Olive green is also favored because it pairs well with other materials, like countertop stones and hardware finishes, so you can create a scheme that balances the needs of your small kitchen as well as your personal taste. 'Whatever your design style – from minimalist contemporary to traditional farmhouse, soft Olive is the perfect color.'

2. Go for two-tone kitchen cabinets

Often in a small kitchen, there are less opportunities to create a bold and visually dynamic feature. But your cabinetry is the perfect place to do it – and it seems a two-tone kitchen cabinet design is the perfect choice.

'The great thing about kitchen cabinets is they offer a perfect surface for a pop of color without overwhelming the space. In smaller spaces, I like to paint the lowers a darker or bolder color and go for a lighter, more neutral color on the uppers,' says Arianna Barone, color marketing manager at Benjamin Moore.

'This can help make the space more open if you want to use a statement-making cabinet color. Some of my favorite combinations are Hale Navy HC-154 and White Dove OC-17; Cushing Green HC-125 and Hazy Skies OC-48; and Kendall Charcoal HC-166 and White Down OC-131,' she adds.

3. Embrace dark, moody hues

The colors you choose to paint the cabinets in a small kitchen will always come down to the aesthetic you want to create. If bold is more your style, consider painting your cabinets in a dark, moody hue for maximum impact.

'Dark cabinets are always used to create mood and drama, so whether small or big, you will achieve this look with dark cupboards,' says Helen Parker, creative director at deVOL Kitchens. Dark brown, burgundy, and teal are all beautiful colors to experiment with in a small kitchen for that sense of coziness and intimacy.

'A small, richly colored kitchen can be the most alluring of spaces, holding a certain charm and beauty that is hard to achieve in a large space. Small means intimate, it means cozy and glamorous and petit – these all conjure up something quite special and not a feature to be disappointed by.'

In this kitchen, the cabinets and walls have been color-drenched in a dark green hue. Pairing it with the marble countertops and backsplash instantly brightens the space and adds a striking contrast.

4. Stick to light wood cabinets

If you stay on top of kitchen trends, you'll be well aware that wood kitchen cabinets are having a revival, making their way back into our hearts and homes more tastefully and timelessly. And light wood cabinets are a great choice in a small kitchen.

'If your aim is to make your kitchen look bigger, then the best way to achieve this is by not filling the room full of cupboards and leaving plenty of light and space around windows, so avoid wall cupboards,' says Helen.

'It is also a good idea to keep the colors and materials similar, so soft light woods and flooring and similar color walls and cupboards. This will have more of an impact than just painting your walls in a light color,' she explains.

In this kitchen, light wood cabinets introduce a warm yet airy feel to the space. Paired with the light gray countertops that compliment to wood tones instantly gives the illusion of greater space, despite the kitchen being small and compact.

There's no reason you should stick to neutral cabinets in a small kitchen when there are so many beautiful colors to choose from. Whether you embrace earthy tones with olive green or lean into the intimacy of a bijou scheme with moody tones, these expert-approved colors are key to creating a timeless design, even in the most compact spaces.