41% of People Regret This Kitchen Reno, But You Don’t Have To

What do sage green, baby blue, and mustard yellow all have in common? They’ve been the trendiest kitchen cabinet shades for the past couple of years. But not everyone is a fan. After surveying 1,000 renovators, MoneyWise found that nearly half of them, 41 percent to be exact, regret painting their cupboards a colorful hue or refinishing their original boxes. However, we can’t get enough of making a statement in the kitchen, whether it’s swathing standard IKEA frames in a poppy coat of fuchsia or mixing plywood and pastels. Ahead, we spotlight a few ideas that will change your mind about this so-called mistake.

Add Metallic Accents

Take a note from Joy Cho’s backyard ADU kitchen and spice up your cupboard doors by adding a brass accent. The seemingly random formation helps keep things casual; just be sure to use the metal fronts sparingly and save the larger panels for a muted hue. 

Keep It Streamlined

In Los Angeles, Rebekah Bowling and Andrew Chen stuck to their gut when choosing a bold cabinetry color. From the lowest drawers all the way up to the skylight, a deep teal swaths everything in sight. The trick with an allover shade like this is to avoid distracting hardware and go with sleek integrated pulls. 

Go Totally Tonal

A windowless galley kitchen in a London mews may sound dark and dismal, but thanks to pastel pink millwork, light still finds a way to bounce around. Paired with a bright red ceiling, the statement space is a contrast to the rest of the home’s stark white walls.