Designers Are Ditching Neutral Kitchens For This Controversial Color—and It Looks Surprisingly Good

TL;DR

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Interior designers interviewed by House Beautiful describe renewed interest in red kitchens as a shift away from familiar white and cream schemes. They recommend choosing earthy or deeper reds and balancing them with neutral colors, natural materials and texture; the report does not establish how widespread the trend is.

Interior designers interviewed by House Beautiful say they are using red in kitchen projects as an alternative to the familiar white, cream and ivory palette. The report highlights examples in burgundy and earthier reds, while the designers advise pairing the color with calmer finishes and varied materials; it does not provide market data showing how common the shift is.

The examples in the report range from a city-apartment peninsula painted Benjamin Moore’s Classic Burgundy, in a project by Opa Architecture, to a kitchen featuring deVOL’s Refectory Red in British designer Uns Hobbs’s home. New York architect Kevin Lichten also describes using red in a family project, where Benjamin Moore’s Red Parrot was selected for its earthier quality. These are project examples, not evidence of a measured industry-wide change.

The designers describe different ways to manage the color’s intensity. Hobbs favors deeper reds for a traditional, rich look, while Lichten says brighter reds can work if they do not appear overly artificial. In one kitchen described in the report, gray upper cabinets balance red lower cabinets. Hobbs also suggests warm neutrals and materials such as granite, brass, marble and wood; she says vintage art and ceramics can add variety.

Opa Architecture’s Aria Jahanshahi argues that kitchens increasingly function as shared living spaces, not just cooking areas. He says color and supporting details can help make a kitchen feel welcoming. The report also mentions red’s association with appetite, but does not present research tying that idea to the current design interest or to changes in eating habits.

Why Red Is Replacing Safe Palettes

The design shift described in the report reflects a choice some homeowners may face when planning a kitchen: follow a familiar neutral scheme or use a more expressive color in a room that often serves several purposes. Red can make cabinetry or an island a focal point, but its visual strength also makes proportion, surrounding finishes and personal taste important considerations.

For readers considering a renovation, the designers’ advice is practical rather than prescriptive: red does not have to cover every surface. A peninsula, lower cabinets or smaller accents can introduce it, while wood, stone, metal and warm neutrals provide contrast. These are designers’ recommendations, not guarantees about resale value, durability or whether a particular shade will suit every home.

From White Kitchens to Bolder Color

White, cream and ivory have long been common choices for kitchens, according to House Beautiful’s report. The designers say some clients and decorators now want more personality in their homes and are looking at shades ranging from cherry and tomato to brick and burgundy. The report frames this as a change in design preference, rather than documenting when it began or how widely it has spread.

The cited projects show that “red kitchen” can mean different things. Color may appear on a single peninsula or on cabinetry, and designers can temper it with gray, warm neutrals or textured materials. Shade and proportion vary by project; the examples do not establish one standard approach or identify a single red as the leading choice.

“People have become a little bored with playing it safe and want more personality in their homes.”

— Uns Hobbs, British interior designer, speaking to House Beautiful

How Broad Is the Red Kitchen Trend?

The report does not include survey results, sales figures, search data or other measures that would show whether red kitchens are becoming more common across the industry. It draws on interviews with designers and selected project examples, so the scale and pace of the reported shift remain unclear.

It is also unclear whether homeowners are choosing red for lasting appeal, a short-term design preference or a particular project’s needs. The source offers no comparative information on costs, maintenance, resale effects or how different shades perform in varied lighting. Its discussion of red and appetite is not evidence that appetite concerns or medication use are driving kitchen design decisions.

What Homeowners Should Weigh

The report does not identify a forthcoming industry survey or project announcement. For readers planning a kitchen, its immediate guidance is to decide how much red they want, test the shade alongside the room’s fixed materials and consider whether a deeper or earthier tone better fits the intended look. Small applications can be easier to balance than extensive red cabinetry, though the right choice depends on the individual space and household.

Any broader judgment about whether red is overtaking neutral kitchens will require evidence beyond the featured projects, such as market data or a wider survey of designers and homeowners. Until then, the source supports a narrower conclusion: some designers are using red and recommend pairing it with other colors and textures to create a balanced kitchen.

Key Questions

Are designers replacing neutral kitchens with red?

House Beautiful reports that several designers are using red as an alternative to neutral palettes. Its examples do not establish that the change is widespread across the industry.

Which red shades do the designers recommend?

Uns Hobbs favors deeper reds, including burgundy, for a rich and traditional look. Kevin Lichten says brighter tones can work if they do not look overly artificial, and points to an earthier red used in a family project.

How can red be balanced in a kitchen?

The designers suggest using gray or warm neutral cabinets alongside red and adding materials such as wood, granite, brass or marble. Texture and smaller applications can also help temper the color’s intensity.

Does the report show that red kitchens are better for resale?

No. The report offers design opinions and project examples, but provides no resale data or evidence that red kitchens increase a home’s value.

Source: rss