by CAROLINE BIGGS
If you’re in search of a timeless color to paint your kitchen, itdoesn’t get more classic than gray. Not only does this versatile neutral work well with contemporary hues and accents, like any other earthy tone, gray paint and gray finishes instantly bring warmth and depth to even the dullest of spaces. These 20 gorgeous gray kitchens just might be all the inspiration you need to go gray in your cookspace.
Gray and White Kitchens
1. Create Contrast
Deep gray walls offer a rich contrast to simple white cabinets and millwork, while allowing silver fixtures to shine, just as we saw in Andi and Dean’s San Francisco kitchen.
2. Consider Square Tiles
Not a fan of gray walls? No problem. Gray square tiles forge an equally elegant kitchen scene and can double as a backsplash as well, just like we saw in Sarah and Brian’s Illinois home.
3. Accent a Lofty Kitchen
Dark gray painted cabinets brings depth and dimension to a white-walled kitchen with soaring ceilings, like the ones we spotted in Katie Day’s modern country style home in Australia.
4. Go for Grayscale
Never underestimate the power of a little grayscale in a kitchen. Take a cue from Chelsea Ellis and dress up your kitchen island with a grayscale mosaic tile display to make an artful—but subtle—statement in an all-white kitchen, just like she did inside her Australian abode.
5. Energize a Neutral Space
A glossy gray backsplash, like the one we spotted in Jennie Cohen’s New York City apartment, livens up a compact kitchen with plain white cabinets and dark floors, without straying from the neutral color palette.
Gray Kitchen Cabinets
6. Paint Your Under-Sink Cabinetry
A bit of light gray paint goes a long way in an all-white kitchen. Case in point: Jess and Caleb’s minimalist Pennsylvania kitchen, where pale gray under-sink cabinets bring a pop of personality to an otherwise monochrome space.
7. Play With Pattern
Gray colored cabinets work wonders to subdue a patterned backsplash, like the one we spotted in Molly and Oliver’s Massachusetts home. Butcher block countertops also help neutralize the space.
8. Warm Things Up
Chic brown-gray cabinets warm up a monochrome kitchen palette without sacrificing its industrial feel, like we saw in Dave and Molly’s Chicago loft.
9. Draw From Similar Tones
Light gray painted cabinets, like the ones we spotted in Jeff and Joe’s Silver Lake bungalow, balance out the cool hues of white subway tile and pale blue-green walls.
10. Upgrade a Small Space
Paint your kitchen cabinets gray to bring a dash of drama to a narrow galley kitchen without cramping up the space, as we saw in Maggie Smoller’s remodeled Pennsylvania home.
Gray Kitchen Flooring
11. Unfinished Floors FTW
Gray concrete floors create a casual, stylish vibe in a modern kitchen, just like the ones we spotted in Sam and Anne’s Austin abode.
12. Maximize a Cramped Kitchen
Dark gray floors, like the ones we saw in Sara Blake’s New York City studio apartment, bring depth and drama to a tiny kitchen without overwhelming the neutral space.
13. Affordably Update Your Floors
Smooth gray rubber floors offer a sophisticated (and affordable) alternative to concrete ones in a contemporary kitchen, as we saw in Andrew Griffiths’ London flat.
14. Blend Hues
Pale gray floor tiles incorporate the hues of dark gray cabinets and light gray-painted kitchen walls, as we found in Mallika Basu’s London home.
15. Enhance Other Grays
Light gray flooring, like what we spotted in Jamie and Byron’s San Francisco rental, bring out the colors of a gray-veined marble backsplash and gray cabinetry.
Gray Kitchen Decor Ideas
16. Color Block Your Whole Kitchen
Gray-painted cabinets create an eye-catching scene in a black-and-white color blocked kitchen, as we saw in Emily and Kyle’s Kansas City house.
17. Add Greenery
Nothing brightens up a gray kitchen palette faster than a few cheery houseplants. Follow in Jennifer Biswas’ footsteps and place a handful of pretty plants around your gray kitchen cabinets, like she did in her Minnesota home.
18. Float On
Natural wood floating shelves offer up extra storage space while playing up the warm tones of gray kitchen cabinets, as we saw in Katie Day’s Australian home.
19. Bright Idea
A sleek white pendant lamp, like the one we spotted in Stine Marie Rosenborg’s Copenhagen kitchen, offers extra overhead lighting above gray cabinetry.
20. Try a Statement Light
When all else fails, you can always count on a swanky chandelier to bring a touch of glamour to a dark gray kitchen, like we saw in Andi and Dean’s San Francisco abode.
