Gray kitchen cabinets are timeless. That’s why it’s essential to understand what colors go with them in order to be happy and satisfied with your kitchen in the long run. This post is all about choosing the right colors for your kitchen with gray cabinets: walls, countertops, backsplash, floor, appliances, and hardware.
What color goes with gray kitchen units?
This section is all about the general approach: Gray is a neutral color. It means that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to pairing it with another color.
Then the question is not what goes with gray cabinets, but rather how should you pick other colors that go together to create a harmonious color scheme in your kitchen.
Gray is such a versatile color that can be paired with theoretically any color. However, you should not throw many different colors together. While one by one they might be combined with gray, that does not mean that they also go well together.
Factors that Influence Color Palette
The color palette is usually influenced by different factors: natural light, the position of the kitchen in terms of direct sunlight, the colors of neighboring spaces, and the style of the kitchen.
Natural light is an important factor: if you don’t get enough of it, you should try to compensate for the lack by choosing lighter colors for your kitchen.
If your room gets direct sunlight for a major part of the day, then you should try to balance it with cool colors instead of amplifying it with warm colors. Neutral colors, such as gray, white, or even beige, usually have color undertones that can be cool or warm, and you should be careful when it comes to choosing them.
Kitchen style plays an important role when it comes to choosing the color scheme. For example, minimalist styles, such as Scandinavian, Japandi, or Japanese style kitchens should go for neutral color schemes with the added warmth of natural materials, while flamboyant styles, such as Bohemian would allow you to combine many different colors together.
One thing is commonly important, no matter style: you need to provide enough contrast in your space, otherwise, the gray will make your kitchen look dull.
What Color Walls Go with Gray Kitchen Cabinets
Once we established what factors influence the color choices for gray cabinets, the next step is to understand, what are the most desirable color choices for walls. Depending on the design, walls can take up a large amount of area, unless they are covered with shelves or cabinets. That’s why it’s important to be intentional about the color of the walls with gray cabinets.
The best practice is to keep it simple. Why? because walls are the background for other elements. In order to make something stand out, you should keep something else muted, as a background.
The kitchen is already a functionally busy place, with other more important elements that might draw attention. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep the walls less distracting not to overwhelm the users.
When it comes to making something a background, it’s usually done by choosing a neutral color. Since we are already using grey for the cabinets, it’s a good idea to go for another color. White is an ideal option because it will make your space look wider and lighter providing enough contrast for the cabinets to stand out.
The best kitchen designs with grey cabinets I’ve seen feature white walls most of the time, but not always. You can go for the same grey color as your cabinets and create a monochromatic look, but you absolutely have to make sure to warm up the look with other elements. Otherwise, the space will look extremely dull and unintentional.
What Color Floor with Gray Kitchen Cabinets
Just like walls, the floor takes up a large amount of surface area of the whole kitchen. The choice of flooring material can make or break the overall design. How do you choose the best flooring that suits your gray kitchen?
Here is the deal: if neither countertop nor any of your cabinets – upper or lower – feature warm tones, the floor is a good opportunity to warm up the grayness. Sometimes architectural wooden elements, such as beams or columns can create enough warmth as well.
However, if any of the abovementioned elements feature natural wood, then you are free to choose any material for kitchen flooring: stone or ceramic tiles, marble, concrete, terrazzo, etc. However, incorporating flooring with the warmth of natural wood is always a good way to go.
What Colour Worktop Goes With Gray Kitchen Units
Choosing the right worktop for gray kitchen cabinets is essential. Worktop or a countertop is a great opportunity to make the design more sophisticated. Here is the rule of thumb when it comes to choosing the countertop for gray cabinets: if neither the flooring nor lower or upper cabinetry features warm materials, such as wood, then the countertop is the best opportunity to use it.
Gray is an extremely versatile color, but it can make your kitchen look dull and boring if used all over the place. To avoid this, you need to contrast gray with the warmth of wood.
Some of the nicest gray kitchens I’ve seen are designed with this in mind, and the results are always stunning.
However, if other elements, such as flooring or structural elements feature wood already, then you can go for other materials, such as natural stones or man-made stone materials, including quartz, quartzite, porcelain, soapstone, terrazzo, or concrete.
You can never go wrong with white, dark gray, or black countertops with gray cabinets. If your cabinets are light gray, and the whole kitchen is in lighter tones, then white countertops, or natural stone countertops that feature a pattern on white background, would be the ideal choice. However, a countertop that is slightly darker than the cabinets would also work.
In case your cabinets are dark gray and the overall kitchen design is in dark tones, then darker countertops might be the way to go.
What Color Backsplash with Gray Cabinets
The choice of backsplash color with gray cabinets depends more on the countertop color than the cabinet color. However, these three elements need to be working in harmony. There are four main approaches that you can take:
- choose white backsplash that will work well theoretically with anything
- coordinate backsplash and countertop colors
- contrast backsplash and countertop colors to create a visual statement.
- coordinate backsplash and cabinet color.
Choose a White Backsplash
white, just like gray, is extremely versatile color. White tiles, including subway or hex tiles are considered classics, and they will never go out of style. This might be a good way to think about it: since gray cabinets are timeless as well, it’s a smart idea to choose backsplash that is also timeless. This way you won’t have to think about remodeling your kitchen for a long time.
Timeless designs would also help you out if you decide to sell your home in the future, as they are generally acceptable for most of the home buyers.
Coordinate Backsplash and Countertop Colors
Using the same material for your countertop and backsplash can create a strong visually appealing element that is perceived as unified. This option is often used in high-end kitchens to achieve a sleek elegant look that is complemented with high-end accessories.
Depending on the material, the countertop-backsplash tandem might become a focal point of the kitchen or serve as a background.
If the backsplash/countertop is made of natural stone featuring beautiful dynamic veinings, then it will easily become a focal point and star of the kitchen. However, other patterns might need an additional element to complement the overall kitchen design. Featuring a beautiful sink and a faucet as a focal point is a good example.
Contrast Backsplash and Countertop Colors to Create a Visual Statement
Oftentimes, the gray cabinets are paired with grayish countertops and flooring. This might look extremely dull and boring unless you light it up with something else. The Backsplash area is a great place to introduce some color and make the design more interesting and visually appealing.
The most common way to make the backsplash stand out and become a focal point is to use color or pattern. You can do it with tiles or natural stones, and sometimes with metals – copper is a good example. Unlike stainless steel, copper contrasts the gray cabinets and creates a strong focal point on the backsplash.
When it comes to tiles, the modern market offers an endless variety of tile patterns, ranging from traditional timeless patterns to flamboyant and ethnic tiles – Moroccan, Mexican, or Spanish.
Coordinate Backsplash and Cabinet Color
Coordinating backsplash and cabinet color is a great way to achieve sophisticated high-end yet approachable luxury vibes. This creates a neutral color scheme that must be complemented with warm accents, such as accessories, countertops, or hardware.
Grey shiplap backsplash with grey cabinets is extremely posh, but they are not widely used and definitely not a trend you would see in all of your neighbors’ houses. That’s exactly why you might need to consider it.
The monotonous grey must be complemented with the warmth and color of wood, clay, or textile. Traditional patterns used on rugs might exactly fit into your kitchen with grey cabinets and grey backsplash.
What Color Hardware for Gray Cabinets
The choice of hardware for gray cabinets depends on the style of the kitchen. As I have already mentioned, gray is a versatile color that can go well with theoretically anything. The most common hardware choice with grey cabinets in modern-style kitchens is silver or chrome color hardware or wooden carved-in cabinet handles.
Recently I wrote an article about choosing the right hardware for your kitchen cabinets. Make sure to check it after reading this one.
However, traditional-style kitchens often feature brass with gray cabinets for added character and warmth. Gold/brass color is somewhat contrasting with the grey cabinets and draws attention. If that is your intention, then go for it. Otherwise, stick to the safer option: Silver/nickel that is.
Conclusion
Grey cabinets are extremely popular and desirable because they are timeless and they are versatile. They can withstand time and they can go with many different colors and styles that can fit the taste of almost any homeowner.
Choosing the right colors for the floor, backsplash, countertop, walls, and hardware for the kitchen with grey cabinets is not an easy task: even though grey goes with many different colors, many different colors do not necessarily go well together.
This article discussed the main guidelines of design that would help you choose the right colors that will keep a perfect balance of cold and warmth in your kitchen with gray cabinets.
