17 Kitchens That Go Bold With Pastels

If you’ve ever done any renovations in your own home, you were probably drawn to neutrals: white walls, white tile, and, of course, white kitchen cabinets. And while white might be considered the go-to color, we love a new trend we’re seeing: pastel kitchen cabinets that infuse spaces with character without being overwhelming.

Colorful kitchens have a long history, beginning in the 1920s when the Arts & Crafts movement influenced ceramic tile manufacturers to produce tile in a range of colors beyond the then-traditional white. Glossy black became a common color for tile alongside light-colored cabinets, soon followed by pastels like pink, light green, and pale blue. Cabinets in similar colorways followed suit, with schemes like jade green with pale yellow and baby blue with a creamy off-white. 

But by the 1950s and 1960s, bolder colors like fire engine red or avocado green became more popular, and with the 1970s and 1980s came lots of laminate cabinets in duller colors, sometimes in combination with shiny natural wood. Since then, all-white kitchens with white cabinetry and minimalist detailing have taken their turn in the limelight, but we’re sensing the turning of that tide as colored cabinets and funky marble countertops that make a statement become more and more popular. 

So why pick pastels for your kitchen? Surprisingly, even though pastels are known to be soft colors, when used as kitchen cabinets, they lend a sense of personality, fun, and lightness to a space. But because of their lighter tones, they still reflect light better than dark colors, managing to be soft and airy while still imbuing color. What’s more, they pair well with neutrals like white, gray, or black. So we’ve gone ahead and gathered some of our favorites below — take a look and see what inspires you!

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