Contemporary

This kitchen palette from Falcone features a bright pop of red against subtle neutral colors in beige and dark brown. “There aren’t that many cabinets, especially on the wall, so bright, candy apple cabinets are a nice element to add,” says Falcone. The Real Red pops against the main walls' dark Raisin and accent walls' lighter Beach House. “On a personal level, I love red, but it’s not an easy color to use,” says Falcone. “This palette is really for a person who is a little more on the daring side and open to something really modern.”

“Contemporary design is about expecting the unexpected,” says Lori Carroll, ASID, IIDA, principal designer at Lori Carroll and Associates. In this palette selected by Carroll, the Wasabi green is the unexpected color. Concentrated on the cabinets, the unusual green is neutralized by two different shades of gray. “I look at the gray as a kind of concrete color,” explains Carroll, who selected the neutral grays to complement the kitchen’s concrete floor.

“I relate contemporary design to contemporary art,” says Carroll. “You see blocks of color in art, and I use that as my inspiration for applying accents of color in the kitchen.” For this palette Carroll selected the vibrant Twilight Blue for the cabinetry, which then serves as the kitchen’s main focal point. Warm neutral wall colors—Cape Hatteras Sand on the surrounding walls and the darker Shenandoah Taupe on the accent wall and painted backsplash—offer balance to the cool blue cabinets.

Some homeowners avoid black in kitchens for fear that the dark hue will overwhelm and depress a room. “This black is not dreary because the cabinets are high gloss,” says Falcone of this palette. “And there’s plenty of light coming in reflecting off the high gloss.” Falcone played the deep green of the Guacamole wall color against the black to create warmth, while the accent wall’s Creekside Green introduces soft gray to balance the darker hues. “Most people are afraid of color because they’re afraid of making mistakes,” says Falcone. “This palette is conservative and designed for someone who likes contemporary design but isn’t ready for all the color.”