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Paint colours to go with a cream kitchen


10 designs in this classic neutral |

(Image credit: British Standard)

Cream kitchen ideas are always warm and inviting, whether they're classic Shaker-style rooms or super-modern, streamlined spaces. The ultimate neutral, it's just as timeless as white or gray, but sunnier and more welcoming for larger or light-starved kitchens that will feel less like home in cooler tones.

There is a whole range of creams to choose from – from elegant, just-off-whites, such as ivory, chalk and alabaster, to gray-creams, such as taupe and stone, and more earthy shades, like linen. 

Cream kitchens look fabulous with other colors, too – pale blue to navy, blush pinks, deep greens, grey, white and even black. 

For anyone who has dismissed cream as a top option for their list of kitchen ideas, let us change your mind.

Cream kitchen ideas

Cream kitchens are incredibly easy to introduce accent colors and tones to. For contemporary spaces, warm metallics, such as gold and brass, look wonderful.  

More traditional rooms will benefit from the textures that wood will introduce. And, of course, you can match cream to other kitchen color ideas for a two-tone kitchen design, too. 

1. Combining cream with white creates a layered feel

(Image credit: Little Greene)

The beauty of a cream kitchen is that it works with pretty much all colors – the sign of a great neutral. If you love white kitchen ideas but feel they will be too stark in your kitchen then consider teaming white with cream, which will create a subtly layered look.

To create contrast, you can opt for a deeper cream – more of a taupe or stone, like in this kitchen by Little Greene . That way, the white will stand out and create a fresh feel while the cream warms the space. Wooden elements look great with this combination. Choose a dark tone for a kitchen that has plenty of natural light; otherwise, a mid-toned wood is the best option.

2. Patterns work well with neutrals

(Image credit: Carpetright)

Using a neutral like cream opens up the opportunity to use color and pattern, because it’s so versatile. We love the idea of installing decorative flooring – it creates a focal point and adds an exciting element to the space. 

David Snazel, hard flooring buyer at Carpetright , explains: ‘When looking to update your scheme, bold kitchen flooring ideas can add a little "wow". If the room is on the smaller side, lighter floors will help open a space and create the perfect base to build upon with trending accessories.’

3. Matching walls to cabinetry creates a spacious feel

(Image credit: Neptune)

For an all encompassing look that is spacious and airy, choose your favorite cream shade and use it everywhere – on the cabinetry and walls, like in this kitchen by Neptune .

Using the same cream on the ceiling will create a really warm-looking space, too. However, you will want to have some kind of contrast for the flooring and countertops so that the cream has something to shine against. 

Here, the wood's natural textures and colors in the rustic gray kitchen flooring introduce a characterful feel and tie in nicely with the wooden window frame and soft gray backsplash. Pale blue chairs tone down the cream to create a pale, but interesting, finish.

4. Cream kitchen cabinetry suits a traditional look

(Image credit: British Standard)

Painted kitchens tend to suit traditional-style homes, but how do you choose the right shade of cream for your room? It really depends on the effect you want to create – warm, welcoming and relaxed or cool, elegant and restrained – and the amount and quality of natural daylight the room receives. 

Light-starved kitchens, and those that you want to feel warm need creams with a hint of yellow or pink in them; sunny spaces or ones you would like to feel more pared back will work with creams that tend towards gray hues, so consider light when deciding how to paint your kitchen cabinets.

5. Warm metallics are the perfect accent for cream

(Image credit: Cullifords)

For more contemporary cream kitchen ideas that you want to give a glam appeal, try using surfaces like Gerald Culliford’s SapienStone ceramic. It’s shown here on the countertops and cabinet fronts, teamed with internal brass edging. 

This cream kitchen scheme would work well in a small kitchen design, as the clean lines and sleek edges create a spacious and seamless feel. 

6. Teaming cream with navy creates real impact

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

When natural light is low in a kitchen, a barely-there white-cream like Farrow & Ball’s Lime White will brighten it without making it feel too stark. Named after the chalky pigments used in original distempers, it’s one of their traditional neutrals and has a small amount of green pigment. 

The result is a subtle yet understated feel, that gently brightens without being too intense. Plus, it looks wonderful matched with deep navy blue kitchen accents – pick out just one element of your scheme in this color, whether a range, fire surround or kitchen island, and the effect will be beautiful.

7. Contrasting wall colors add depth and interest

(Image credit: Martin Moore)

‘The key with a cream kitchen is to pair cream painted kitchen cabinets with contrasting walls and textural elements, like dark wood countertops and flooring. This will give the design an edge and create appealing visual interest,’ explains Tom Howley, design director at Tom Howley .

‘Use lighting to your advantage and choose a combination of colors that look fresh in the day but warm and inviting at night. The shadows created by your lighting choices creates an extra element of texture which can transform the space. Even during daylight, your choice of pendant lighting will add to the overall feel of the room.’

8. Combine cream with black for a contemporary kitchen

(Image credit: Future/Jonathan Gooch)

We often think of black and white kitchens working better in a contemporary space, but actually cream and black can be a touch softer, as London based interior designer Louise Bradley explains:

‘It doesn't have to be difficult to create a modern feel in a cream kitchen. Start with choosing a tone variation that's slightly muted and away from the yellow and cyan undertones. A light colored veneer will also create a contemporary feel.  

'Combine this with a clean architectural design, a light or dark stone worktop and a less traditional handle detail. Adding glass and metal elements to your kitchen will further enhance the contemporary feel of the space.’

9. Cream kitchen cabinetry is the perfect match for low ceilings

(Image credit: Neptune)

We don’t all love light and bright – some of us adore a cosy feel that can be achieved with beautiful dark parquet flooring and warmer cream kitchen cabinet colors. This charming Shaker style kitchen by Neptune shows you how to combat that age-old issue of low ceilings, too.

The ivory units lighten the space and add warmth, which is helped by the white countertops. Recessed ceiling lights teamed with global task lights will create an ambience when the sun goes down. Stainless steel appliances coupled with chrome drawer knobs add a modern touch. 

10. Cream looks fabulous matched with deep green

(Image credit: The Expert / Jean Stoffer Design)

If you want to create a light and dark contrast then consider teaming cream with deep green kitchen ideas – it’s a classic combination that won't date any time soon.  

Helen Parker, creative director at deVOL , explains why cream is such a hit for kitchens:

‘Limited color palettes make styling a room easier. You can be much more selective, not necessarily keeping to that same color but being a little more restrained with your choices. A rich, muted color on the walls and cupboards with flashes of crystal and copper is enough to create drama. 

'Similarly, in a light colored kitchen, the constraints of using only natural earthy colors help to instantly create a soft and mellow feel.’

What colors go best with a cream kitchen?

Natural colors go best in most cream kitchen ideas. At the most neutral end of the spectrum, that includes white, gray, browns and blacks – and you can include everything from marble to wood to slate within that color spectrum. 

For bolder colors, sticking to shades inspired by nature is the best option – that's earthy terracottas, deep greens, dark blues and even blush pink. We would avoid anything too glaring – think: orange – and primary colors like red kitchen accents, which just don't complement cream's soft tones.  

Are cream kitchen cabinets in style?

Cream kitchen cabinets are definitely in style – in fact, this color is a timeless shade that will never date, whether your kitchen is contemporary or traditional.

If you're wondering how to make a small kitchen look bigger, cream is a smart color choice. Unlike white, it will feel more welcoming and home buyers love cream kitchens, too, which is always a bonus.

Sophie has been an interior stylist and journalist for over 20 years and has worked for many of the main interior magazines during that time, both in-house and as a freelancer. On the side, as well as being the News Editor for indie magazine, 91, she trained to be a florist in 2019 and launched The Prettiest Posy where she curates beautiful flowers for modern weddings and events. For H&G, she writes features about interior design – and is known for having an eye for a beautiful room.

Cream kitchen ideas in timeless shades from hessian white to ecru

Looking for cream kitchen ideas? For many years now all shades of cream and magnolia have been shunned for brilliant white and hues of grey. But for 2021 the tide has turned, and those creamy neutrals have been brought up to date with a new, sophisticated colour palette, offering a wider choice of soft neutrals.

Cream kitchens are the ideal choice for those looking for a safe neutral shade, but a colour warmer than white and not as outspoken as grey.

This steadfast neutral colour lends itself to a number of kitchen ideas and decorating styles, from rustic to contemporary. Harvey Jones kitchen designer Leisha Norman tells Ideal Home, ‘Cream is a versatile shade that looks beautiful in both traditional and contemporary settings. It is light enough to make the room feel more spacious, yet it’s not as stark as white can be.’

As a new kitchen is a huge investment, it's no surprise that so many of us opt for kitchen colour schemes that will stand the test of time. Cream kitchens are one of the most popular styles, with colours such as ivory, off-white and buttermilk proving popular choices.

You might choose an ultra-modern glossy cream kitchen that combines streamlined cabinetry with the latest appliances, or perhaps use painted cream cupboards to transform a cottage kitchen that has low ceilings. However you use this versatile shade, here are our cream kitchen ideas to inspire your design.

Cream kitchen ideas

1. Make cream feel contemporary

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

Cream doesn't have to say 'country-style', it can be highly effective as the backdrop in a more contemporary setting. In a modern home, choose a cream kitchen to create a bright and summery feel. Combine cream units with black metro tiled walls and practical kitchen worktop ideas, such as granite, for a busy family kitchen.

Choose statement glass pendant lights to add a living room vibe to the space – a design feature which is very on-trend for 2021. Add contemporary wireframe barstools to amplify the modern style credentials.

2. Give neutrals a new lease of life

(Image credit: Polly Eltes/Future PLC)

If you prefer your kitchens pale but find that white kitchens are too clinical, opt for a palette of off-whites and buffs - imagine shades of vintage paper. Cream cabinetry feels fresh and modern teamed with white fittings and chalk-white walls. Matching stone worktops and floors help to keep the look cohesive. A warming cream AGA adds a classic country finish.

3. Go for splashes of on-trend grey

(Image credit: Mark Bolton/Future PLC)

Warm cream cabinetry is an ideal backdrop for sophisticated grey kitchen ideas such as worktops, lights and accessories. Choose a shade of grey with warm undertones to help retain the warm qualities of cream, avoiding blue-toned greys. Finish the look by painting the walls with a putty colour, to meet the two tones of cream and grey halfway.

4. Factor in freestanding furniture for flexibility

(Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Bevan)

Why not opt for freestanding furniture instead of fitted kitchen units? Choose pieces such as a painted cream sideboard for storage, a dresser where you can display your favourite china and glassware, and a large farmhouse table surrounded by spindle chairs for family meals.

If you're looking for shabby chic decorating ideas, fit shelves instead of wall cupboards to store items such as Kilner jars, cookware and serving dishes. Touches of copper, pink and stone bring this country kitchen scheme to life.

5. Play it safe with an off-white scheme

(Image credit: Future PLC/Jamie Mason)

If you want to create the perfect family kitchen, be inspired by this modern kitchen idea. This open-plan design has ample worktop space for food preparation, a stainless-steel range cooker and chic white metro tiles. Built in an extension, the cream units curve round to form a breakfast bar for a casual eating space, with stylish pale blue pendant lights above.

6. Create a café-style kitchen

(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)

For a café-style kitchen combine cream walls and cabinetry with an area decorated with blackboard paint and you'll never forget anything on your shopping list ever again! Keep the look light and cheerful with cream painted base units and a practical wooden worktop.

Continue the warm wood tones with dining furniture, then add black and copper accessories as a finishing touch.

7. Create a classic scheme you'll love for years to come

(Image credit: Future PLC/Brent Darby)

A cream painted kitchen is the perfect choice for a cottage with low ceilings, as it makes the space feel light and open. Create this look with Shaker-style base cabinets, cream wall tiles and pale flagstone flooring. If you have space, an Aga will suit a cream country kitchen perfectly.

As an alternative to wall cupboards, install a kitchen island in the centre of the room to provide plenty of storage.

8. Invigorate with strong blue accents

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Parmiter)

If you're looking for ways to add colour to an all white kitchen or you want to inject some personality into your cream space, use one strong accent colour. In the case of this neutral kitchen scheme, cream walls play the perfect backdrop to display midnight blue storage and shelving. For extra effect the main kitchen island is also blue.

The delicious shade of mushroom on the tiles adds a subtle layer on from the cream, to create a harmonious palette of neutrals to compliment the punchier blue accents.

9. Create focus with a feature wall

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

Like with all good neutral schemes, a hit of strong accent colour can go a long way to uplift the spirit of the room. If red kitchens are too strong, this shade paired with cream is a trusted colour combination, especially in a country-style kitchen like the one shown above.

In this compact U-shaped kitchen idea, one striking red wall helps to add a focal point of interest within the cream colour scheme. The painted wall anchors the red accent colours dotted around the kitchen, from the appliances to textiles it all flows seamlessly.

10. Offset cream with dark flooring

(Image credit: Future PLC/Douglas Gibb)

Maintain an all-cream colour scheme with the cabinetry and walls and instead use the floor to add a statement shade. A dark tiled floor helps to add depth to the room, ideal for small kitchens because it highlights the amount of floor space, which when the rest of the room is bright and airy, it can give a greater perspective.

Natural wooden worktops help to break up the look further, without drawing the eye away from the two contrasting tones of cream and black.

11. Team with green to create a country classic

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

12. Compliment with cream in a country kitchen

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Still)

In a farmhouse choose a kitchen design that complements the original features in your home. In this country kitchen, cream cabinetry and pale stone flooring blend seamlessly with the vaulted ceiling and exposed wood beams.

The island unit has been painted in coordinating stone and accents of colour with fuchsia pendant lamps, glassware and pretty artwork.

13. Keep it classy and sophisticated

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

In this beautiful kitchen, a cream palette keeps the look fresh, while the dresser and vintage wooden table create a charming country feel. A combination of antiques, vintage accessories and salvaged pieces give this kitchen a sense of grandeur.

Does grey go with a cream kitchen?

We can hear the whole nation asking, because grey is a firm favourite for the modern home. All will be pleased to hear the answer is yes, the key is keeping the tones similar in warmth. Grey and cream can offer an ideal soothing colour combination to create a strong neutral base, avoiding the starkness of brilliant white. Thanks to the undertones in both colours, they work together in unison to add warmth and depth.

What colours go with a cream kitchen?

Thanks to the warmth of cream it works best with colours on the warmer scale of the spectrum, such as red. The colour combination of red and cream is a particularly popular painted kitchen idea in a country kitchen, which teams well with natural woods and stone worktops and flooring.

While warm colours are the most welcome, green and blue can work just as well despite being colder in tone. It's about choosing the right depth of colour, which can compliment the cream. For instance sage green has an earthy quality that helps to bring warmth.

‘As cream is a soft, neutral shade, it works really well with a multitude of colours’ explains Leisha Norman, kitchen designer at Harvey Jones.

‘Consider having your cabinets or walls in a different tone – perhaps a deeper blue-grey or a forest green – as this will add more of an edge to the final space. Another good idea is to add some interest with standalone pieces, such as an old AGA in a black shiny finish.’

How to choose the right color for the walls in the kitchen

In case of insufficient light and especially the lack of sunlight, choose warm, calm shades for the walls - yellow, orange, light brown and beige.

If a lot of sunlight enters the room, it is better not to paint the walls in saturated colors, as they will become even brighter when illuminated and may change color.

Green color is popular now. It is believed that the green color has a good effect on digestion. For the kitchen, it is advisable to choose pistachio or soft salad shades. nine0007

Also popular pastel colors, yellow gloss, red copper. The universal color is white, it can be used in any style, from classic to modern.

Consider the color and design of the kitchen furniture.

For example, white kitchen furniture goes well with red, green, burgundy, peach, yellow, blue walls.

Classic brown furniture looks good against peach, beige or white walls. nine0007

Furniture is one of the most significant elements of the interior, so you often have to choose the shade of the walls just for it, and not for other interior details. If the furniture needs to stand out, then regardless of its color, the walls should not be bright and do not contain catchy ornaments. The more unusual and original the furniture looks, the more restrained the walls should be - calm shades, without flashy patterns.

If your kitchen set has a very light and calm shade, and the kitchen is large enough, you can choose a brighter and more saturated color for the walls. nine0007

Solid color furniture needs to contrast with the walls - walls can be bright, patterned and large decorative elements.

If pieces of furniture should not attract attention (furniture is old, in poor condition or simply ugly), then emphasis should be placed on juicy and expressive walls - catchy patterns and shades that delight the eye.

If the room is small and the number is furniture is also not enough, then you can paint the walls in calm, restrained colors, and decorate one side with a bright large picture.

In general, it is recommended to stick to the colors closest in tone. Soft, warm colors of the walls look equally harmonious with both light-colored furniture and darker tones.

Look at the design of furniture . If it is chosen in a romantic and rustic style, then it is better to leave the walls light - pale green, beige tones, with bright contrasting stripes of brick shades. nine0007

For an interior in a classic style, more solid and juicy shades are suitable - cold pink, strictly blue, beige.

For modern style furniture with its metallic sheen and subdued brightness, it is better to choose a solid, conservative and calm wall finish.

There are several "forbidden" colors for kitchen walls: is black and all dark shades of brown. They oppress and make the room cramped, evoke associations with dirt. * To understand how comfortable you will live with the chosen wall color, hang sheets of white paper, old wallpaper or cardboard on the walls. Apply paint spots on them and leave for a few days, during which, looking at these colors, you can understand which color suits you best. nine0007

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Any colors that surround a person directly affect his mood, health, psychological state. It is very important to choose the right scale for the kitchen, because a lot of time is spent in this room. The photos presented in the article will help you choose what color to paint the kitchen - in addition, you need to take into account other design nuances.

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To simplify the choice, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the video, which provides detailed information on painting the walls in the kitchen and choosing a color palette:

Kitchen interior design.

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