Gray walls, white furniture and vice versa
Against a gray background, the snow-white facades of the cabinets and cupboards look especially expressive, and the darker the background, the brighter the contrast. This pattern is best used when arranging spacious kitchens, since a cramped space will visually shrink, and white furniture will “press” from all sides and look larger than it is.
Dark and bright floors and ceilings, especially multi-level ones, will aggravate this impression, but for a large kitchen they will be a real find.
If you need to furnish a small kitchen and at the same time make it visually more spacious, it is better to choose a light gray furniture set with glossy facades, and make the walls and ceiling white.
In a cramped kitchen with low ceilings, it is important to install a light countertop that does not contrast too much in color with the cabinets and cupboards. And also avoid too colorful and expressive aprons, otherwise there will be an effect of the room, “sawn in two” horizontally, which will cause the ceiling to visually sag.
White top, gray bottom and vice versa
Continuing the sore subject of low ceilings, for this case we can recommend white wall cabinets in combination with gray, not too dark cabinets. You can smooth out the transition from the top to the bottom of the kitchen unit with a kitchen apron and countertop made of the same light material or painted in the same discreet color.
Look at examples of kitchen designs with a dark bottom and a light top.
Gray cabinets, especially in dark tones, with an original complex shape, interspersed with open shelves filled with utensils and decor – all this is the lot of spacious kitchen spaces that also serve as a dining room or bar.
When in a cramped gray and white kitchen with low ceilings the cabinets are snow-white, the countertop is contrasting, and the cabinets are dark, one can say that all the wrong design decisions have been made at once.
Unconventional shades
Having heard this phrase itself – gray and white kitchen – many sadly shrug their shoulders and start looking for more interesting options. But gray is a multifaceted color and can bring a variety of atmospheres to the interior. It all depends on the shade.
Both the furniture set and the walls of the kitchen can be of an unusual color obtained by adding other tones to the classic gray: yellow, brown, blue, green, red. The color temperature will depend on this, it can be both warm and cold.
The final version sometimes looks so unexpected, fresh and stylish that it sets the whole mood. And several skillfully placed accents complete the overall picture. It would be a stretch to call this interior dull.
The third leading color
Gray-white kitchens have another hidden advantage – this combination serves as a wonderful background for other, deeper and brighter colors, such as black, blue, red, orange, turquoise or purple.
These rich tones reveal their full potential against the background of other neutral elements of the decor.
Gray-white-yellow and gray-white-scarlet kitchen interiors have already become classics of the high-tech and minimalism styles, and fans of, for example, Scandinavian design will certainly feel cozy in the restrained gray-white-blue or gray-white-lilac kitchen.
Everyone knows the golden rule: no more than three main colors in one room. Let gray and white be accompanied by a third, your favorite color, and you can bring it into the interior with the help of furniture, curtains, vases, paintings and other items.
Mosaic floor
If the space allows, you can focus on the flooring and use it to emphasize the harmony of the gray and white kitchen. A tiny room with a colorful floor will “steal” precious meters.
Even if you simply lay the floors with white and gray tiles of the same shades that were used in the design of other parts of the kitchen interior, it will not look boring. And if you add a third main color, you get a complete picture.
Original apron
A kitchen apron or skinali can play the first violin under the unobtrusive gray-white accompaniment of other elements of the kitchen design. Moreover, in the wall above the work area, you can either combine the colors and textures already used in the interior, or add completely new ones that will attract all the attention.
Any original splashbacks look great in gray and white kitchens: glass with 3D images and juicy photos, laid out with tiles, mosaics and bricks, inlaid with natural stone or mirrored.
The warmth of natural wood
Another common reason why people refuse to make a gray and white kitchen is fear that it will turn out to be too formal, strict and cold. This is what will happen if you do not add cozy notes.
Wood will help you do this, its natural warmth charms at first sight when it is in a restrained gray and white frame.
Wooden ones look good in such kitchens countertops, furniture and floors in a wide range of shades, including deep and rich: yellowish, brown, cherry. For small rooms, light and bright wood is better, for spacious rooms, dark wood is acceptable.
Cold shine of metal
Classic gray color is similar to a metallic shade and therefore harmonizes with furnishing elements made of metal. If you are not afraid of cold, bold and stylish interiors, emphasize this harmony.
You can add rigidity to a gray and white kitchen with metal lampshades on pendant lamps, chrome handles on the facades of furniture, gleaming steel dishes and household appliances.
Brutal brickwork
Those who found the previous idea tempting should think about decorating their kitchen in an industrial style. It allows you to create your own cozy and, of course, non-trivial interiors.
Brickwork, the “heart” of the loft, can be natural in color, painted, or untreated, worn and deliberately rough. In any case, it will look great in a gray and white kitchen, both on the walls and even on the floor.
Bright accents
Color, light and texture accents will help make a calm and restrained gray and white kitchen more interesting. The most obvious ones are chairs, curtains, tablecloths, wall decorations, decor and lighting fixtures. All of this can find a place even in a small kitchen.
As for shades, juicy colors look especially advantageous in modern gray and white kitchens:
- imperial red;
- fuchsia;
- ocher;
- sea wave;
- grass green;
- night blue;
- violet;
- emerald;
- electric.
Calmer shades, such as olive, dusty pink or lemon, will find a worthy place in gray and white kitchens decorated in classic and rustic styles. styles.
Textural accents are also directly related to the style of the room. These can be linen, silk, bamboo, rattan, cork finishing or decor elements.
Lighting needs to be discussed separately. With the help of well-placed main and spot light sources, you can completely transform even the most cramped and poorly designed kitchen. Bright lighting of the work, dining or bar area looks especially impressive in kitchens with an abundance of gloss and mirrors.
A gray and white kitchen is a space for self-expression and the embodiment of bold creative ideas. This range will fit into any design direction, so if it is pleasing to your eye, there is no need to give up on your plans. Gray and white does not mean boring.
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