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Revamping your kitchen with a contrasting island color is an easy and impactful way to add personality and style, especially in a traditional white kitchen. Whether you’re considering a bold paint color or a beautiful wood tone, the right choice can turn your kitchen island into a stunning focal point.
In this post, I’m excited to share some of the most popular paint colors and wood tones for your kitchen island, along with tips to help you make the perfect choice.
From rich, dark hues to on-trend wood finishes, these options will elevate your kitchen and make a lasting impression. Let’s see my top 10 favorite kitchen island colors to inspire your next project!
1. Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal
BM Kendall Charcoal is a rich and luxurious dark gray which works best paired with white walls and natural wood tones. This is a great choice is you are wanting to dip your toe into darker colors but you don’t want the massive commitment and cost of painting all your cabinets.
The contrast between white cabinets and a dark color on the island is what really makes this kitchen special. The wood tones and brass hardware help balance out the contrast, tying it all together.
A soft black island like this also works with a variety of white cabinet colors – from warmer whites to cooler whites – making it a versatile choice.
2. Farrow & Ball Green Smoke
Green kitchens are majorly on trend! While you may not want to commit to an entirely green kitchen, a green island adds beautiful warmth, especially when paired with creamy white cabinets and brass accents.
Green Smoke by Farrow & Ball is the perfect green paint color– it’s not too dark and has the perfect balance of undertones to make your space really pop.
3. Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray
When we remodeled our kitchen, I only had one color in mind for our island – this pretty blue gray paint color called Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray. Isn’t it stunning?
A blue island is always a popular choice, whether it be a light blue gray like Boothbay Gray or dark blues like royal blue or navy (coming up!).
BM Boothbay Gray has enough depth in it to inject some character into your space without completely taking over at the same time. It’s also a color that pairs well with all colors of kitchen hardware, from nickel to brass and even flat black.
I love it so much that I chose it for my pantry cabinets and bathroom vanity, too!
4. Sherwin Williams Krypton
SW Krypton is another popular beautiful soft, creamy blue gray. It is definitely a little brighter and lighter than BM Boothbay Gray. Most of the time, it comes across as a light blue which makes it a great choice to pair with complementary brass shades.
SW Krypton is a stunning shade which looks amazing against bright colors such as white and gold as seen in the photo below.
The white provides a wonderful contrast to the blue while the gold accents on the lights and clock work really well to bring out the creamy side of this dreamy color.
5. Benjamin Moore Hale Navy
Hale Navy is a wonderful rich dark navy with a gray undertone which will inject a striking pop of color to your kitchen island. Hale Navy looks best paired with light grays and bright whites. I think of this shade of navy as been a really classic color that will never go out of style.
6. Sherwin Williams Naval
Getting a little darker, Sherwin Williams Naval is another beautifully classic navy blue choice for kitchen island. While you may think Naval is pretty similar to Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy there are some subtle differences.
While Hale Navy has that gray undertone, Naval is more of a true blue so if you are looking for a navy which appears a little more colorful and vibrant, this may be the one for you.
In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a navy blue kitchen island. But I’m obsessed with all things blue so I’m a bit biased!
7. Sherwin William Tricorn Black
Speaking of classic styles, a black island always looks good (as long as you have enough light in your kitchen). White cabinets, black island. It’s like a handsome man in a good tux – it always looks good!
8. Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze is a popular choice for a kitchen island color, especially for those working with speckled granite countertops.
Its rich, dark gray hue with warm brown undertones creates a sophisticated and grounded look that pairs beautifully with the natural variations in granite. The warmth in Urbane Bronze complements the earthy tones often found in speckled granite, allowing the cabinets and countertops to harmonize seamlessly.
This color is not only versatile but also timeless, making it a favorite among homeowners who want to achieve a modern yet inviting kitchen space. Urbane Bronze has a way of anchoring a kitchen, adding depth and dimension without overwhelming the space. Its subtle brown undertone softens the darker gray, ensuring that it doesn’t feel too stark or cold, which is particularly important in a space where you want to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
9. Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray
As much as people say gray is “over”, many homeowners still gravitate towards gray as a safe choice for their homes. And look how beautiful it can be! Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray is a beautiful dark, warm gray with the slightest green undertone.
This color remains incredibly popular as a cabinet color year after year. The great thing about BM Chelsea Gray is that it works well with a variety of white trim or cabinet colors – softer whites like BM White Dove or SW Pure White look beautifully, but it also works with brighter whites like BM Chantilly Lace.
More on Choosing a Bold Color For Your Island
Kitchen islands are the workhorse of the modern day kitchen. From prepping meals, to casual breakfasts and even a spot to do homework – they do it all!
Especially for those who are afraid of color, a colorful kitchen island is a great way to inject color and personality into a plain kitchen without going overboard.
Painting an existing island a new color is also a totally do-able DIY project, especially when you’ve done your research and know the best paint for kitchen cabinets. A fresh coat of paint has an amazing way of completely transforming any kitchen!
If you do decide you want to go for a contrasting color, it can create a wonderful focal point and is a great way of nodding to a trending shade without having to repaint your whole kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the kitchen island does not have to match your cabinets. You can paint your island a different color or have it a contrasting wood tone. You can also choose to have it match. However, adding an accent color to your island is a great way to make the most of your kitchen design, especially when the rest of your cabinets are white.
This entirely depends on the color scheme of the kitchen. If you have white cabinets, a darker color on the island will offer contrast. If your cabinets are darker, you may choose a wood tone for your island that’s lighter in nature.
Don’t Forget…
Don’t forget – no matter what you’ve read or photos you’ve seen online, it’s really important to sample paint colors in your home before committing!
Samplize provides real paint samples that are easy to move around your home, and cheaper than buying a gazillion paint pots! It’s the only way I buy paint samples.
Final Thoughts
No matter which color or wood type you choose – your kitchen island should be an expression of your personality and flow with the rest of your home and overall design of the kitchen.
Bearing that in mind, it’s always important to consider the rest of the kitchen and how the kitchen island will impact the visual balance of the room as a whole. Consider hardware choices, countertop materials, as well as the color of the perimeter cabinets to ensure the undertones don’t clash.
When all else fails, go with your heart, as the kitchen should always be the heart of the home!
At the very top of your article under the very first paragraph, is a picture of light blue cabinets with gold pulls on the drawers. I love that blue color, but you make no mention of it. Is it the same blue that you put in your kitchen or a different blue?
Hi, yes that’s my island it’s Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray.
You are so talented! Would you mind giving an opinion? We painted our kitchen cabinets SW Cyberspace and our island Pure White. Love the cabinets but the white island isn’t working with our countertops which are Super White Quartzite. Any suggestions for a contrasting color for the island? I’m afraid doing it in Cyberspace to match the cabinets would make the kitchen too dark.
I’m not familiar with the color of your quartzite. Your best bet is to get some samples from Samplize.com and see how they compare to the color on your countertops. It’s always important to figure out all these elements together, especially when dealing with shades of white! I’m guessing your counters are a really bright white based on the name so if you want to keep the island white, SW high reflective white or BM chantilly lace might be a good starting point.
Hi. I love your new kitchen, what is the cabinet color you used?
Hi! It’s a factory finish color, very close to BM White Dove
Hi Jenna! Any ideas for honey oak cabinets and black granite? Most of the inspiration pictures have a light counter. Looking for something to pop for the island!
My 3 go-to island colors for honey oak with black or speckled granite are warmer grays – try SW Mindful Gray, BM Chelsea Gray or SW Repose Gray.
Thanks so much! I have Agreeable Gray on the walls now, so I think that will look great!
Thank you for the great post! All of the kitchens shown are gorgeous and I am wondering what color might work for an island in a kitchen that has honey oak trim and cabinets. We have granite countertops that have a darker color speckled throughout so I am considering trying to “match” that dark color for the island to help bring out that color in the kitchen to help the eye steer away from the oak. Thank you for all you do!
Yes! I would pull out some of the darker color – something like BM Chelsea Gray or BM Kendall Gray are usually good choices!
Thank you so much for your reply. You are the best! Very inspiring and get my creative juices flowing. 🌷