15 Neutral Kitchen Design Ideas for a Calming Aesthetic

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Looking at these neutral kitchen decor ideas makes me feel so relaxed. There’s something about a beige interior that just calms my soul. That’s why I adore neutral decorating.

If you feel the same, then I’m sure you’ll appreciate these gorgeous neutral kitchens. Having a neutral palette for the kitchen makes any cooking space look casual and serene. Besides being timeless, it is the perfect color palette choice to make the kitchen more cozy, unique, sophisticated, and refreshing. Neutral-toned kitchens are also much more on-trend in the 2020s than brightly colored, complicated ones. So rest assured that investing in this type of kitchen design is a smart move if you plan on selling your home in the near future.

Neutral Kitchen Decorating

If you are looking to remodel your existing kitchen or just thinking about renovating or designing a completely new kitchen for your house, you should totally go for a warm-toned kitchen like one of these. Each of these kitchen designs brings the interior to life with a pleasantly warm tone and a touch of nature. Here are the best neutral kitchen decor ideas you can steal from us to transform your dream kitchen into reality!

Contrasting Kitchen Island

Many people like to use a darker color cabinet for their kitchen island. It’s the 21st century and your kitchen cabinets don’t have to be all the same color or finish! You can feel free to experiment with different shades of brown when it comes to your kitchen cabinetry. Most often I see lighter cabinets on the outside perimeter of a kitchen, and darker cabinetry on the kitchen island, as seen in this pretty kitchen with marble countertops. This helps to brighten the space as too much dark cabinetry can darken the mood of a room fast.

Neutral Kitchen Decor with Contrasting Kitchen Island and Marble Countertops via @alyssakapitointeriors
@alyssakapitointeriors

Tree Branch Centerpiece

Bring the outdoors into your neutral kitchen with some raw tree branches from your yard. Place them in a glass vase or a white ceramic bowl to create a quick and easy neutral centerpiece for your kitchen island or dining room table. Surround it with some fruits or a wood cutting board and you’ve created a gorgeous little neutral vignette in your kitchen!

Neutral Kitchen with Tree branch Centerpiece and Wishbone Counter Chairs and Beige Cabinets via @whittneyparkinson
@whittneyparkinson

Copper Pots and Pans

A huge trend in contemporary kitchen design is to display vintage copper pots and pans somewhere in the space. Whether against the backsplash or on the stove itself, be sure to show off your beautiful copper cookware. Here, a kitchen stove top is decorated with a beautiful antique copper kettle. Check out the best cookware brands for copper cookware.

Brass Bar Stools

For a neutral kitchen design, it’s best to go with brass fixtures where you can. From the sink faucet to the cabinet pulls to the bar stools or chairs, stick with this gorgeous aged brass-tone seen here. It’s a favorite in neutral kitchen designs!

Neutral Kitchen Decor with Brass Bar Stools and Wood Paneled Kitchen Island via @kelseyleighdesignco
@kelseyleighdesignco

Open Shelving

To create an airy kitchen, open shelving is a must in at least one part of the room. Here, brown wooden shelves are installed on top of gray marble countertops, creating the perfect neutral kitchen design around the sink.

Neutral Kitchen with Open Shelving Around Sink via @kristenforgione
@kristenforgione

Wood Herringbone Floors

Using wood herringbone floors gives a Parisian flair to the nature of your kitchen. Another benefit of using wood floors is that they feel homey and soft on your feet. Since many people prefer lighter cabinets, a dark wood floor can provide a nice contrast and prevent your kitchen from looking too much like a hospital!

The marble block island in this kitchen has gentle brown veins further enhancing the warmth of this space.

Neutral Kitchen with Wood Herringbone Floors via Blakes London
Blakes London

French Bistro Chairs and a White Palette

If you love French design, then consider some French bistro counter chairs like these ones to sit at when eating breakfast.

The creamy white components of this kitchen make for a dreamy space. From the white kitchen island to the modern cabinetry, marble backsplash and light beige walls, there’s a cloud effect happening in this kitchen! Trends come and go, but a dreamy white shade never really goes out of style.

Neutral Kitchen with French Bistro Counter Chairs via @lifeoncedarlane
@lifeoncedarlane

Blonde Honey-Hued Neutral Cabinets

There are plenty of color tones and hues available for modern cabinetry but blonde, honey-hued kitchen cabinets stand out when it comes to achieving a warm and cozy atmosphere. Along with its beautiful color and relaxing tone for the eyes, honey cabinets are easier to clean and maintain than other dark or very light colors.

Neutral Kitchen with Blonde wood cabinets via jaclynpetersdesign
jaclynpetersdesign

Warm Toned Marble Backsplash

The backlash is one of the most important components of your kitchen. It enhances the beauty and protects the wall from grease, food residue, and smoke spots. Choosing a warm-toned backsplash of high quality marble gives you the opportunity to add some texture and design to your neutral kitchen. Take a look at this soft, serene, and lovely marble backsplash with brown veins – so unique!

Neutral Kitchen with Warm Marble Backsplash via @june.and.blue
@june.and.blue

Wooden Range Hood

To make a white kitchen more warm and cozy, it is a good idea to use a wood range hood finished in a warm tone. You don’t need to buy an expensive shiny black or blue colored kitchen hood for ventilation and a clean environment. For a more natural, rustic appearance, opt for a simple wood hood. This design choice can work wonders when it comes to adding a comfort element to your neutral kitchen. The range hood is an eye-catching architectural detail and its texture will make your kitchen look instantly welcoming.

Neutral Kitchen with Wood Range Hood via @carcabaroad
@carcabaroad

Rustic Appeal

Warm earthy colors and architectural texture in the kitchen will give the space a rustic appeal. From raw, unfinished wood to live edge countertops, there are many ways to get a bit of rustic charm in your home. With proper lighting, you can see the natural details in raw wood, as seen below in this natural wood kitchen island counter.

Wicker Counter Chairs

Woven wicker counter chairs give this space the warmth that it needs. The key to doing a white kitchen correctly is to add brown touches every so often. Whether it’s wooden chairs or a wood cutting board against the backsplash, every bright white kitchen needs a pop of brown to give it life.

In this kitchen, a row of windows helps to brighten the space naturally – a very eco-friendly choice to save electricity. Many home buyers are looking for houses with an eco-friendly edge to save them money. Your home will stand out with large windows and a center island like this one!

Your cabinet and backsplash should be a light beige or white to prevent the absorption of light. Sustainable resources such as bamboo can also be used where required to further boost the natural materials in the space.

Neutral Kitchen with Woven wicker counter chairs @townsend_interiors
@townsend_interiors

Experiment with Faded Colors, Too

Neutral decor doesn’t have to be all about beige and brown. Here, the kitchen has beautiful sage green cabinets which stay in line with the earthy tone theme. The rest of the kitchen uses neutral whites and browns so that green is really the statement of the room. It’s subtle, and not overdone. Perfection!

Neutral Kitchen with Faded Sage Green Cabinets via @theidentitecollective
@theidentitecollective

Play with Patterns

Since neutral kitchens tend to be very minimalist and modern, play with patterns in your decorating. Here, an oriental runner rug was added to the space which gives it character and charm. It provides an eye-catching interesting look to the space and keeps it from being too bare and boring. The thick vein marble countertops are stunning!

Neutral Kitchen Design with Patterned Oriental runner rug via @browninteriorsinc
@browninteriorsinc

Exposed Wood Ceiling Beams

Let those beams shine! Exposed wood ceiling beams are a great way to bring more neutral elements into your kitchen design. They create a sense of high ceilings in the room, yet they also make it feel cozy and safe at the same time.

Neutral Kitchen with Exposed Wood Ceiling Beams via @tricklecreekyyc
@tricklecreekyyc

Our last tip is to keep it classic when decorating in the kitchen. Neutral decor in the kitchen looks more lovely and relaxing with subtle modern touches rather than bold daring designs. White classic cabinetry design and a honey oak island are enough to make your kitchen look subtle and elegant. The smart placing of each kitchen component coupled with excellent taste will make your cooking area warm and relaxing.

I hope these neutral kitchens inspired you as you go about your own kitchen renovation!

More Neutral Decor Ideas

If you love neutral decorating, then don’t miss our other related articles on decorating with beige and browns below. We love writing about earthy home decor ideas so if this article helped you, please let us know in the comments below! If there’s a topic you wish for us to write about, you can include that suggestion as well.

Happy curating!

15 neutral kitchens
15 amazing neutral kitchen decorating ideas
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2 comments

  1. Great ideas! My husband and I are looking to do our kitchen soon and I’m definitely stealing some of these ideas! Thanks for sharing!

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