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A House Beautiful report describes designers using red—from burgundy to earthy, brighter shades—in kitchens instead of relying on white, cream and other neutrals. Designers quoted in the report say red can add warmth and personality, while recommending balanced color proportions and materials such as wood, stone and brass.
Interior designers are bringing red into kitchen projects as an alternative to the white, cream and ivory palettes that have long dominated the room, according to a report by House Beautiful. The designers describe using shades from deep burgundy to earthier bright reds, often alongside neutral cabinets and natural materials, to give kitchens a more personal and welcoming feel.
The report features projects by New York firms Opa Architecture and Lichten Architects, as well as work by British designer Uns Hobbs. In one apartment designed by Opa Architecture, Benjamin Moore’s Classic Burgundy appears on a kitchen peninsula. Other examples use red on cabinetry or in combination with muted upper cabinets, rather than covering every surface in the color.
Designers quoted in the story connect the shift to a desire for homes that feel less cautious. Hobbs says clients and designers have grown bored with playing it safe, while Kevin Lichten says red makes a strong visual statement. Their remarks describe professional perspectives, not survey data showing how widely homeowners are changing their kitchens.
The designers also advise treating red as part of a larger palette. Lichten recommends paying attention to proportion and using calmer colors for balance. Hobbs suggests deeper reds and pairings with warm neutrals, wood, granite, marble or brass. Aria Jahanshahi of Opa Architecture points to texture and supporting details as ways to soften the dominant color.
A More Personal Kitchen Palette
The reported shift matters because kitchens are often a major part of how a home looks and functions, and a strong color choice can shape both. Moving away from all-neutral finishes gives homeowners another option for making the room feel distinctive, without requiring an all-red renovation: the featured projects show color used on a peninsula, lower cabinets or selected surfaces.
Red is also a consequential design decision because it is visually prominent and may be harder to live with than a restrained neutral. The designers’ advice points to practical ways to limit that risk—choose a shade carefully, test its effect in the room, and set it against materials and colors that create contrast. The report does not establish that red kitchens are becoming a majority preference or that they improve home values.
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From White Kitchens to Red Accents
White, cream and ivory have commonly been used in kitchen design, but the House Beautiful report presents red as one response to what its interviewees see as fatigue with safe, familiar choices. The examples span a range of approaches: Hobbs used deVOL’s Refectory Red in her own kitchen, while Lichten describes a project using Benjamin Moore’s Red Parrot, a shade he characterizes as earthier than an artificial-looking bright red.
The designers frame the kitchen as more than a place used only for cooking. Jahanshahi says it can serve as a gathering area for family routines and conversation. That view informs the report’s case for warmer, more expressive color, but it remains the designer’s rationale rather than a measured change in how households use kitchens.
“People have become a little bored with playing it safe and want more personality in their homes.”
— Uns Hobbs, British interior designer
How Broad Is the Red Shift?
The report offers designer interviews and selected project examples, but no sales figures, homeowner survey or broader industry data to show how common red kitchens are or whether interest is growing over time. It is also unclear whether the preference will last or remain a niche choice among clients willing to use a more assertive color.
Claims about red stimulating hunger appear as general design context in the report; they do not establish that appetite is driving the kitchen trend. The designers’ explanations about personality, warmth and family life are attributed opinions, and the story does not provide evidence linking red kitchens to health effects, resale value or other measurable outcomes.
Color Choices Will Be Project-Specific
The report does not identify a future launch, industry milestone or forecast. For now, the next developments will depend on whether designers and homeowners continue choosing red in new projects and how those choices appear in subsequent design coverage. Anyone planning a kitchen update can start with the approaches shown: compare deeper and brighter shades, try color on one element, and consider how lighting, cabinetry and nearby materials affect the result.
Because the source is a design report rather than a market study, broader adoption cannot be confirmed from the examples alone. More extensive sales or survey data would be needed to establish whether red is moving beyond individual projects into a wider shift in kitchen preferences.
Key Questions
What is the reported kitchen color trend?
Red is appearing in kitchen projects as an alternative to white, cream and ivory, according to House Beautiful. The examples include burgundy and earthier, brighter shades.
Do designers recommend painting an entire kitchen red?
Not necessarily. The designers discuss using red on particular elements, such as a peninsula or lower cabinets, and balancing it with calmer colors and other materials.
Which colors and materials can balance red?
The designers suggest warm neutrals, gray, wood, granite, marble and brass. They also recommend texture and carefully chosen decorative details.
Is red becoming the most popular kitchen color?
The report does not provide market data or a homeowner survey to establish that. It presents designer interviews and selected projects, so the scale of the shift remains unclear.
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