3 min readPictured above: This city apartment designed by Opa Architecture features a vibrant red paint, Benjamin Moore's Classic Burgundy, on the peninsula.
At last, designers are ready to paint the town red. Or, at the very least, their kitchens. Though creams, ivories, and crisp white have long been the kitchen’s de facto color scheme, they now read as tired.
“People have become a little bored with playing it safe and want more personality in their homes,” says Uns Hobbs, a British interior designer. Instead, designers are eyeing cherry, tomato, or even moody brick tones. And in doing so, a kitchen goes from a breath of fresh air to a space that simply takes your breath away.
Why Are Red Kitchens Having a Moment?
Red is a shocking choice for any room of the house—especially the kitchen. The fiery shade is associated with energy, passion, and urgency, which is the exact opposite of the “soft” culinary spaces some crave. A red kitchen is subversive, but for some risk-taking decorators, that’s kind of the point.
“We've all gotten used to being compromised,” observes Kevin Lichten of Lichten Architects in New York City. “We want to take a stand, and nothing takes a stand visually stronger than red.”
Aria Jahanshahi of Opa Architecture, also in New York, says a can’t-miss kitchen solidifies it as the beating heart of the home.
“The kitchen has become the central anchor where families plan their morning, children do homework, and couples decompress,” he says. “Wherever your family spends the most time deserves to be the most warm, vibrant, and welcoming room in the house.”
Here’s another interesting thing about red: It stimulates hunger. For the uninitiated, that’s exactly why fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Kentucky Fried Chicken incorporate fire-engine hues in their logos. In a time synonymous with GLP-1s, we couldn’t help but wonder if red kitchens are an extension of Ozempic’s side effects, but Jahanshahi says not so fast.
“The kitchen is no longer a cloistered utility room dedicated solely to cooking,” he says. “As this space of nourishment opens up to the rest of the home, it transforms into an informal gathering hub where the daily rhythms of life continue seamlessly alongside conversation, connection, and family life.”
How to Pick the Perfect Red for a Kitchen
Despite its abrasive reputation, Hobbs says red has a softer side. “It can be bold, but it’s also warm, traditional and fun,” she says. The designer even used deVOL’s Refectory Red in her kitchen above to create a zone that’s “rich and bold, but also felt timeless.”
For a similar effect, Hobbs encourages you to select subtler shades. “I’m drawn to deeper reds rather than brighter tomato shades,” she suggests. “I wanted a traditional look and a rich burgundy was right for that.”
Lichten deems brighter tones acceptable but urges you to refrain from using anything “too chemical or artificial.” In a recent project for a family obsessed with Victorian colors—as he puts it, “red was in the design vocabulary from the beginning”—Red Parrot by Benjamin Moore offers a happy medium. “It’s a little earthier and more organic,” he says. “Like a raw steak.”
How to Design a Red Kitchen
Red can make a splash in your kitchen, but it’s important to use it with care.
Start with small doses, says Lichten. “Proportion is everything,” he explains. “The right amount is wonderful, but it needs balance to shine, just like tomatoes need fresh mozzarella and basil.”
Though the lower cabinets in Lichten’s project ground the kitchen with boldness, the gray uppers “calm things down.” “There is plenty of air for the colors to breathe,” he says. Similarly, Hobbs likes to pair reds with warm neutrals like Farrow & Ball’s Oxford Stone.
If you want to soften the striking shade, add texture—and lots of it, says Jahanshahi. “The success of a bold kitchen lies in its supporting details, not just its dominant red tone,” he explains. “Framing the color with materials that soften its intensity creates a richer, more nuanced palette.”
Hobbs recommends pairing slivers of scarlet with materials like granite, brass, marble, or even wooden floors. “Vintage art and ceramics soften it too,” she says. “All those elements give the red something to sit alongside, so the room has warmth and variety.”
Red kitchens aren’t exactly for timid decorators, so if you’re a true maximalist, don’t overthink it. Hobbs gives you her blessing to have fun with this commanding color. “If you love red, go for it,” she cheers. “Be bold and brave.”
