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27 Great Ideas for Colours That Go with Grey Kitchen Units

Grey has found itself on the most wanted list for kitchens. Stylish and versatile, it’s become a firm favourite as a cooler, alternative neutral.   Whether you opt for high-gloss, matte flat-panel or traditional shaker-style cabinets, grey suits every style of home.   And there’s a fantastic range of shades that work well with grey...

By Amy Booth

Amy Booth

Amy Booth is a freelance writer that's passionate about all things home decor, art, literature, and nature. She lives in an Edwardian home in the North East of England, where her renovation adventures began with her renovation adventures began with her husband and newborn daughter, Violet. Amy describes her home style as "traditional with a twist", and in her spare time, she shares home decor tips and inspiration on her instagram page, as well as her latest home updates. When she's not obsessing over interiors, you can find her cooking vegetarian food or enjoying a glass of Prosecco.

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| Updated: July 17, 2022 | 11 mins read

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Grey has found itself on the most wanted list for kitchens. Stylish and versatile, it’s become a firm favourite as a cooler, alternative neutral.

 

Whether you opt for high-gloss, matte flat-panel or traditional shaker-style cabinets, grey suits every style of home.

 

And there’s a fantastic range of shades that work well with grey units, so with a few simple touches you can take your kitchen colour scheme to the next level.

 

But with so much choice, it can sometimes be hard to know where to start. Fortunately, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite ideas for grey kitchens – let’s help you find your perfect shade.

 

Grey Kitchen Units: What Colour Floors Work Best?

1. Marble

Tiled marble flooring is a great way to unite grey and white hues and ensure a cohesive scheme. Here, the marble floor complements the mix of white and grey cabinets, creating a stylish and contemporary kitchen.

 

Choose a tile design that’s mostly white with grey veins to lighten your space and offer contrast beside grey kitchen cabinets.

 

The great thing about marble is that it’s also extremely versatile and can complement a range of accent colours - from rich jewel tones to a soft pink like this backsplash.

 

2. Light Wood

[caption id="attachment_3158" align="aligncenter" width="600"] JUTE INTERIOR DESIGN[/caption]

Warm up the grey tones in your kitchen with wood flooring. If you have mid to dark grey-toned cabinets, choose a pale wood to help lift the space.

 

Simple planks offer a homely and timeless vibe, while a contemporary chevron or herringbone pattern will add a modern twist.

 

It’s worth bearing in mind that diagonal patterns can make spaces feel bigger, too, by drawing the eye to the natural ‘V’ shape across the room’s length.

3. Dark wood

Dark wood flooring is fantastic for creating contrast against pale grey units as it helps ground the space.

 

Wood also helps to add warmth and character – and it complements any style of home and kitchen, whether your style traditional farmhouse or glossy and modern.

 

I love how elegant brass accents enhance the warm wood tones in this contemporary kitchen.

4. Beige

If you want to add warmth to your kitchen colour pallet but don’t want the look of wood, beige tiles could be the answer.

 

And, despite grey’s huge popularity in recent years, beige is gathering momentum in interior design, too – meaning you can have the best of both worlds.

 

These glossy, beige tiles offer the perfect amount of warmth next to the pale grey kitchen cabinets, helping to soften the overall look of the space.

5. White

If you’re searching for flooring to enhance a contemporary kitchen design – look no further. White flooring is the perfect partner to grey kitchen units of all shades, creating a decidedly fresh and clean look.

 

Known for its reflective properties, white helps lighten rooms, so it’s a brilliant choice for smaller kitchens that don’t enjoy lots of natural light.

6. Grey

Grey on grey may sound like the obvious choice, but don’t underestimate the range of looks you can achieve with different shades of grey.

 

For example, this contemporary kitchen has large, grey herringbone flooring, which complements the grey flat-panel cabinets. Choosing a wood-effect finish like this is a brilliant way of adding extra texture and depth to your space.

 

If your units are pale, opt for flooring that is two shades darker to create contrast.

 

7. Two-Tone

Can’t decide on one colour? These two-tone white and grey tiles are a really effective way of bringing the colour pallet together in this kitchen.

 

Even though it’s a small space, the contrasting tones and layout of the tiles help to create visual interest and draw the eye in, ultimately enhancing the feeling of space.

 

Grey Kitchen Units: What Colour Walls Should You Choose? 

1. Pink

[caption id="attachment_3159" align="aligncenter" width="400"] DESIGN: CUSTOM FRONTS, PHOTO: MARK SCOTT[/caption]

Pink and grey make a beautiful partnership. Using a delicate shade of pink in your kitchen is a fantastic way to add warmth and give your space a playful twist.

 

Try painting a feature wall with soft pink, or use pale pink tiles for your backsplash. The cool tones of grey in your cabinets will help balance the pink, providing a grown-up look and ensuring it doesn’t look too sickly sweet.

 

2. Yellow

[caption id="attachment_3160" align="aligncenter" width="600"] ARLINGTON INTERIORS[/caption]

Use yellow in your grey kitchen to add life and vibrancy to the heart of your home. Famed for its uplifting and cheerful connotations, a yellow feature wall can transform your entire space.

 

Pair dark grey units with rich, mustard-yellow walls for a bold yet stylish look. Match paler grey units with a lighter shade of yellow to ensure the colour doesn’t overpower the room.

 

3. Green

Renowned for its calming properties and associations with nature, green is a wonderful colour for creating a relaxed and serene environment. And it’s supremely versatile too - so whatever shade of grey your cabinets are, there’s a green hue to match.

 

Whether you opt for a moody, smoky grey-green, a dazzling emerald tone or soft pastel green, you can transform your space.

 

Pair pale grey kitchen units with light mint green for a fresh finish. Or, if your cabinets are a darker shade, try luscious deep green tiles to add depth.

 

4. Grey

If you just can’t get enough grey, why not paint your walls grey, too? Using different shades of grey helps create a sophisticated kitchen with plenty of depth.

 

Opt for dark, lead-grey walls behind light grey units, or brighten a darker grey kitchen with pale grey walls. Choose a soft dove grey or greige if you want to introduce warmer tones to your space.

 

5. Pale Blue

Want to add a little colour to your kitchen but don’t fancy anything too bold? Then try a pretty pastel blue – it’s great for helping to brighten interiors without overpowering the room.

 

Paint your walls pale blue to complement the cool grey tones of your cabinets and create a light and fresh space.

 

6. Beige

Balance your cool kitchen cabinets with warming beige walls. Warm neutrals work surprisingly well with grey and can help to create a calm and homely environment.

 

I love how this modern kitchen uses a mix of cream and beige hues in the tiled backsplash and walls – even the terracotta plant pots help extend the warm tones.

 

7. Teal

It’s not quite blue, and it’s not quite green – with teal, you can get the best of both. This beautiful hue works with a range of grey tones, whether your cabinets are light or dark.

 

Paint your kitchen walls teal to make a big impression and add a touch of warmth with contrasting gold handles and lighting.

 

8. Dusty Rose

This rich, grey-red hue is a combination of pink and violet on the colour wheel. Alongside darker tones of grey, it creates a dramatic yet cosy environment ideal for entertaining and home life.

 

This colour-drenched kitchen design takes a dusty rose paint colour from floor to ceiling, resulting in a warm and cocooning space. Meanwhile, the marble countertop provides a bright contrast.

 

Choose a dark shade for your units and paint all of your walls dusty rose - if you want to make a really big impact, try painting your skirting boards, doors and window frames, too.

 

9. White

[caption id="attachment_3161" align="aligncenter" width="600"] ELMS INTERIOR DESIGN[/caption]

There are many reasons why white walls work so well with grey units. Firstly, white walls help brighten any room and will make your kitchen feel immediately more spacious (perfect if yours is on the snug side).

 

White also contrasts with grey kitchen cabinets, so it will create visual interest. Here, this grey kitchen island stands out proudly against white walls - and the white upper units are a great way of making the room feel even bigger.

 

Lastly, with a neutral base of white and grey in your kitchen, you can add absolutely any accent colour.

 

10. Navy

[caption id="attachment_3162" align="aligncenter" width="400"] FIRECLAY TILE[/caption]

Navy and grey is a classic partnership. Cool and sophisticated, it creates a calm and inviting space that will complement any style of kitchen. Match lighter tones of grey with a painted navy feature wall or tiled backsplash.

 

Complement your cool colour scheme with gold or copper elements to add a touch of glamour and warmth.

 

Accent Colours That Complement a Grey Kitchen Colour Scheme

1. Orange

[caption id="attachment_3163" align="aligncenter" width="400"] VERTABRAE ARCHITECTURE[/caption]

Bold shades are a fantastic way to bring your kitchen to life. Here, vibrant orange creates a powerful pop against dark grey walls, cabinets and concrete floors.

 

Instead of adding large blocks of colour to your walls, opt for sleek accents like the slimline breakfast bar and shelving in this space.

 

2. Lemon

Continuing with the citrus theme is lemon. Sharp and fun, lemon accents add a bright and playful touch to a grey kitchen. It offers a high level of contrast, guaranteeing your space will make a statement.

 

Use lemon alongside paler shades of grey and try painting smaller blocks of colour – these open shelves create a big impact and help brighten the space overall.

 

3. Pink

[caption id="attachment_3164" align="aligncenter" width="600"] JOHNSTON PARKE INTERIORS[/caption]

Even the slightest hint of an accent colour can create a big impact. Bright, hot pink works beautifully alongside the warmer tones of grey in this space, giving the kitchen a fun and contemporary edge.

 

Introduce a bold pink shade through a flexible piece of furniture like a chair so you can change your space up with ease.

 

4. Red

[caption id="attachment_3165" align="aligncenter" width="600"] ROUNDHOUSE DESIGN[/caption]

This modern space offers kitchen inspiration in spades. Shades of grey meet red, white and beige, while flat-panel kitchen cabinetry and stainless steel appliances ensure a contemporary finish.

 

The red accent colour is bold yet used subtly through accessories, electricals and soft furnishings. Using the accent colour in subtle ways like this across larger kitchens and open-plan areas will help create a cohesive space.

 

5. Copper

Give your grey kitchen a little glamour with contrasting copper accents. These beautiful copper light shades, brassware and pans complement the mid-grey units by adding warmth - and just a little razzle-dazzle.

 

But you could even go one step further and install a copper backsplash to create real wow-factor.

 

6. Bright Green

[caption id="attachment_3166" align="aligncenter" width="600"] ROUNDHOUSE DESIGN[/caption]

Verdant colour pops provide the perfect finishing touch to this ultra-modern kitchen.

 

Bright green works fantastically well with dark and cooler greys - consider bringing it into your space in a few small ways, such as with houseplants, a patterned rug or seating.

 

7. Plum

Give your kitchen an unexpected twist with a strong colour like plum. Here, this deep purple is rich and striking against the dark grey units and exposed brick, resulting in a high-impact look.

 

Add a pop of purple with a sleek glass or acrylic backsplash. Alternatively, mix up your kitchen cabinetry and add a plum island among grey units.

 

8. Teal

Pack a punch by choosing rich accents for your space. This vibrant teal backsplash gives this charcoal kitchen a lift - along with the white worktop and floor tiles, it helps boost light in a kitchen with dark units.

 

9. Light Blue

With complementary cool tones in a wide range of shades, blue makes a versatile addition to grey kitchen units. This beautiful sky-blue kitchen island creates a stylish focal point in this space, while brass accents add warmth and pull the design together.

 

If you’re opting for a mix of cabinets, use the same handles across your entire kitchen to unite the different colours.

 

10. Navy

Create an air of sophistication in your kitchen by adding deep, inky blue accents. Navy is a fantastic addition to a grey colour palette as it offers depth and a sense of luxury - and suits a huge range of kitchen styles.

 

Introduce it to your space with navy tiles around your sink, navy bar stools and tableware. Complete the high-end look with gold brassware and handles.

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