18 Yellow Kitchen Ideas That Bring a Playful Pop to the Cookspace (2024)

Some colors just bring good vibes to a space. And if you're looking to add a happy, vibrant feel to a room, well, it doesn’t get any better than yellow. Sunny citrus hues are the perfect choice for homeowners looking to create a space that garners a smile, and in no room are they more welcome than the kitchen. Think about it—the kitchen is where most of us start our mornings and where we get the food and beverages to fuel us throughout the day, so energetic yellow is a great fit.

If you think your options for adding yellow to the kitchen are limited to cabinetry colors and wall paint, think again. Below, we’re rounding up 18 sunny yellow kitchen ideas, ranging from big commitments to playful accents and everything in between. From vibrant appliances and shimmering backsplash tiles to toned-down cabinetry that’s surprisingly timeless, these yellow kitchen ideas are sure to make you—and anyone lucky enough to spend time in your kitchen—smile.

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Choose a Bold Appliance

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While we’re most used to seeing large-scale appliances in a stainless steel or black finish, more brands are adding candy-colored hues to their offerings than ever before. While it can feel like a bold move to opt for a colorful appliance, it’s an unexpectedly great way to add a hit of color to your kitchen. In this sunny space designed by Johnston Parke Interiors, a luxe Lacanche range and matching hood bring playful energy.

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Create a Focal Point

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Adding color to your kitchen doesn’t mean you have to opt for the same hue on all your cabinetry or finishes. Instead, try focusing your attention on a singular spot in your space. In this case, designer Emilie Fournet drew all eyes to a custom display cabinet using the shade Muga by Paint and Paper Library.

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Keep It Simple

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When you’re choosing a standout shade like yellow, you can tone down the other design elements in the room. Let your fresh choice of color do the talking by keeping the rest of your space streamlined and simple. In this deVOL Kitchens design, the brand’s Scullery Yellow hue finds a suitable home on their simple and timeless shaker cabinetry profile.

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Choose a Style-Specific Shade

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Yellow may be the catch-all term for this sunny shade, but there’s a whole range of hues that fall under that umbrella—and choosing the right one for the style of your home and the design of your kitchen is of utmost importance. In this mid-century modern-inspired cook space, designer Christa Borden of High & Tight Design opted for a period-appropriate mustard shade to tie the Fireclay Tile backsplash in with the other MCM finishes in the room.

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Tone It Down With a Subtle Neutral

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For many homeowners, color can feel like a big commitment, especially when coated onto a large-scale element like your cabinetry. To help balance out a bold hue, consider keeping it to the base cabinets and going with something a bit more tame up top. In this stunning space, the team at Carter Kay Interiors anchored the room with a buttery base (a custom-mixed Benjamin Moore shade), painting everything else a cozy taupe.

Pair It With Bold Wallpaper

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What’s better than a bold paint color? A bold paint color and a bold wallpaper, of course! In this kitchen by The Idle Hands creator Sandra Baker, rich dijon cabinetry meets its match in an equally eye-catching botanical wallpaper from Living Quarters for a room that packs a big personality.

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Coat on All-Over Color

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Covering every inch of a space in a singular hue—no matter how tame or how bold—can have an enveloping effect, making any room feel like a velvety little jewel box. To liven up this historic cookspace, the team behind Artichoke Design turned to Farrow & Ball’s hue Hay No. 37 to bring a welcoming feel to the culinary escape.

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Fancy Up Your Backsplash

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Yellow doesn’t just make for a happy anchor color in a kitchen—it can be lovely used as an accent hue, as well. In this fresh and open kitchen by Lizzie Green Design, sunny yellow zellige tiles from Mosiac Factory complement a rich navy island for a room with just the right amount of zest.

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Highlight Your Architecture

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Want to call attention to the architectural details of your space? Instead of coating yellow onto your cabinetry, consider painting the shade onto your trim work or molding. In this Emma Milne-designed kitchen, a lemony hue (Babouche by Farrow & Ball) brings a pop of color to the wood frame windows and nearby paneling for a cooking zone that’s as fresh as your farmer’s market produce.

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Accent a Storage Piece

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Built-in accent pieces can be a great opportunity to mix things up in your kitchen, even if every other bit of cabinetry is painted in a different hue. For this entertaining hub, designer Polly Ashman paired a veiny marble countertop with a buttercup yellow paint pick (India Yellow by Farrow & Ball) for a hutch that is party-ready at all times.

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Bring Cheer to the Pantry

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Many spots in our kitchens—especially utilitarian zones, like the pantry—are designed with function at the forefront, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun, too. These smaller zones are an especially great place to play with color, as their petite footprint often makes going bold feel less intimidating. Here, the Salvesen Graham design team paired sweet scallops and skirting details with an equally charming canary yellow paint color for a storage space that’s big on style. Love this look? Try Benjamin Moore’s Sunshine for a similar hue.

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Funk Up Your Doorway

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To keep things classic with a funky twist, look for just one singular (yet impactful) spot to swath in color. For creator Jenny James of Suburban Pop, that was the doorway to her galley-style kitchen, which she coated in Behr’s Lemon Lime for a punchy upgrade that catches your eye whether you’re coming or going.

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Add Pop to a Neutral Palette

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When done properly, neutrals and vibrant hues can coexist in harmony, uniting to create a space that is at once classic and oh-so-fresh. Case in point? This calming coastal kitchen by designer Lisa Hilderbrand, which teams timeless putty-colored cabinetry and airy lofted ceilings with a dandelion La Cornue hood for a daily dose of happiness.

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Muddy Up Your Hue

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If yellow feels just a bit too bold for your tastes, consider toning it down by seeking out a “muddier” version of the shade. Often cut with tones of taupe or gray, dustier shades of more vibrant hues can be a great way to dip your toes into color without needing to pull on sunglasses every time you go to make dinner. In this deVOL Kitchen, a custom-mixed flaxen paint color coats the brand’s Classic English cabinetry line for a look that is perennially stylish.

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Ground With Gray

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While it may be unexpected, gray is actually the perfect partner to yellow. There’s just something about the combo that works—which is probably why you see it everywhere, from cookware to clothing. Turns out, it works great in kitchens too, as demonstrated by this modern kitchen designed by Emma Doucet of Grassroots Design.

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Bring Your Own Sunshine

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In general, paint can be a great way to trick your eye into thinking a space is something it's not—brighter, larger, taller, you get the idea. If your kitchen suffers from a lack of sunshine (or doesn’t have any natural light at all), a yellow paint hue can go a long way towards brightening up the space. Here, the design team behind Mendelson Group added buttercup yellow cabinetry and corresponding accessories to bring a sunny disposition to the space. For a similar look, try Lemon Sorbet by Benjamin Moore.

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Go Bright With Your Lights

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Lights already brighten up a space, so they’re a natural place to go bold with your design choices. For a fixture that could hold its own against vibrant coral cabinetry, designer Emma Doucet opted for saffron yellow pendant lights from Luminaire Authentik that add just the right touch of funk.

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Make Your Furniture Pop

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Fickle homeowners whose design preferences change like the wind may not want to commit to a shade as bold as yellow on a permanent spot such as cabinetry. But playful accent furniture is a great way to have some fun. In this project from Sarah Jefferys Architecture + Interiors, a modern wood- and marble-clad kitchen gets a joyful jolt from a set of neon yellow mid-century modern molded plastic chairs.