Color reads differently in every kitchen. Light levels, the direction the room faces, and the other finishes in the space all impact how beautiful or underwhelming your chosen shade will be. It quickly becomes the most complicated, and most important, decision of the entire design process.

So how can you choose a kitchen color scheme that balances timeless style, personalized design, and actually looks good in your home? For interior designer Amber Lewis, the process is simpler than you might think.

Here's her tried-and-tested method for choosing the right kitchen colors every time, where to draw inspiration, and how to create a cohesive look, whatever your design style. Honestly, her advice has just made choosing the right kitchen color so much easier.

With so many paint colors on offer, even narrowing the options down to a shortlist can seem overwhelming. It gets even harder when you're choosing something that feels timeless yet still brings character and personality to your design. The list of requirements is getting longer, and knowing where to start feels infinitely harder.

But for Amber, finding the right kitchen color always begins with the inspiration. 'I always start outside; the landscape and architecture of the home inform the direction before I ever open a paint deck,' she explains. This is where timelessness comes in: nature never dates, nor does architecture, and choosing a color that fits your home's age and history will help to narrow the ideal palette.

'Moving inside, I think about how the different elements of the room – architectural details, materials, and layout – interact and influence each other. I want the space as a whole, and each individual element, to feel connected without feeling overly coordinated or ,' she continues.

'I’m always trying to strike that balance, and the color palette plays a huge role in achieving it. When each surface is having a conversation with the next, instead of simply sharing the space, a color choice feels intentional rather than accidental.'

One of the most important elements of the kitchen color selection process is sampling paint colors in your space and moving them around the room to see how they look in different light levels – that's how you find the best colors to paint your kitchen depending on its orientation. But for Amber, a specific sample type is crucial for accuracy.

'Get real samples – not paint chips, but actual painted boards – and live with them in the space at different times of day,' she advises. 'Undertone is everything; a white can read yellow, blue, or green depending on the light, and you won't know until you actually watch it change from morning to evening.'

And while white kitchens are popular, especially for a scheme that ages well, it's not the only option for a timeless design. Stronger colors have a place in classic style – especially if you take Amber's advice on where to find inspiration. And there are a few colors she often returns to.

'I love French sage greens, inky blue-blacks, and creamy warm whites,' she notes. 'I’m also not mad at a bold pop of color when it makes sense; I’ve been known to go for soft blue-greens and rich browns, too. I will always vote for color palettes that have a bit of personality and character but won’t lose their depth as trends come and go.'

The process doesn't end here, however. Once you've created a shortlist of paints that read beautifully in your kitchen, make sure they sit cohesively alongside the other finishes and materials you want to bring into the room, like countertops, hardware, and tiles.

'Layer your samples the way you'll actually live with them – a cut of your countertop stone next to your cabinet color, and that pair alongside your kitchen flooring sample,' she suggests. 'Step back and get a good look. There is technically no wrong combination as long as it feels cohesive to you, but I will say: pick one hero material (usually your stone) and let everything else support it rather than compete with it.'

If you want more kitchen design advice from Amber, find out what she has to say about decorating your kitchen for fall and the future of kitchen design, or pick up a copy of her brand-new book, Interiors: Curated Spaces from Start to Finish (Clarkson Potter/Penguin Random House), available to purchase now on Amazon.

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