Erin Napier Cautions Against This Frequent Kitchen Color Error During Renovations

One of the reasons that Erin Napier is so popular as a designer is her unpretentious, cozy interior decorating style. Rather than only focusing on contemporary interior design trends, she is adept at recognizing the beauty and value of cyclical kitchen design trends that are on their way back, like butcher block countertops or 90s kitchen color schemes. In addition to giving us some great how-tos on her Instagram page, books, and her HGTV show, “Home Town,” she also offers great advice on what not to do when remodeling or renovating your kitchen.

Napier cautions against choosing a kitchen color just because it is trendy or may appeal to future buyers when you sell your home. In an interview with Homes & Gardens, Napier said, “When it comes to using bolder colors in a room, you just have to not care about other people’s opinions.” While there was recently a trend towards using neutral or beige color palettes in homes, many people are now pushing back and embracing maximalist, colorful decor.

Maximalist decor focuses on the joy of designing your home for you and filling it with objects, artwork, and other items that are nostalgic and meaningful to your life. If you’re not renovating in order to fix design flaws in your kitchen before selling your home, you may find a lot of freedom in ignoring other people’s opinions on your color choices. Instead, go for the bold colors, mismatched patterns, or whichever design elements appeal to you.

As Napier said to Home & Gardens, “In an episode of ‘Home Town,’ one of the homeowners, Iris, loved bold colors and patterns, and she wanted it everywhere, so I gave it to her. So many people watched that episode and said they could never live with a red kitchen, but in the end, all that mattered was that Iris loved it.” Ultimately, you are the one who will be living in your home, and you should decorate it with your own aesthetic preferences in mind. Rather than thinking about what other people think of your color or design choices, make your home a space that is uniquely your own.

Adopting this ideology for your interior design may make you feel surprisingly free and unburdened. You can explore colors, textures, and patterns that inspire joy rather than conforming to trends that others are telling you to follow. Of course, if you prefer neutral, earthy tones for your kitchen over bold, bright colors and patterns, then you should follow your heart.

The color you choose for your kitchen should reflect your personal style and complement your existing interior design. Whether you love the idea of an all-white kitchen or are looking for a vintage kitchen design trend that is the exact opposite, you can find a lot of design inspiration by exploring social media, Pinterest, and home design blogs. If you feel overwhelmed about the idea of choosing a paint color, pick a few colors you like from other kitchens or home decor, like your curtains, cushions, or dishware. Next, decide if you want to use contrasting or complementary colors or varying hues of the same color. A kitchen painted in different shades of green or even an all-black kitchen can be very striking and turn the room into the focal point of your home.

If you have a small kitchen, you can make it look bigger and brighter by using lighter paint colors or by painting the ceiling black or the same color as your walls. If you are still a little afraid to try a bold kitchen paint color or wallpaper design, use it on an accent wall and live with it for a few months before deciding if you want to do the rest of your kitchen. In the end, what really matters is how the paint colors you choose make you feel. As Napier said in her interview, “Let’s stop worrying about what other people think about our red kitchen or our green cabinets and just enjoy our spaces.”