Eight beige kitchens with serene style

Kitchens are where many of us spend the majority of awake time at home. Between cooking, eating, doing homework at the kitchen table, cleaning up, reading the morning paper with morning coffee, the kitchen is a room we need to feel serene inside. That's why beige is a fine choice for a kitchen color-scheme. Beige is light, but not too bright; it's a soothing neutral color.

There are more reasons to go with a beige color scheme in a kitchen: Beige lets built-in accents, like back splashes and counter tops, really shine. Beige also serves as a backdrop for small pops of color.

When you add pops of bright white to a beige kitchen, you get a bold contrast while staying within a neutral palette. The bright white chairs, table runner, and trim give this kitchen an up-to-date look.

Beige mosaic tile, a granite counter top with a variety of beige tones in the stone, and yellowish beige walls are the perfect basis for bold cabinetry. The neutrality of the color scheme keeps the ornate range hood from looking over-the-top.

"Contemporary" does not have to mean sterile. A warm shade of beige softens the shiny white lines of this kitchen's contemporary cabinetry.

Like the photo before this one, the beige color-scheme of this contemporary kitchen keeps things soft and friendly. This one takes it a step farther by incorporating pops of earth tones in the kitchen chairs, lights, and textiles.

This kitchen has a partial orange ceiling, but beige walls keep the whole look unified and relaxed.