How to Design a Two-tone Kitchen

Two-tone kitchens are the hottest trend right now, and are the perfect way to put your own personal stamp on a kitchen that reflects your personality and taste. A well-designed two-tone kitchen with matching doors and units that are well positioned can give you the kitchen of your dreams. But you need to give the design careful consideration, as a two-tone kitchen is very easy to get wrong!

This is where our team of designers at Mayfair Kitchen Studio can help – we have decades of experience in designing two-tone kitchens for our customers based in the Cheshire and Wirral areas, and can help you create a tasteful two-tone kitchen. To help us in the design process, it is great if customers know exactly how they want their space to look and how they want to use their chosen tones. Many people have a vague idea in mind, but are not exactly sure how they want their two-toned kitchen to look. To help, here’s our ultimate guide to designing a two-tone kitchen and how to get in on this luxury trend, so that you can see what works best for your space.

Think carefully about colour

A two-tone kitchen can completely transform your home if it’s done correctly. It’s an ideal way to give your kitchen a personal yet quirky character, and is great if you want to blend multiple spaces together so that they fit seamlessly into one continuation. This is where colour is your best friend, especially if you have an ultra-modern design in mind. You may want to consider different tones of wood and alternative materials if you are thinking of a more traditional kitchen. With traditional kitchens, it is always best to use more neutral tones if you are thinking of adopting colour. Of course, there are kitchens that can incorporate both modern and traditional concepts, which is where we can help you design something completely unique.

Locate your main focal point

When designing a two-tone kitchen, it is very important to find the main focal point in the room. This could be a range cooker, a set of cabinets or an island. Think about how adding a different shade of colour will change this focal point and make it stand out more, so it is the first thing your eye catches when you enter the room. This shade could be big and bold, or more neutral depending on the design of your kitchen. That said, it shouldn’t be so neutral that it blends in with the rest of the units in the room. The focal point should be your main eye-catching piece in the room.

Creating a two-tone kitchen without paint

If you’re thinking of having a two-tone kitchen but don’t want to experiment with paint, don’t worry as there are plenty of other ways that you can achieve the two-tone look. A clever way to do this is through cabinet design. You can design your cabinets so that part of them has a wood finish, while another part of the cabinet has laminate detailing or glass. If you are planning to mix materials like this, we advise working with our expert team based in the Wirral and Cheshire areas, as we can advise on materials that are commonly used together to create the right aesthetic.

Don’t be afraid to go darker

Darker shades in a kitchen can be challenging to perfect, especially if there isn’t much natural light within a room. That said, don’t be afraid to experiment with darker tones, as they are more workable than you think if you keep them to a minimum. Embrace the two-tone trend by having a darker shade on your bottom cabinets, and a lighter shade on your wall cabinets that are above your worktops. This design looks ultra-modern while grounding the space. It is also a good design solution for smaller kitchens, as it makes your space look more spacious (the lighter colour cabinets will draw your eyes upwards). Another choice is to pair a darker colour with white in a similar way, or to have an ombré design from the bottom-up.

Co-ordination is key

Always remember when designing a two-tone kitchen that coordinating your cabinets is the most important feature, as this will tie everything together. You can do this by using similar hues for the upper and lower cabinets. If you’d prefer to go for two different colours to your cabinets, you need to think about how these will complement each other and tie in with your worktops.

What to avoid when designing a two-tone kitchen

When designing a two-tone kitchen, you shouldn’t just focus on one small area. Take the whole kitchen into consideration. Our eyes find it difficult to focus on a very small area that is overly fussy in design. Keep your cupboard doors a single colour and try and work with contrasting hues around this in other areas of your kitchen. Always make sure that your chosen colours complement one another, and be careful when mixing modern and contemporary colours and styles. You can always consult with our team at Mayfair Kitchen Studio for help. As a guide, vibrant colours work well with darker woods, while lighter woods work well with fairer and brighter colours. Also bear in mind that your kitchen will be with you for a long time – make sure you are really happy with a colour before you commit to it. Consider whether the colours you have chosen will date very quickly.

The most important thing to remember when designing a two-tone kitchen is that your chosen colours for your cupboards and work surfaces must all come together for the design to properly work. The colours should blend together rather than stand out in their own right. For help designing your dream two-tone kitchen, get in touch with our expert team at Mayfair Kitchen Studio. We cover all areas in Wirral and Cheshire, and have helped many happy customers design the two-tone kitchen of their dreams.