“Things of quality have no fear of time.” ~ Unknown
Trends come and go. It’s an enduring fact of life!
But there are some things, rare, precious, and few, that ascend into the upper echelons of taste—a cultural hall of fame, as it were. They become timeless. But what is it, exactly, that makes something truly timeless?
Timeless Beauty
To us, timelessness is elegant, tasteful, and lasting. It is unaffected by shifting cultural norms and standards of beauty. It transcends fads and trends. It still moves us, years, decades, even centuries later. When you think of timelessness, perhaps you think of Grace Kelly, the Parthenon, a bouquet of red roses, or the perfect little black dress.
But when you think of timeless, do you think of your kitchen? Maybe not, but interior style and design can be timeless too! Of course, timelessness can be tricky to achieve because it’s hard to know at the time whether your choices truly do have that kind of staying power. It’s not for us to say in the moment. Only time will tell.
So we know it’s almost impossible to predict what will or will not become timeless. But if we look to the past, some clear winners have stuck around. Today, we’re going to use those as a jumping-off point to help you design the perfect, timeless color scheme for your kitchen.
A Note on Color Selection
Color is for every part of your kitchen. From the walls to the cabinets to the accessories, timeless shades are suitable for all areas. When considering our choices for this list, we elected for tones that are both luxe and versatile. To keep with the trend of timelessness, we wanted to keep things relatively neutral and avoid trendy, faddish styles, and colors. Check it out!
White
You can’t go wrong with clean, crisp white paint! It’s bright, beautiful, highly versatile, and reminiscent of a timeless Greek marble statue. You can pair this color—or lack thereof—with pretty much anything, from more subtle tones to bold, saturated hues. The nice thing about white is that it’s actually pretty diverse when it comes to choices. Just check out this color family selection from Benjamin Moore! There’s everything from stark bone white to whites tinted with brown, red, blue, purple, green, and yellow tones.
From eggshell to Chantilly lace, white has something to offer everyone. It looks great on your walls, cabinets, window treatments, and even your countertops. For the latter, quartz offers a vast array of white patterns and designs, including streaks, speckles, and marbling.
Grey
Grey is an elegant shade that has all the best qualities of its cousin white while also bringing a touch of high-end refinement to your kitchen. Whether you’re opting for a light, whimsical dove grey or a darker, more mature slate grey, you’re sure to find something to love about this color family.
Like white, grey comes in a variety of shades, both warm and cool, with undertones of purple, blue, brown, and green. Add lots of green plant life and some subdued purple and tan tones to soften the vibe, or use it to create an industrial feel.
Navy Blue
Navy blue is rich, royal, and luxurious—perfect for a decadent, timeless kitchen. While it’s much darker than the other two colors on this list, that doesn’t make it serious or dowdy; quite the opposite, in fact. Navy blue can be dressed up or down for any occasion.
As timeless as blue is in itself, it can also be accentuated with bold colors for a fun, funky, and child-friendly kitchen. Red, yellow, and orange accents against deep blue makes your kitchen pop, while more subtle hues like grey, white, black, and tan make the space feel like it belongs to a sophisticated adult.
Honorable Mentions
Although black can be timeless, it can also be a bit polarizing. Not everyone loves such a bold, dark statement in the kitchen.
Another shout-out goes to beiges and tans; although they are ever-so-neutral, we find that they do become dated, depending on the shade. However, both color families look great on cabinets, countertops, and decorative accessories.
Still haven’t found the perfect timeless kitchen shade you’re searching for? Winthorpe Design & Build’s style experts are here to help. With years of experience and a passion for design, our team has an eye for timeless beauty. Connect with us today to get started.