How to Choose the Best Color for Outdoor Florida Kitchens

This page is about matching outdoor kitchen colors to two specific things: how much Florida sun or shade your space gets, and the design style you’re building around. For the wider decision-making process — coordinating with your home’s exterior, colour durability and popular colour schemes — see our full guide to choosing the best outdoor kitchen colors.

Here, we go straight to recommendations. Each section below pairs a situation or style with the specific cabinet colors we suggest for it:

• Shaded areas contrast well with bright colors, such as tuscan or white
• Sunnier areas do well with light or medium colors, such as sanshade or light grey
• Contemporary styles look sleeker with dark colors, such as black or dark grey
• Cozy aesthetics look best with warm neutrals, such as mocha brown or nutmeg
• Art deco styles demand bold colors, like basil or indigo
• Old-fashioned styles look best with subtle warm or cool neutrals

We also cover three practical tips for narrowing the choice down: the mood you want the space to have, the furniture you plan to use, and the plants, trees and flowers already around it.

Brighter Colors Contrast Nicely With Shaded Areas

Are you considering installing your outdoor kitchen in a shaded area with a lot of trees or an overhang? Brighter colors will ensure your brand new kitchen isn’t drowned out by shadow.

One of the most powerful foundations of visual art is contrast. Whether it’s warm and cool colors or dark and light shades, contrast results in a pleasing harmony that brings your entire set-up together. If you choose dark colors for your kitchen and install it somewhere equally dark, your hard work will literally fade from view. Bright colors, on the other hand, will stand out no matter what.

Brighter colors are also more practical if you plan on hosting evening get-togethers or night parties. The bright surface of your outdoor kitchen will reflect light more clearly, making it easier for you to see what you’re cooking, plating, or cleaning. 

Our Top Color Recommendations:

You can’t go wrong with a classic white. Western color psychology frequently associates white with cleanliness and freshness, two sensations that go well with an outdoor kitchen. 

It’s also a beginner-friendly color since it will appear bright no matter what furniture or decorations it’s next to. You won’t have to fuss about your kitchen not matching your outdoor refrigerator or clashing with your grill. 

If you want a little more color for your kitchen, consider the light-yet-soft tuscan. This gentle color is bright enough to stand out in shadow while offering you some stylistic flexibility. 

Since this color is ambiguous, it can appear cool or warm depending on your kitchen’s surroundings. For example, a tuscan outdoor kitchen surrounded by green plants will feel warm. However, if you have a lot of red or yellow accessories, your kitchen will appear more cool.

Source Image: ExtCabinets

Sunny Areas Do Well With Medium or Light Colors

Outdoor Florida kitchens will have more than enough sunlight to bring out your investment’s best side. Both light and medium colors do well in sunny areas, although for different reasons.

Light colors boast a lovely glow in the sunlight – some homeowners enjoy the sparkle of a white kitchen and how it replicates marble or white sand. On the other hand, you may have to deal with a little glare from time-to-time. White is a little reflective by nature, so you may find a white outdoor kitchen a little harsh in broad daylight. 

Medium-light colors give you the best of both worlds, allowing your kitchen to reflect light without being too bright. They also add cool or warm undertones if you feel like stepping away from flatter neutrals like black and white.

Our Top Color Recommendations:

When you want a light color without going all-out, a simple light grey will do the trick. This soothing color pairs with just about everything since it’s not as heavy as black or bright as white.

If you want classic stainless steel materials for staples like a dish sink or ice maker, light grey blends right in.  

If you prefer a warmer color, sanshade is a bright, inviting option that will give your kitchen a charming personality. Since it’s a similar shade to sand and wood, it’s well-suited to kitchens with a beach or ocean aesthetic. 

Source Image: ExtCabinets

Contemporary Styles Often Use Smooth, Dark Colors

If you want a sleek outdoor kitchen that appears straight out of the future, dark colors are the way to go. These colors don’t reflect light and will make any surrounding décor instantly pop.

A common concern about dark colors is how easily they can show scuffs or scratches. We outfit our outdoor Florida kitchens with 100% HDPE to ensure your purchase lasts for decades. Unlike scratch-prone PVC, HDPE is marine-grade material designed to withstand the toughest elements – including scratches from playful kids or nicks from a dropped knife. 

Our Top Color Recommendations:

Western color psychology associates black with a sophisticated lifestyle. It’s also associated with strength, mystery, and professionalism. 

If you ever plan on hosting client meetings or videocalls from the comfort of your outdoor kitchen, this color will set a solid first impression. 

If black is a little too dark for you, we recommend dark grey as an alternative. Similar to light grey, this neutral color is easy to pair with furniture and brings your surroundings together.

If you want to buy shiny metal accessories like a wine cooler or a kegerator, dark grey will pair with your purchases instantly. If you prefer to outfit your kitchen with white or gray wood fixtures like side tables or coffee tables, it’ll also blend in.

Worried about calculating the costs of your new outdoor kitchen? We offer a free quote so you can budget confidently and get closer to the stylish kitchen you’ve always wanted.

Source Image: ExtCabinets

Cozy Aesthetics Pair Wonderfully With Brown Colors 

Do you want your outdoor Florida kitchens to feel like a home away from home? When you need a cozy aesthetic that helps you unwind after a long day, brown colors are our top pick.

Brown is a more relaxing neutral that easily blends in with its surroundings. It’s not as bright as white, nor as intense as black. Generally, brown is a color that immediately brings to mind nature and familiarity, two essential ingredients of a cozy kitchen.

You don’t need to turn to wooden cabinets or wooden kitchens to enjoy the benefits of these natural colors, either. Unlike traditional wooden materials, our 100% HDPE cabinets are weatherproof – no mold, no mildew, and no warping.

Our Top Color Recommendation:

Mocha brown is a rich, deep color that brings to mind soothing imagery like tree bark and forest trails. You can create some truly unique color combinations with a brown kitchen, too, such as adding blue accessories or gold lighting fixtures. 

If mocha brown is a little too deep for your tastes, you can lighten things up with a soft nutmeg. This color’s hazy approach will give your kitchen a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere.

This light gray-brown will bring out the warmth in pinks and reds or complement soothing blues and greens. 

Source Image: ExtCabinets

Art Deco Styles Demand Bold, Rich Colors

If the bold colors and geometric shapes of art deco are your favorite aesthetic, your kitchen will need bold colors to match. With recent design trends leaning toward timeless styles, we’re proud to offer a diverse range of colors to suit these tastes.

Outdoor Florida kitchens with an art deco approach need three main details – simplicity, vivid colors, and geometric patterns. Alongside our color recommendations, you can also choose between our euro or metro door styles. Metro, in particular, is well-suited to art deco’s focus on smooth, angular shapes.

Our Top Color Recommendations:

Both bold and relaxed, basil is a color that pairs well with art deco’s striking approach. This minty green-blue makes your kitchen instantly stand out from traditional kitchen styles.

Gold lighting or silver accessories pair well here, though you can also add soft brown furniture for an earthy spin.

If you want a color that’s even more bold, indigo is the ticket. Art deco styles frequently use bold blues because of how effectively it captures attention. 

There are many fun ways to accessorize with an indigo kitchen. Rose gold silverware or vases add a warm pop of contrast to this cool, confident color.

Source Image: ExtCabinets

Old-Fashioned Styles Look Great With Warm or Cool Neutrals 

If you want your outdoor Florida kitchens to feel straight out of the 1800’s, it’s time to seek out some warm or cool neutrals. This term refers to neutral colors with undertones, creating a gentler appearance not found in conventional choices like white or black.

Warm neutrals like taupe give you a flexible artistic middleground to enjoy. Since they blend in with a wide variety of colors, you’ll have an easy time pairing these neutrals with kitchen staples like lounge chairs and outdoor cabinets.

Our Top Color Recommendations:

If you’re thinking of buying a grey outdoor kitchen, but want just a little more complexity, you’ll find an answer in slate. Similar to taupe, this subtle and ambiguous color brings to mind rainy days and trees in the winter. 

This color is soothing, easygoing, and well-suited to subtle outdoor kitchens that choose cozy over bold.

Is slate a little too cool for your tastes? If you want a similar color that’s warmer, we highly recommend nutmeg. This brown is gentler and lighter than our mocha brown offering, but a little richer than tuscan. 

In other words, the perfect middleground for country or old-fashioned kitchens.

3 Tips for Choosing a Color for Your Outdoor Florida Kitchens

Choosing the dominant color of your brand new outdoor kitchen can be a little overwhelming. To help you narrow down your choices, we have a few more tips below.

Choose the Overall Mood You Want to Feel

While your outdoor kitchen will no doubt be home to plenty of happy memories and different emotions, choosing an overall mood will help you narrow down a color. 

Do you want your outdoor Florida kitchens to feel clean and refreshing? White is a great pick to make your kitchen feel sparkling new every time. If you want a more relaxing and calm atmosphere, nutmeg or mocha brown could be a more suitable choice. 

Consider What Kind of Furniture You Want to Use

The last thing you want is to pick an outdoor kitchen color that clashes with your tables or chairs. Take into account the dominant colors of your set-up before choosing your final option.

Do you own a lot of very colorful furniture? Neutrals are one of the easier color options for outdoor kitchens since they easily pair with warm and cool colors alike. For example, you won’t have to go out of your way to meticulously contrast red with blue or anything intensive like that. Grey, in particular, is an increasingly popular choice for homeowners as a kitchen base.

On the other hand, if you own more neutral or minimalistic furniture, a beautiful point of contrast could be an outdoor kitchen with a bold color. Basil, indigo, or sunshade are vivid options that will contrast neutral-colored chairs or a neutral kitchen island.

Also Take Into Account Plants, Trees, and Flowers

Alongside matching your furniture, consider the surrounding area of your backyard or deck. The natural greens and browns of nature will be a major influence on how unified your outdoor kitchen looks once installed.

Warm colors like nutmeg, mocha brown, or sunshade look fantastic surrounded by so many cool greens and green-blues. Compare this to basil, which could blend into a natural background too much (unless you give your kitchen extra accessories).

Source Image ExtCabinets

We’ll Help You Choose the Best Color for Your Outdoor Florida Kitchens

Your outdoor kitchen is a place to relax, play, and unwind. We’ll help you choose the best color for both your personal tastes and your kitchen’s surrounding environment. 

Choosing the most appropriate color is essential to both match your kitchen with your furniture and focus your mood. The wrong color could mean changing your entire furniture set-up or even thinking you made the wrong purchase. 

With a little thought and research, the right color will make your outdoor kitchen the most dazzling part of your home.

Want to know our top color recommendations for your set-up? Contact us today to talk to our experts about what your future outdoor kitchen could look like.