For celebrity and style maven Kendall Jenner, playing it safe with her cabinet color was never an option. Her design team – the mother-and-son duo Kathleen and Tommy Clements, along with the imaginative Waldo Fernandez – chose to take a purposeful risk, opting for a kitchen cabinet color that packs a decorative punch: teal.
This bold yet balanced hue is set to be one of the hero colors of 2026, aligning with the enduring trend for deep, personality-driven, nature-inspired shades.
Choosing a standout kitchen color involves understanding subtle nuances, but as one of the most impactful (and costly) features, a vibrant shade can pay dividends in character. Teal is an intriguing contradiction, blurring the boundaries between blue and green, and equally, between comfort and sophistication when applied to an interior scheme.
‘Decorating with teal is always a good choice. Teal is a very balanced, versatile shade that can be used to create a subtle or dramatic space, as it shifts between blue and green in varying levels of light,’ says Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball. ‘Its green undertone brings a sense of calm to a room.’
This calming, uplifting effect is rooted in nature. Tobias Lewis, head of the Valspar brand, notes, ‘Room color ideas that have a biophilic nature, such as blue and green, evoke a stress-relieving and mood-boosting atmosphere. This makes teal – a deep, cyan-green shade – ideal for rooms to wind down in.’ The urgency for comfort and relaxation, prioritized in recent years, has led to a major trend for natural, organic hues in interiors, making the kitchen – a historically busy, stress-prone space – the perfect canvas for such a tranquil color.
Ultimately, this neither-too-blue, nor-too-green shade is embraced for its enveloping warmth and ability to add character. ‘Teal is perfectly balanced; it is neither too warm nor too cool, meaning it is the ideal color to create an enveloping and intimate feel,’ sums up Ruth Mottershead, Little Greene’s creative director. She adds that for a cozy, sophisticated effect, ‘With a teal color, don’t dismiss darker shades, as when used all over, darker teal colors can exude a cozy, cocooning quality and harness the character of a room.’
As a bold color that defines structure, deep teal is predicted to be a key shade for kitchen islands and cabinetry in 2026. But if you feel brave, why not try it on your kitchen walls?
Shop the look
If repainting your kitchen cabinetry isn’t on the agenda, consider introducing teal accents instead. Even a few well-chosen accessories can envelop the space in this uplifting, life-enhancing hue.
Embrace the teal trend with this set of four fluted-rim side plates. Hand-painted in glazed stoneware, each plate features subtle variations that make every piece unique, adding a stylish and on-trend pop of color to your table.
