Kendall Jenner’s design team – the mother-and-son duo Kathleen and Tommy Clements, plus the inimitable Waldo Fernandez – wanted to take a risk when they curated this kitchen for their superstar client.
Choosing a kitchen cabinet color comes with many nuances to overcome and understand. Neutrals aren’t for everyone, and the sizeable cost of a new kitchen shouldn’t dictate that you play it safe. More often than not, it pays to use a color that packs a decorative punch. Teal, a color currently riding a renaissance was the ideal choice for Jenner's kitchen.
The uplifting yet serene teal is an interesting contradiction, blurring the boundaries between blue and green, and equally between fun and sophistication when added to an interior scheme.
‘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,' Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball. 'Its green undertone brings a sense of calm to a room.’
But why does decorating with teal uplift and calm in equal measure? Tobias Lewis, head of the Valspar brand, has a theory that links the shades found in the natural world to the recent global pandemic. ‘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, including the bedroom and living room.'
However, that is not to say we wouldn't use teal in the kitchen. In fact, this busy, family space is the perfect place for such a stress-relieving color. Spending more time at home than usual after the past few years has made us prioritize comfort and relaxation more than ever before. This has led to trends in natural and organic hues, in our interiors.
Ultimately, we embrace this neither too blue, nor too green shade into our homes and our hearts because of the way it makes us feel. Character and warmth are the key goals in creating an inviting home.
‘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. ‘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.’
Shop the look
If painting your kitchen cabinetry is not on the agenda, you can introduce teal accessories to envelop your space with this powerful and life-enhancing color instead.
