COLOUR IN THE HOME
August/September 2026
housewareslive.net
Paint the town red… and pink, green and blue
Consumers are getting more confident with colour around the home, whether it’s a pink kettle, sage green tableware or something altogether bolder. Housewares Magazine finds out which shades are catching shoppers’ eyes and what’s coming next.
And nowhere is that more obvious than in the kitchen. From cookware and tabletop to kettles, toasters and storage, shoppers have far more choice when it comes to colour than they did even a few years ago. For retailers, that means colour is becoming an increasingly important part of the buying conversation. The shift can be seen beyond individual products, too. According to the 2026 UK Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, blue has become the most popular colour for kitchen cabinetry, chosen by 18 per cent of renovating homeowners, closely followed by green at 17 per cent. Grey, once seemingly unavoidable in British kitchens, now sits at 12 per cent, with white down at just eight per cent. There are some interesting colours coming through elsewhere.
A
Pinterest’s 2026 colour forecast picked out Cool Blue, Jade, Plum Noir, Wasabi and Persimmon among the shades gaining momentum, suggesting consumers are becoming a little more adventurous with what they bring into their homes. Meanwhile, research from 1stDibs found chocolate brown remains a major interiors trend, selected by 33 per cent of designers surveyed, almost double the figure recorded four years ago. Butter yellow, cornflower blue, powder pink and pistachio are also gaining ground. Of course, nobody is suggesting every consumer is about to rip out their neutral kitchen and replace it with something bright orange. But that is where housewares have an advantage. A colourful appliance, pan, knife block or piece of tableware offers a much easier way to experiment. And with brands increasingly treating colour as part of the product
rather than simply an afterthought, there is plenty for retailers to play with.
True colours
After years of cooler, pared-back interiors, warmer and more characterful colours are making their presence felt across housewares, with consumers seemingly much more willing to experiment with what they bring into the home. According to Jake Doney, Design Manager at Captivate Brands, there
isn’t necessarily one shade leading the charge. Instead, shoppers are using colour in different ways to put their own stamp on kitchens, dining spaces and the wider home. “We’re continuing to see a move towards warmer, more characterful colour palettes,” he says. “Earthy greens, warm neutrals, soft pinks and
34 |
fter years of white, grey and various shades of ‘greige’ dominating the home, colour is well and truly finding its way back in.
richer heritage-inspired tones are all performing strongly.” There is still plenty of appetite for brighter colours too, particularly when these are combined with pattern and illustration. As Jake explains: “Rather than one dominant colour trend, we’re seeing consumers use colour to create a particular mood or personality within their home.” Housewares have an important role to play here. Even where consumers have relatively neutral kitchens and interiors, smaller products offer an easy way to introduce something a little bolder without completely redecorating a room. “Consumers seem much more confident introducing colour through housewares, even when their wider interiors are relatively neutral,” Mr Doney says. “Tableware, mugs, storage and kitchen accessories are an accessible way of adding personality without committing to a complete interior change.” That growing confidence is also changing attitudes towards
coordination. Rather than every item having to match, Captivate is seeing consumers mix different colours, patterns and collections to achieve a more collected and individual look. When it comes to particular shades, green remains a major part of the palette, spanning everything from sage and botanical tones to deeper
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
