Choosing the right colour and style for your kitchen doors can be a daunting task. You spend a lot of time in your kitchen, so you don't want to get it wrong and feel stuck with a décor style you don't love. Over the years, we've helped thousands of customers create their perfect kitchens, so here are our top tips on choosing the right colours and styles for your home...

When planning your kitchen refresh, there's a couple of things you need to think about:

How do I want my new kitchen to look?

What elements from my current kitchen must be incorporated into my new kitchen? Or to put it another way: in the room as it is now, what am I unable to change?

The first question gives you the opportunity to compile your wish list. Use Pinterest, Instagram, and interior design magazines to work out the looks you love and how they could work in your kitchen. The second question gets you thinking about the practicalities - unless you're working with a totally empty shell, then it’s likely there will be features of your existing kitchen that you'll keep. These could be: flooring, wall tiles, worktops, sink, oven and hob, and maybe even a gas boiler that needs boxing in.

Practical colour and style options

It's a good idea to have practical, easy-to-clean doors in your kitchen. Whether you've got little ones running about, are a messy cook or just like things neat and tidy, doors that only need a quick wipe over with a soft cloth are probably the most practical type of kitchen doors.

When it comes to choosing colour and style, slab doors are a great choice. It's a door style that's super low-maintenence and easy to clean. These are kitchen doors which have a smooth, flat surface, with no profiling or carved designs. Have a look at our range of plain kitchen doors, or, if you love a more minimalist look, consider handleless kitchen doors. Their neat, sleek surfaces are the ultimate in pared-down style, and as they obviously have no need for handles, you won't be spending any extra cash on hardware.

It's also worth considering what the most practical colours and finishes are. Light and mid-toned woodgrain kitchen doors are incredibly versatile, for example, and don't show marks too easily. It's true that gloss finishes attract smears and fingerprints, but they're also exceptionally easy to clean, so it's a bit of a trade-off.

No need to over-compensate

If your current kitchen feels a little dingy - maybe you've got dark woodgrain doors, or flooring and worktops in grey or black - you're probably keen to brighten it with colours like white or cream. But before you commit to a gleaming ice-white kitchen, take a step back. Pure white can seem quite stark and chilly, so unless that's the look you're going for - consider warmer-toned shades like ivory or vanilla, or yellow-based cream hues. Pale greys, light blues and light woodgrains also work wonders in making rooms seem bigger and brighter. But if you love the look of crisp, cool white, go for it - there are many reasons white kitchen doors are so popular!

How to choose colours that work well together

Some combinations are well-known classics: white units and doors with black or dark grey worktops and floor tiles, or cream and woodgrain. But you can put your own twist on these traditional pairings - navy and white will give you a fresh take on monochrome, or a gentle sage green shade on your doors will work beautifully with golden-toned woodgrain worktops. Very pale grey and dark slate grey also look good together, or a light grey-ish blue and a rich Prussian blue create a beautiful partnership. Read our post on the best colour combinations for kitchens for more inspiration.

How to use bold colours in your kitchen

Daily life revolves around the kitchen - from your morning cup of tea through to your evening meal - so you need to really love the space you cook and eat in. Your kitchen should reflect your tastes, so don't be afraid to put your own stamp on it. If you love rich, bold colours, use them. Glossy doors in a bright red or a sky blue can really make the room come to life - and can be easily balanced by choosing neutral tones for your walls, flooring and worktops. Two-tone kitchens are also a great way to bring colour into the room - gloss black and matt white, gloss graphite and matt grey, or gloss white and matt blue are some stylish combinations to consider.

Now you've thought about your colour and style options, you need to think about your budget. Replacement doors are an affordable way to update your kitchen and best of all, they can be fitted in less than a couple of days. Browse our range of stylish, cost-effective kitchen doors and be inspired to create your perfect kitchen.