Every kitchen we make is built in our Essex workshop and hand-painted on site once it has been fitted, in whatever colour you choose. Below we explain why a hand-painted finish is worth having, then show 40 of our kitchens grouped by colour, with the exact paint used in each.
Hand-Painted Kitchens at a Glance
A hand-painted kitchen is cabinetry painted by brush rather than sprayed in a factory. The brush follows the grain of the timber, giving a natural, tactile finish, and because it is brushed on, it can be touched up or completely repainted years later, so the kitchen can change colour without being replaced. Almost any colour from any paint company can be used. The most popular families for hand-painted kitchens are blues, from sky blue to navy; dark shades such as Railings, Down Pipe and Basalt; greys such as Elephant’s Breath and Charleston Gray; neutrals and whites; greens; and two-tone schemes that pair a darker island with lighter runs. Handmade Kitchen Company design and hand-build bespoke kitchens at our workshop in Essex and hand-paint them on site, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London.
Why choose a hand-painted kitchen?
Hand-painting gives cabinetry a natural, beautiful finish with a tactile feel, and every part of the kitchen is finished with care by our craftsmen.
- It looks natural. The brush follows the grain of the wood, so the finish sits with the timber rather than over it.
- It is future-proof. You can repaint the kitchen in a new colour in the future, without replacing it.
- It is easy to repair. Scuffs and chips can be lightly sanded and touched in with a brush.
- Any colour is possible. See a colour on a paint chart and your kitchen can be painted in exactly that shade.
We use paints from companies including Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library, Neptune, Benjamin Moore, Graham & Brown, Sanderson, Crown and Dulux. For more on the finish itself, see what makes a good hand-painted kitchen finish, and for choosing a scheme, our guide to kitchen colour schemes.
Will you go bold, with a bright blue or a rich red, or keep to a soft grey or a neutral you can add pops of colour to? Here is how our clients chose.
Teal hand-painted kitchens
Tiru, Theydon Bois
This traditional townhouse in Theydon Bois was fully renovated and extended to create a large, naturally bright space, with every inch used for storage. It is hand-painted in Tiru by Graham & Brown, a serene teal.
Blue hand-painted kitchens
Dock Blue, Whittlesford
Our Whittlesford kitchen is painted in Dock Blue by Little Greene, a deep indigo. With characterful quartz worktops, it gives our classic in-frame shaker a modern twist.
Dock Blue with brass, Saltby
This open-plan kitchen in Saltby is also in Dock Blue by Little Greene, which suits its brass fittings perfectly.
Beyond Blue, Clavering
Our Clavering kitchen has an industrial feel and is painted in Beyond Blue from Paint & Paper Library. The rich, deep blue suits a large open-plan space and sits well beside the stainless steel Wolf range cooker.
Sky Blue, West Hampstead
The light blue in this West Hampstead home brings the summer sky indoors. The cabinets are painted in Sky Blue 103 by Little Greene.
Royal Navy, Clayhall
Our client in Clayhall chose Royal Navy by Little Greene, a deep blue that contrasts with the light walls, floor and worktops.
Stiffkey Blue, Potters Bar
In our Potters Bar kitchen, Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball fills a large open-plan space with warmth. It is an inky navy named after the dark mud of Stiffkey beach in Norfolk, and works well with natural timber.
Dark hand-painted kitchens
Black Beauty, Kensington
In this Victorian building in Kensington, our traditional raised shaker is painted in Black Beauty by Benjamin Moore.
Basalt, Elstree
In this Elstree home, Basalt by Little Greene, a timeless blue-black, catches plenty of natural light, which draws out its blue undertones.
Railings, Golders Green
For our client in Golders Green, we designed and installed a classic shaker kitchen that flows into the living space. It is painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball, a dark shade that makes a room dramatic and enveloping.
Down Pipe, Henham
This new-build house in Henham, Essex, was designed to our clients’ exact specification. Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball contrasts with solid oak beams and Kinawa White Piracema granite worktops. It is a popular choice with our clients: a dark lead grey whose blue undertones give the finish depth.
Basalt with exposed brick, Hutton
In this industrial-style kitchen in Hutton, Basalt 221 by Little Greene sits against an exposed brick wall, with Wolf appliances.
Grey hand-painted kitchens
Worsted, Colchester
This renovated home in Colchester has a traditional kitchen in Worsted by Farrow & Ball, a rich grey.
Dolphin, Brentwood
Our classic shaker in this converted barn in Brentwood is painted in Dolphin 246 by Little Greene, a strong grey that pairs well with satin brass handles.
Charleston Gray and Elephant’s Breath, Chelmsford
Our Chelmsford kitchen is a detailed two-tone grey scheme in Charleston Gray and Elephant’s Breath, both by Farrow & Ball.
Plummett and Cornforth White, Winchmore Hill
In this large open space in Winchmore Hill, the island is the statement, painted in Plummett by Farrow & Ball, with Cornforth White on the rest of the kitchen. Plummett is a strong architectural grey named after the lead weights fishermen use on their lines. It deepens in smaller spaces and has a crisp, modern feel.
Charleston Gray, Cuffley
Charleston Gray by Farrow & Ball gives this open-plan kitchen in Cuffley a warm, welcoming feel. It is a deep, muted grey with brown undertones, named after Charleston, the East Sussex farmhouse home of the Bloomsbury Group.
Neutral and white hand-painted kitchens
Slate 1, Epping
To suit this new-build home, our Essex kitchen is painted in Slate 1 by Paint & Paper Library, which works beautifully in the clean, bright space.
Rolling Fog, London
Neutral schemes are versatile, leaving room for pops of colour. In this London kitchen, Rolling Fog by Little Greene softens the large mouldings and makes a grand entrance.
Strong White, Islington
Our traditional handleless style is a firm favourite, and our client in Islington knew straight away it was what they wanted. The L-shaped kitchen is painted in Strong White by Farrow & Ball, a grey-based white.
RAL 9016 Traffic White, Chelsea
In Chelsea, our traditional lay-on shaker with large mouldings and brass details is painted throughout in RAL 9016 Traffic White, a clean white with a faint touch of grey.
Slaked Lime, Billericay
In this new-build home in Billericay, Essex, traditional cabinets are painted in Slaked Lime 105 by Little Greene.
Magnolia, Billericay
For a busy family in Billericay, we used Magnolia by Little Greene on both the modern shaker kitchen and the walls, for a seamless finish. Magnolia has been Britain’s classic off-white since the 1950s.
Cornforth White, Matching Tye
In this 18th-century home in Matching Tye, Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball opens up the space. It is part of Farrow & Ball’s Easy Neutrals: an understated grey, neither too warm nor too cool, that creates a calm retreat.
Red hand-painted kitchens
Rectory Red, Sawbridgeworth
Red is a daring choice, but Rectory Red by Farrow & Ball is a rich, clean red that feels warm and welcoming in this large open-plan room in Sawbridgeworth. Our client chose a two-tone scheme, with the red island as the main attraction.
Green hand-painted kitchens
Constable Green, Chalfont St Giles
Working together with our client, we arrived at a rich, deep green as the main colour: Constable Green by Neptune, an inky shade. Our Chalfont St Giles kitchen is dramatic yet inviting.
Studio Green, Essex
This Essex kitchen is painted in one of Farrow & Ball’s classic colours, Studio Green, which shows a wonderful range of tone as the light changes.
Lichen, Brunswick Quay
This compact part of the kitchen is still full of must-haves. Lichen by Farrow & Ball, a calm, muted green, was a pleasant surprise for our Brunswick Quay client.
Vert de Terre, London
After meeting us at our showroom, this couple described their style as fresh and exciting. Vert de Terre by Farrow & Ball, a fresh, soft green, makes this London kitchen stylish and just what they wanted.
Studio Green, Wimbledon
To make the craftsmanship stand out alongside made-to-order Armac Martin handles, our client in Wimbledon chose Studio Green by Farrow & Ball, a deep, dark green.
Clay and Olive, Elsenham
Our client in Elsenham, Essex removed the wall between a small kitchen and the dining room to open up the space. Their traditional shaker is painted in Clay and Olive, both by Little Greene, to suit the home’s historic features. Olive, on the island, is a deep shade with 18th-century origins.
Purple hand-painted kitchens
Brinjal, Bishop’s Stortford
In this Grade II listed home in Bishop’s Stortford, the central island is painted in Brinjal by Farrow & Ball, a sophisticated aubergine named after the deep, glossy skin of the vegetable. It is especially striking on a feature piece.
Pink hand-painted kitchens
Light Peachblossom, Sandy
This kitchen in Sandy is painted in Light Peachblossom by Little Greene, a gentle, delicate pink. For more, see our pink kitchen ideas.
Two-tone hand-painted kitchens
Rolling Fog and Card Room Green, Orsett
This Essex kitchen in Orsett pairs Rolling Fog by Little Greene with Card Room Green by Farrow & Ball.
Slaked Lime Deep and Basalt, Margaretting
In Margaretting, Ingatestone, the two-tone scheme uses Slaked Lime Deep (150) and Basalt (221), both by Little Greene. With Calacatta Valencia quartz and touches of walnut, it balances period character with modern comfort.
Wevet and Stiffkey Blue, Hatfield Heath
In this traditional home in Hatfield Heath, our client wanted a peaceful, calm space and chose Wevet, a delicate white with a hint of grey, and Stiffkey Blue, an inky navy, both by Farrow & Ball.
Down Pipe and Shaded White, Little Canfield
In the village of Little Canfield, this classic in-frame shaker combines Down Pipe, a dramatic lead grey, with Shaded White, a versatile light grey-beige, both by Farrow & Ball.
Down Pipe and Dimpse, Standon
This classic in-frame shaker in Standon sits on a raised platform. It is painted in Down Pipe and Dimpse, both by Farrow & Ball: the dramatic lead grey works well with the cool, delicate grey of Dimpse.
Basalt and French Grey Mid, Hatfield Broad Oak
Our Hatfield Broad Oak kitchen uses Basalt (221) on the island and pantry cupboard, and French Grey Mid (162) on the rest of the furniture, both by Little Greene. The soft neutral sets off the bold blue-black.
Juniper Ash and French Grey, Hadley Wood
Our Hadley Wood kitchen has a statement island and a U-shaped layout, in a two-tone scheme from Little Greene: Juniper Ash (115) on the island and French Grey on the main units. Juniper Ash is a warm, intimate blue; French Grey is a historic colour that was once costly to mix.
For more two-tone ideas, see our kitchen paint pairings and contrasting kitchen islands.
Hand-Painted Kitchen FAQs
What is a hand-painted kitchen?
A kitchen whose cabinetry is painted by brush rather than sprayed. The brush follows the grain of the timber for a natural, tactile finish.
Can a hand-painted kitchen be repainted?
Yes. That is one of its biggest advantages: the kitchen can be repainted in a new colour years later, and small chips can be touched in.
What are the most popular colours for a hand-painted kitchen?
Blues from sky blue to navy, dark shades such as Railings, Down Pipe and Basalt, soft greys such as Elephant’s Breath and Charleston Gray, warm whites, and deep greens. Two-tone schemes with a darker island are also very popular.
Can you use any paint brand?
Almost any. We regularly use Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library, and have used Neptune, Benjamin Moore, Graham & Brown and others at our clients’ request.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company make hand-painted kitchens?
We design and hand-build bespoke kitchens at our workshop in Essex and hand-paint them on site in the colour of your choice, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London.
To talk about your kitchen in the colour of your choice, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.
First published October 2020, updated July 2024 and September 2026.
