Confidence zones are the secret to making your small kitchen shine in 2026 – here's how to adopt this design technique
It's easier than you might think
When seeking style advice for small kitchens, recommendations usually involve sticking to timeless neutral shades and pared-back, minimalist cabinetry. But what if going bold and colourful is actually the best route for a joyful small kitchen design?
This concept is better known as your 'confidence zones.' Small but mighty areas of your home that are dedicated to out-there interior design. It's all about using these smaller pockets to trial a playful shade or patterned wallpaper without committing to a larger space clad in the same design.
What are confidence zones?
Sometimes it's easier to have permission to be bold with your interior design, to push you in the direction of a more experimental design. When you're spending hundreds or thousands on a home revamp, it can feel daunting to choose an unusual kitchen colour scheme or material, but the payoff is so worth it.
A small kitchen is the perfect place to play with this concept, as it forms the heart of your home where so much of your day is spent.
'For me, ‘confidence zones’ are about giving yourself permission to be bold in a considered way. In kitchens especially, which can so easily become overly functional, a confidence zone is a moment where personality comes to the forefront, whether that’s through colour, pattern, material or form,' explains Carina Raymond, interior designer and founder of Studio Raymond.
'A confidence zone doesn’t have to mean designing the entire kitchen around one strong idea. In fact, some of the most successful examples are quite contained: a richly coloured island, a run of cabinets in a contrasting finish, or a beautifully tiled or marbled splashback that becomes the visual anchor of the room,' Carina adds.
A confidence zone isn't about committing to an entire design scheme (although that would look amazing), it's about dedicating small pockets of your kitchen to a bold, confidently-chosen design.
1. Commit to a colourful scheme
A small kitchen doesn't have to be designed with a neutral, light-enhancing kitchen colour to look larger and more inviting. A colourful scheme can be just as effective, especially when countered with sleek, slab doors for a Scandi-inspired look.
Reducing visual clutter is key to using bold colours in a small kitchen. Above, 70s-inspired cream cabinets are paired with a coral worktop and backsplash to add a sunny disposition to a small kitchen. It's a confident use of colour that pays off.
2. Pick a pantry to spruce
Who says kitchen storage ideas have to be boring? A hero storage zone, like a pantry or larder unit, poses the perfect opportunity to trial a confident colour scheme.
Whether you paint the outside of your pantry in an out-there shade or try a pop of colour on your internal shelving, it's a genius way of turning a practical zone into a fun one.
3. Zhuzh a bar area
There are certain areas in a kitchen that naturally lend themselves well to more confident uses of colour, texture and materials. A kitchen drinks cabinet is exactly that.
'I often think of confidence zones as areas that invite you to linger. A kitchen shouldn’t just be about cooking; it’s where people gather, sit, talk and live. By carving out zones that feel expressive and intentional, perhaps a breakfast nook, a sofa corner or a fully upholstered bench, you soften the room and give it warmth and individuality,' Carina adds.
The whole point of having a bar in your kitchen is to encourage a fun, party atmosphere, so you can afford to reflect this atmosphere in your design. Go glitzy, like the gold bar above, or alter one key element, like a statement worktop, to differentiate the zone from the rest of your kitchen.
The concept of a confidence zone can easily be adopted around your home. A downstairs cloakroom is the ultimate small space to decorate with a bold attitude - it will be sure to create wow-factor.
