Forget off-white, this plaster-inspired hue is the new neutral to choose for kitchens in 2026
It's the ultimate way to add warmth to a kitchen
Finding the ultimate kitchen paint colour is no simple task. Whether it's for your walls or your cabinets, you want it to strike the right balance between trendy and timeless, so you aren't faced with repainting in a few years. For 2026, this decision couldn't be simpler. Enter: Plaster pink.
Neutral paint shades like white and cream feel like natural avenues for a kitchen colour scheme, largely because they won't date and thus will give you much more longevity out of an investment purchase. However, recent kitchen trends are all about creating warm and inviting spaces at the heart of our home, and stark neutral shades won't help to achieve this.
How to use plaster pink in a kitchen
This colour first entered our radars when Farrow & Ball's aptly named 'Setting Plaster' began appearing on our social media feeds. As the brand writes, it's a dusty pink inspired by freshly plastered walls, and in fact, it hardly looks like a typical pink shade at all.
Pink kitchens are gaining in popularity, but it can still be a daunting shade to use in a communal space where design decisions are expensive to alter. Opting for a less saccharine shade and instead choosing a more earthy hue, akin to plastered walls, feels a lot more accessible and leans further towards a neutral scheme, as opposed to a pastel one.
'Pink plaster walls have quietly earned their place as a new neutral because they do the job we once relied on white or grey to do, while offering far more warmth and nuance. Soft, chalky pinks behave almost like a skin tone within a room, responding gently to light throughout the day and bringing a sense of calm that does not flatten the space,' explains Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca’ Pietra.
Whether you use a plaster-like pink hue on your walls, cabinets (or both, if you're into colour drenching), or even through your kitchen tile ideas, the colour palette will instantly create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
'This shift reflects a wider move away from colour as decoration and towards colour as atmosphere, where subtle tonal variation and surface depth create rooms that feel lived-in and quietly expressive without shouting for attention,' Grazzie adds.
Plaster pinks work just as well in small kitchens as they do in larger spaces. In a compact room, you want to create a light-enhancing space as much as possible, without it looking stark and clinical. Plaster pink is perfect for this - it will add warmth and dimension without making the space feel too enclosed.
'Colours can be neutrals too, especially our classic Setting Plaster, the warmest of earthy pinks. This colour is brilliant at bringing delicate warmth to a poorly lit space. Additionally, it ‘bleaches’ out rather beautifully in a bright and sunny room, so has true versatility in its uses!', adds Patrick O’Donnell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball.
Shop plaster pink paint
Setting Plaster is popular for good reason - this earthy-toned pink will look good in any kitchen.
Limewash paint is a great way of replicating the look of plastered walls - this pink shade will tap into the trend.
Little Greene's 'Masquerade' has a delicate, powder-like hue which will add a naturally inviting atmosphere to any kitchen.
If you're feeling unsure which direction to take your kitchen colour scheme in in 2026, give plaster pink a go.
