Red and green fall on opposite sides of the colour wheel, which typically indicates that there is a high contrast between them. We love the letterbox red chairs next to a really delicate and contemporary sage green.

Pictured: Bespoke kitchen by Pluck

A masterclass in balancing traditional with modern. This kitchen is full of classic design markers – the shaker cabinetry and ornate cornices – with a modern white and navy colour palette, clean lines and unfussy hardware.

Pictured: Bespoke kitchen by Olive & Barr

A white palette stretches from a cool grey-toned white to a warm off-white. The latter is a great choice for classic or country kitchens – where pure white would create a modern design scheme, an off-white creates a softer and warmer environment that welcomes vintage accents and accessories.

Pictured: House Beautiful bamboo Venetian blinds at Hillarys

This is a really lovely pairing. Cheerful apple green shaker cabinets sit with a deep reddish wood countertop to create a strong dividing line between the cabinets below and pink limewashed walls above. The wood is a slightly better complement than white countertops which might strike too stark a contrast against the black cooker.

Pictured: Bespoke kitchen at deVOL

Unexpected pops of black contrast wonderfully against this modern pastel blue in our very own House Beautiful Camberwell Kitchen at Homebase. The marble countertops and pale wooden floors soften an abundance of clean lines too.

Pictured: House Beautiful Camberwell Kitchen at Homebase

If you’re after black cabinets, but don’t want to darken your whole room, make sure to keep them all below eye line. Black overhead cabinets can weigh down a room, whereas these glossy white tiles have the great effect of brightening and bouncing light around the kitchen.

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A traditional terrazzo pattern is very dense, but these terrazzo countertops have been modernised with a larger scale that feels more expansive and allows for a lot of bright white to show through. Turquoise usually feels quite contemporary in a home, and doubly so here on sleek handleless cabinets.

Pictured: Bespoke kitchen by Pluck

The design lesson here is in the wonderful extension of the white marble countertops up the wall and into a shelf – it mitigates some of the heaviness and richness of the green that could become imposing if overused across both cabinets and walls.

Pictured: Bespoke kitchen at deVOL

This kitchen uses a clever colour technique to brighten an otherwise dark design scheme. Here, the laminate flooring has pinkish undertones that are picked up and reflected in the black cabinets. This technique doesn’t require high gloss surfaces to work, just make sure to pick flat panel cabinetry with a subtle sheen.

Pictured: House Beautiful Sensation Candy Cane Painted Laminate at Carpetright

Cool tones are perfect for a clean and simple kitchen. A high gloss white, with a deep blue or forest green, pairs perfectly with light, natural woods. Keep your lines clean and use accessories sparingly – this is a very easy scheme to do well, and within a тιԍнт budget.

Pictured: Country Living Peacock Blue Matt Splashback

A flush of pastel pinks needs a more intricate companion in a kitchen so as not to look washed out. This fabulous kitchen belongs to interior designer and House Beautiful columnist, Sophie Robinson, where her botanical wallpaper from Harlequin – and if you can spot it, the sweet matching blind – provide the perfect foil to the pink shaker cabinets below.

Read more: How to create a moodboard with Sophie Robinson

This kitchen is a masterclass in mixing materials – a heavily veined marble, a mid-toned wood and a reflective stainless steel are all working harmoniously. The key here is that they’re all warm finishes – while stainless steel is naturally cool, it will reflect whatever is around it, so it can read as warm or cool depending on the setting.

There is a touch of retro here in the fabulous light fixtures, handleless kitchen cabinets and red woods that suit this avocado shade. A third match here would be a pale and ʙuттery yellow – just hinted at in the dried bouquet – or a touch of sky blue.

Pictured: Bespoke kitchen by Pluck

A flush of pastel pink could make this neutral kitchen look a little washed out. Instead, a lovely peachy salmon pink is used to really draw the eye. Antiqued brᴀss hardware is a great choice if you find a brᴀss and pink pairing too garish.

Pictured: Bespoke kitchen at British Standard Cupboards

The addition of natural wood and ceramics is important in this contemporary kitchen, as they offset the delicate pastel shades used throughout. And if you look closely, the shelves are painted in graduated shades of pink – we love thoughtful details.

Pictured: Chalk Paint in Antoinette, Barcelona Orange, and Emperor’s Silk at Annie Sloan