New research from Häfele UK finds that homeowners are becoming more willing to experiment with colour in their kitchens, but most are still hedging their bets, balancing a want for personality in the space against worry about longevity and how it will affect resale value further down the line.
The research is separate from Häfele's earlier 2026 findings on kitchen storage priorities (which we covered in our kitchen trends piece); this round focuses specifically on colour decision-making.
What this means for kitchen fitters and joiners
For trades taking a kitchen brief, colour has always been one of the more emotionally loaded conversations with a client, and this research confirms clients are increasingly open to discussing it rather than defaulting to neutral schemes. That's worth factoring into how you present options at the design stage: clients who might once have gone straight to white or grey units may now be receptive to a stronger colour on an island, run of base units, or feature wall of cabinetry, provided you can talk them through the resale and longevity trade-offs honestly.
Practically, that means having a view on which colour choices tend to age well (muted, tonal palettes) versus which are higher-risk trend choices, and being upfront that a bold colour scheme is a bigger commitment than swapping a worktop or handles later. Clients who feel that conversation has been had properly are less likely to come back with regret six months after completion.
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