These days, white and light colored kitchens are all the rage. People love them because they’re brighter and because they always feel clean and fresh. However, without a little bit of added color, these kitchens can easily go from a fresh feeling to a dull one. While there are many ways to add color to your kitchen, few options stand out so much as colorful granite counters.

The interesting thing about choosing colors is that the most successful color schemes are based not only around your personal preferences, but also on color psychology, which is a branch of psychology that looks into the effects various colors have on your mood. To that end, we’ll show you how to pick granite in colors that will not only make your kitchen colorful, but will also enhance whatever feeling you’re trying to create.

Use Blue Granite for a Calming, Fresh Effect

Blues come in a variety of popular shades, from light sky blue to deeper, darker navy blue. At the light end, blues feel cold and fresh, but as the color becomes darker, it tends to promote relaxation. Very dark blue should be used sparingly because this color can cause sadness.

So which granite varieties will work best? There are several:

Blue Flower is a Brazilian granite with swirls of light and dark colors. Overall, the granite has a medium to light tone, making it great for kitchens that require a cool, fresh look.
For a darker, more relaxed look, Amadeus is ideal. This is another Brazilian granite, and it offers you dark, dramatic swirls of blue and white.
Dynamic Blue is exactly what the name suggests. This granite has an almost electric blue color, perfect for spicing up an otherwise plain kitchen, giving it a cool, refreshing look.

The Many Reasons to Use Green

Green is an interesting way to add color to white and light colored kitchens. Because this color is a mixture of blue and green, it carries with it some of the same properties of those colors. From yellow, green gets a sense of cheerfulness, and from blue, this color retains a refreshing feeling. Green is also widely recognized as the color that causes the least eye strain, and as such, it tends to be a relaxing color.

When it comes to green granite, there are a surprising number of options. For instance, Cactus, which comes from China, has a nice olive hue that is suitable for more muted color schemes, whereas Peacock Green is a dark green granite that is perfect for making striking contrasts in light colored kitchens. If you’re looking for a true, bright green reminiscent of green grass, then Verde Fantastico is the granite for you. This gorgeous Italian stone mixes green and gold to make your kitchen feel verdant, fresh and cheerful.

Red Granite to Promote Energy and Excitement

Numerous studies have shown that the color red tends to increase blood pressure, heart rate and respiration rate. In a relaxing room, like a bedroom, this color might not be such a great idea, but in a kitchen, red might be just the thing you need to give you the energy to cook and clean, or to spark a lively conversation amongst your dinner guests. Here is a look at some of the red granites available:

Red Dragon, with its rich red color and gray striations, is the variety that will provide the most excitement.
Dakota Mahogany has a much softer look than Red Dragon because it’s shades of red tend to be deeper, trending towards brown. Nevertheless, this granite will still add warmth to an otherwise cool kitchen, and its dark coloration will serve as a nice contrast among light surroundings.
Bordeaux is a lovely mixture of red, rose red and gray. It is less exciting than bright red granite, but it still lends a sense of warmth and energy to a room. This granite will work well in kitchens with warm off-white shades and natural wood tones in reddish hues.

You Can’t Beat Brown

Brown is one of those wonderful colors that goes with almost anything. Add this color to your kitchen through a countertop, and you can decorate with accents in warm colors, contrasting cool colors like green or blue, jewel tones, earth tones, the colors of fall foliage and much more. In addition, people view brown as a sensible, stable and reliable color. These ideas make it seem like brown could result in a dull color scheme, but when mixed with a predominantly light-colored kitchen and a few bright accents, your decor will be anything but dull.

If you’re looking for examples, check out Brownie granite, which is a lovely mix of brown, copper, silver, black and more. This is one of those types of granite that will go with everything, from white kitchens to off white, and kitchens with colorful accents. Then there is Amarone, a Brazilian granite that features bold patterning of brown, black and white. On its own, this granite will add lots of interest to your kitchen.

As you can see, when it comes to choosing granite for your kitchen, there is a lot to consider — and of course, far more granite colors and shades of each color than we have mentioned here. Choose according to your tastes, and give a thought to the psychology of color. Of course, if you’re having trouble making a decision, you can always ask the experts at Arch City Granite and Marble in St. Louis, Missouri.