HGTV's Erin Napier's Spin On Scandinavian Design Has Everyone's Attention

Scandinavian design is all about creating a well-ordered, functional space that exudes a sense of tranquility. So when HGTV's "Home Town" star, Erin Napier, added a bright color to the cabinets in a Scandi-inspired kitchen, design and decor enthusiasts took note. Not only was the color itself unexpected, but she incorporated it in a truly unique way: by only painting part of the cabinets. It's an extraordinary take on kitchen design and one that you can use as inspiration to bring some personality to your space.

Traditionally speaking, Scandinavian design leans heavily on serene, neutral colors. Whites, especially, feature heavily in the style and contribute to the sense of order and cleanliness in a space. Scandinavian-styled spaces also warm up the vibe with lots of natural features like wood, textural accents, and occasional pops of color. The intention is to create a comfortable environment, not a sterile one. For this kitchen makeover, Napier chose a teal color to really make the cabinets stand out.

As with Scandi-inspired spaces, functionality is paramount in Erin Napier's designs, but creating a personalized space is the focus that informs her styling choices. Incorporating storied pieces that speak to the homeowner is an essential part of the way she crafts an imperfectly perfect homescape. Rather than adhere to design rules, the star of "Home Town" embraces the unexpected. And for the kitchen she featured on her Instagram page, that meant painting the cabinets a jewel-toned teal.

While pops of color are not uncommon in Scandi-inspired spaces, the design guru integrated the turquoise color in an unconventional way. She painted the cabinet faces, but not the frames. The light-colored wood framing the cabinet doors ties in beautifully with the wood floors, grounding the space, while a white countertop and backsplash lighten up the room. The effect is captivating. So much so that you almost don't notice another interesting design feature — there are two big sinks in this Scandinavian-styled kitchen.

True to the clean and orderly style, there are not many items on the countertops, and they all stick to the warm-toned and neutral color palette. Copper, orange, and brown shades are scattered throughout the space, making it feel calm and cohesive. In fact, the only places where vibrant teal is featured are on the cabinets and pendant lights. It's a stunning look that might make you consider that cabinet color for a warm & comforting kitchen.

Begin creating the perfect Scandinavian-style kitchen by decluttering your space. Pare back the amount of items displayed on your counters, and simplify your storage. Then evaluate the architecture of your cabinetry. Scandi-inspired designs prioritize simplicity, so go for unadorned, smooth front cabinets.

Finally, take a look at your color palette. Since natural wood elements are often a fixture of the aesthetic, consider incorporating the undertone color of your existing wood as a primary color in the palette of your space. A shade of yellow, perhaps, or deep brown would provide a warm backdrop. Choose a calming, contrasting color such as a jewel-toned blue or green, or even a pastel. Keep the rest of the colors on the neutral side, and work with your lighting options to keep the space feeling warm, bright, and welcoming.

Another option to adapt Erin Napier's inspiration and create a Scandinavian-style kitchen that nails the aesthetic is to paint just a few of your cabinets. Perhaps the lower cabinets feature your accent color, and the upper cabinets are left natural. Or, you could paint all of your cabinets in one of your neutral colors and select just a few at random to cover in your accent color. You could even simply reverse her approach and paint just the frames of your cabinets, leaving the faces of them to showcase the beauty of the natural wood. However you incorporate the look, you'll have a stunning, Scandi-inspired kitchen design.