Steal This Look: A Creative, Colorful Kitchen in Montmartre

Why This Montmartre Kitchen Works (Even If You’re Not in Paris)

It’s designed like a graphic layout, not a showroom vignette

Heju Studio’s approach is basically “kitchen, but make it composition.” Instead of sprinkling color like confetti and hoping for the best,
the space uses large, intentional blocks of colorpale pink up high, deeper blue-green down lowso the room reads clean and modern from across the apartment.
It’s bold, but not chaotic.

Old-world bones + modern color = instant character

A classic Paris apartment has built-in drama: parquet floors, moldings, a fireplace mantel that’s been through things.
Rather than fight that history, this kitchen leans into itthen adds crisp, flat-front cabinetry and playful color to keep everything fresh.
The result feels “collected” instead of “manufactured.”

The palette is warm-cool balanced, so it feels energetic, not exhausting

The pink is soft and airy (more “powder room blush” than “bubblegum meltdown”).
The blue-green cabinetry grounds the room.
The terracotta flecks in the terrazzo pull the whole thing toward warm, human, food-friendly territory.
And brass acts as the connectorlike the chorus in a pop song you didn’t know you needed.

The Signature Ingredients to Steal

1) Color-blocked cabinets: soft pink above, moody blue-green below

This is the headline move: the upper cabinets are painted a pale pink (famously, Farrow & Ball’s Middleton Pink is associated with this look),
while the lower cabinetry leans into a deep blue-green that reads sophisticated, not “sports bar.”
The contrast makes the kitchen feel taller and lighterespecially useful in compact city spaces.

• Why it’s smart: light up high reduces visual weight; dark down low hides scuffs, shoe marks, and the reality of living.
• Why it’s stylish: two-tone cabinets add depth without needing complicated millwork.
• How to copy it: keep cabinet faces simple (flat fronts), then let color do the talking.

2) Terracotta terrazzo: the countertop that ties the room together

The terrazzo surface here isn’t the tiny-speck “office lobby” version.
It’s warmershot through with terracotta fragments that echo the apartment’s original elements and keep the palette from turning icy.
Terrazzo’s charm is that it’s both pattern and texture: lively up close, calm from far away.

• Look for: a warm base tone with clay, blush, or cinnamon chips (not just gray/white flecks).
• Budget-friendly option: terrazzo-look porcelain slabs or tiles (often easier on the wallet and easier to baby).
• Design trick: pull one or two fleck colors into paint or accessories so the room feels “intentional,” not accidental.

3) Brass accents: the “jewelry” effect that makes everything feel finished

Brass shows up in the faucet and cabinet knobs, and it’s not shy about it.
That warm metal glows against blue-green cabinetry and feels downright luxe next to terrazzo.
Think of brass as your kitchen’s eyeliner: you don’t need a lot, but when it’s there, the whole face makes sense.

• Easy steal: swap knobs/pulls first. It’s the quickest “custom” vibe per dollar.
• Pro move: keep your brass finish consistent (or mix metals intentionallymore on that below).
• Reality check: unlacquered brass patinas; lacquered brass stays shiny. Choose based on your tolerance for “character.”

4) Simple lighting: clean shapes, soft glow

A kitchen this graphic doesn’t need a chandelier that looks like it arrived with a security detail.
The lighting is simple and sculpturalglobe-ish, minimal, quietly modernso the color blocks remain the star.
If you’re copying the vibe, pick lighting with an uncomplicated silhouette and warm bulbs.

5) A sunny dining moment: pale yellow table + classic industrial stools

The dining setup adds a third “happy” note: a light yellow table that brightens the space without stealing focus from the cabinetry.
Paired with understated black stools (Tolix-style seating is the usual suspect), the combo feels playful, practical, and a little Paris-bistro-adjacent.

6) Small details that quietly matter: a clean clock and minimal hardware

The accessories are intentionally restrained.
A crisp wall clock in white looks almost graphiclike a punctuation mark on an otherwise colorful paragraph.
Hardware stays simple and circular, which matches the kitchen’s overall “geometry, but make it cute” theme.

How to Recreate the Look in Your Own Kitchen (Without Importing a Haussmann Building)

Step 1: Build a four-part palette (and actually write it down)

Don’t wing it with eight paint swatches and a prayer.
Aim for four roles:
(1) a soft light color (the pink),
(2) a grounding dark (the blue-green),
(3) a warm material note (terracotta/wood),
and (4) one sunny accent (yellow, cream, or even warm white).
This keeps your creative, colorful kitchen from turning into a color-wheel hostage situation.

Step 2: Plan your color blocks like you’re designing a poster

Color blocking works best when the shapes are big and the edges are crisp.
If you’re painting cabinets:

1. Make the uppers light (or remove some uppers and do open shelving if that suits your storage needs).
2. Make the lowers dark to anchor the room.
3. Add one “surprise block” (a pantry cabinet, fridge panel, or side panel) in a slightly different deep tone for extra graphic punch.

If repainting all cabinets is too much, you can still borrow the idea by painting only the lowers,
then keeping uppers light (or swapping uppers for shelves). Two-tone doesn’t have to mean “two-week project.”

Step 3: Choose a countertop that does pattern without screaming

Terrazzo is ideal here because it gives you movement and color without a dominant “vein direction”
(which can compete with bold cabinetry).
If terrazzo is out of budget, mimic the effect with terrazzo-look porcelain or even a warm, lightly speckled quartz.
The goal is the same: a surface that bridges pink + blue-green with warm flecks, so your palette feels fused together.

Step 4: Use brass like a connecting thread (and don’t over-accessorize)

Brass pops because the rest of the kitchen is disciplined.
Keep your brass moves to the “touch points”: faucet, knobs/pulls, maybe one lighting detail.
When everything is gold, nothing is gold.

Step 5: Mix metals on purpose, not by accident

If you already have stainless appliances (hello, most of America), you can still pull off brass.
The trick is to limit the mix: choose two finishes (or three max), then repeat each one at least twice so it looks deliberate.
Example: brass knobs + brass faucet; stainless appliances; maybe a nickel pendantdone.

Step 6: Add small-kitchen strategy, because beauty needs storage

This Montmartre kitchen is proof that “small” can still be mighty.
Borrow these space-smart ideas:

• Hide what you can: panel a fridge or use tall cabinetry to reduce visual clutter.
• Go flat-front: simple doors feel calmer in tight quarters.
• Use a backsplash ledge: even a low terrazzo upstand helps protect walls without busy tile lines.
• Pick stools that tuck in: backless stools slide under the table and keep pathways clear.

High/Low Strategy: Where to Splurge and Where to Save

Splurge on “hands-on” items

Faucets and cabinet hardware get touched constantly, so quality shows.
The original look highlights a premium brass faucet vibe (a Dornbracht-style silhouette) and simple brass knobs.
If you can only splurge once, pick the faucet: it’s functional sculpture.

Save on cabinet boxes, spend on paint and prep

You don’t need bespoke cabinetry to get the color-block effect.
The secret is prep: degrease, sand, prime correctly, and choose a durable cabinet enamel.
A flawless paint job beats fancy boxes with sloppy edges every time.

Get the terrazzo look in phases

If you love terrazzo but your budget says “absolutely not,” try:

• Phase 1: terrazzo-look laminate or porcelain for an immediate visual hit.
• Phase 2: upgrade only the main run (sink + prep zone), keep secondary areas simple.
• Phase 3: add a matching upstand/backsplash strip to make it feel custom.

Common Mistakes That Turn “Creative” into “Kindergarten”

• Too many colors: pick a palette and commit. The drama comes from scale, not quantity.
• Wrong undertones: if your pink is cool and your blue-green is warm, they may fight. Test in your lighting.
• Random accessories: when cabinetry is bold, your countertop clutter should be calm.
• Overly trendy shapes: keep forms simple (flat fronts, round knobs, classic pendants) so color feels timeless.
• Ignoring the floor: floors are a “fifth color.” Make sure they don’t clash with your terrazzo and paint.

Keeping a Colorful Kitchen Looking Fresh (Not Fussy)

Bold kitchens can be surprisingly practicalif you choose finishes wisely.
Semi-matte cabinet paint hides fingerprints better than high gloss.
Dark lowers are forgiving.
Terrazzo-like surfaces disguise crumbs until you’re ready to pretend you clean constantly.

• Cabinets: use a cabinet-grade enamel; wipe spills quickly (especially around pulls).
• Brass: decide whether you want patina. If yes, do less. If no, use a gentle cleaner and avoid abrasives.
• Terrazzo: follow the manufacturer’s sealing/care guidance; skip harsh acids that can dull finishes over time.

Most importantly, keep one visual “quiet zone”a clear counter corner or a styled shelfso the room always has somewhere to rest its eyes.
Yes, kitchens need naps too.

of “Living With It” Experiences (Montmartre Energy, Your Zip Code)

A creative, colorful kitchen like this changes your daily rhythm in sneaky ways.
You walk in for water and somehow end up standing there longerbecause the room feels like a mood, not a utility closet with a fridge.
Color-blocked cabinets have a weird confidence to them; they’re basically saying, “Yes, you could eat cereal over the sink again… but wouldn’t it be nicer to sit down like a person?”

In the morning, the pale pink uppers do something that’s hard to describe until you see it: they soften the light.
Even on gray days, that blush tone reads warm and friendly, like the kitchen is quietly rooting for you to have a decent Tuesday.
At night, the deeper blue-green lowers feel cozy and groundedless “bright task lighting” and more “pour a cup of tea and pretend you’re organized.”
The palette shifts with the day, which makes the space feel alive rather than staged.

The terrazzo surface is the unsung hero of real life.
Up close, those warm terracotta flecks make the counter feel less precious than marble and less sterile than plain white quartz.
It’s a surface that forgives normal cooking: flour dust, a few coffee drips, the occasional lemon that rolls away like it has plans.
Patterned surfaces also hide tiny messes between clean-upsan absolute gift if your kitchen routine is more “eventually” than “immediately.”

Brass hardware is where your hands meet the design, and you notice it every day.
Round knobs and a warm-toned faucet feel tactilealmost reassuring.
The only “gotcha” is that brass asks you to pick a personality: do you want it to stay shiny, or are you okay with patina?
Patina is not failure; it’s basically the kitchen’s diary.
If that idea makes you itchy, choose finishes that resist change and treat brass like a highlight, not a science experiment.

The biggest lifestyle difference, though, is social.
A colorful kitchen makes people drift in.
Friends lean on the counter, kids hover near the table, someone inevitably compliments the cabinets, and suddenly you’re talking about paint colors like it’s a personality quiz.
(“I’m a blue-green lower cabinet with brass accents, obviously.”)
That’s the secret sauce of this Montmartre-inspired look: it doesn’t just photograph wellit makes the room feel welcoming, expressive, and a little bit brave.
And honestly, if a kitchen can’t be brave, what even is it doing here?

Conclusion: Steal the Spirit, Not Just the Shopping List

The genius of this Montmartre kitchen isn’t that it’s expensive or complicatedit’s that it’s clear.
Clear palette. Clear shapes. Clear decisions.
Steal the look by thinking like a graphic designer: choose your colors, commit to big blocks, add one warm patterned surface,
and finish with brass “jewelry” that makes everything feel intentional.
Paris not requiredthough you’re welcome to play French café music while you cook. No one can stop you.

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