Investing in an AGA isn’t like buying any other kitchen appliance. For the AGA will become a member of the family, a place to gather around, where the cat snoozes and 
wet socks are quickly dried, a source of the fluffiest cakes and crispiest roast potatoes. So choosing your AGA is an important decision – as important as choosing your kitchen cabinets. And finding a colour scheme that works for both needs careful consideration.
Because the vitreous enamel finish is so shiny, the paler AGA finishes will reflect the colours of the furniture and floor around it. If you have a pale cream AGA sitting opposite a dark blue island, the AGA will appear to have a bluish hue. It’s best to order enamel samples, just as you would paint cards, that you can move around the room and see how the colour changes in different lights and against different colours.
When it comes to selecting a colour in the AGA range, your decision falls into two camps: do you want the AGA to be a stand-out hero, in which case go for a colour that strongly contrasts with the kitchen cabinets, or do you want the scheme to look harmonious, in which case, opt for a more tonal shade to the colours of the room. And while there are 17 AGA shades to select from, you can also request a bespoke colour. Rather famously, Mary Berry wanted her stove colour matched to her favourite cashmere sweater.
Over at British kitchens brand Neptune, they know more than a thing or two about how to choose colours for your kitchen. One rule that George, home designer at Neptune Fulham, would enforce is not trying to perfectly match your AGA with painted kitchen cabinets. “It’s better to opt for a cleaner
contrast or a tonal harmony than a perfect match which will always be slightly off,” he says. George also recommends restricting the number of appliances in one run of cabinets: “The AGA is a kitchen hero, so give it the room it needs to shine and keep other appliances on a different plane. You don’t want a large American fridge in the same eye line competing for attention.”
The classic AGA is a warm, clotted cream shade and works beautifully in traditional spaces. For a harmonious scheme, George recommends looking for a cabinet colour with a certain creaminess to it but which isn’t obviously cream. He suggests Dove Grey from the Neptune palette, a lovely soft grey with buttery undertones. For brighter enamels such as AGA’s Pistachio and Salcombe Blue finishes, George would lean towards a neutral that will bring warmth but that still has a touch of coolness to it – off-white Shell, with its hint of grey, is perfect.
At the other end of the scale, black AGA cookers are timeless and will work with any cabinetry from wood to painted shades. George suggests combining a black stove with Driftwood or Silver Birch from Neptune’s Timber colour family. “Or, for a very dramatic scheme, go for Charcoal-painted cabinets for that contemporary black-on-black look,” he adds.
Whichever colour you choose, it’s important to consider the stove’s longevity: kitchen cabinets can be repainted, but your AGA will be a part of your family for many, many years to come.
For more advice on choosing colours for your kitchen’s cabinetry, head over to Neptune’s own journal where they’re sharing some of their go-to looks.
