Using Colour in the Kitchen *

A good way to lift your mood is using colour around your house, so it can be a great feature if you want to add extra flare and dynamic to your kitchen’s design.

Kitchens do generally tend to be a white or cream shade, but adding a bespoke colour scheme, or a hand-painted bespoke design, can really bring life to your kitchen. Together with Harvey Jones, specialists in bespoke fitted kitchens, I explore how you can add an extra layer of colour to your kitchen design.

Redefine what is neutral

Where do I start? The ‘new neutrals’ will be bold plums, rich reds if you’re looking to make a statement. As well as these colours, soft greys, warm stone and pale blues are also great choices if you’re looking to create a more original setting in the kitchen. Our kitchen is actually a lovely soft grey!

If your feeling bold, then why not try bold pink alongside a pale blue or warm stone; these shades will also go well with most worktops – and you’ll be able to update these surfaces as your tastes change with the same colours.

Neutral colours do tend to look different depending on the lighting in the room and they are susceptible to change throughout the day. Fresh by day, welcoming by night – you can always take advantage of your colour scheme depending upon the mood and ambience you’re going for.

Try testing colours, in this way you can see how they’ll look during the day and at night; try to avoid a cool spectrum of colours if your kitchen is North-facing, as the light will tend to make the kitchen look cold. If there’s less natural light, lighter shades work well – but remember to incorporate mood lighting.

Colour goes a long way

When you’re adding colour, it’s not for the faint-of-heart and you’ll need to commit to the colour change wholeheartedly, but don’t worry, the right colour will always add extra-flare to a thought-through colour scheme.

Let’s face it, most of us will not go for a bold green or a bright pink over the whole kitchen; a more sensible option would be to add accents such as coloured furniture, surfaces, and other accessories – making your kitchen look a little more adventurous.

Other popular colours are deep blues, dark greys, and warm reds. Use colour carefully if you would like to use it well. Although trends can help to inspire you, don’t let them be your blueprint. The beauty of painting your own walls and choosing your own colour scheme, is that you can always rip up the design and start again as soon as you would like a change!

Always remember, colour is subjective and it will affect the mood of many different people in many ways. As a general rule, warmer colours, such as reds and yellows ‘advance’ – energising and stimulating a room – whereas cooler colours such as blues and greens ‘recede’.