Color is a key factor that can have a lasting or significant effect on the mood and atmosphere of your space, so it’s not merely a visual element in kitchen design. It can transform the place from ordinary to extraordinary.
Lighter hues make the kitchen feel larger and brighter, while darker ones create a cozy, intimate atmosphere. It’s best to choose a palette that enhances your personal style and expresses your unique personality and characteristics while creating a cohesive and harmonious look.
The kitchen is now designed as much for living as it’s for cooking. If it’s not elegant, your moves inside it must be. Choosing the perfect kitchen color can be as challenging as it’s exciting – especially when there’s an ocean of endless options to choose from.
From bold hues to subtle neutrals, the right shade can make a huge difference in how the space is perceived. And since this is where you come together for meals, activities, and daily organization, you’ll want to get the look right.
Here are a few pointers to bear in mind.
Keep Abreast Of New Kitchen Design Trends
Do your bit by keeping a close eye on the trends that influence color schemes to make an informed decision and avoid regrets later. One thing you’ll notice is many of the current trends lean towards colors that are striking and noticeable or minimalist palettes with muted tones, and incorporating these trends requires a keen eye for balance.
Hand-painting gives a softer and higher quality cabinet finish, so it’s a fantastic investment for your home.
Here are some ideas to inspire you to mix and match your favorite hues:
- Black + Dark Wood: Black kitchens have evolved from a daring design choice to a sought-after style. Theatrical lighting with pendant lamps and sconces creates an opulent ambiance for the cooking space, often hung over an island or sink. Two shades of dark wood on the island finish the inspiring place. You can add black without going all black or too minimalist.
- Emerald Green + White + Gold: Emerald green makes a statement on its own, but pairing it with gold will cause the design world to bow down. Add a white tile backsplash to have an incredible space for cooking and entertaining friends and family. But if you’re still nervous, starting with the island is an excellent idea to contain the color.
- Navy + Snow White: A white backsplash combined with navy blue cabinets gives off a timeless, regal aura that instantly elevates your kitchen. Steel pulls are sleek and can endure any impact when pushed open or twisted.
You can add a pop of color with vibrant cabinetry or a statement wall balanced against neutral tones.
Plan Your Project With A Mood Board
If you’re looking for the ultimate inspiration, there are plenty of online resources you can use, like Pinterest, Instagram, and Houzz. You can organize visual content into convenient, themed collections that are just a few clicks away.
A mood board is a great tool for your creative project. It serves as the fundamental transition between the initial thought and the first draft, so use it during your brainstorming process.
One practical way to pick a color scheme is to start with the existing objects in the kitchen – from here, you can proceed to include other tones.
Suppose you have difficulty in making a choice. In that case, look at the darkest color at the bottom of the sample strip. If you love it, you’ll definitely appreciate the bottom and the top.
Reds, oranges, and yellows can be effective in the kitchen, but these shades can be too profuse in large doses, so it’s recommended to use them as accents against a neutral backdrop. Having a mood board will remind you of the original goal. Check it from time to time to inform the decisions you make towards the final target.
Think About How You Use The Kitchen
There are lots of reasons to love the kitchen. You can bake cookies during the holidays, make gourmet meals with your friends on the weekends, or teach your kids how to scramble an egg. The kitchen isn’t just for cooking but for connecting.
Decide on a color palette that reflects how often you use the space. For example, if you’re looking to create a calm home despite the craziness of family life, you might prefer cool tones. Black can be used to make the kitchen feel more grounded and inviting, especially if you have a large space, high ceilings, or big windows.
If you enjoy the challenge and creativity that go into planning a meal for friends and acquaintances, always in search of recipes, you might opt for more exciting colors like yellow, but others might find them aggressive and irritating. Anyway, the choice is up to you.
Cabinetry is a fantastic way to introduce color, and having said that, it’s important to take into consideration the overall color palette and design theme to create a harmonious space.
Choose The Color Based On The Room’s Lighting
Your home is exposed to natural light that can impact how colors look. To be more precise, if the kitchen points north, it receives less sunlight, and colors appear cooler, whereas if it has south-facing windows, the kitchen becomes flooded with sunlight, which can intensify colors.
Don’t neglect artificial lighting. LEDs are available in soft white and warm white, which produce a yellow glow similar to incandescents, while bulbs classed as bright white produce a light closer to daylight. It’s something to ponder about when reviewing your color choices.
To get an idea of how light will affect color in the kitchen, brush directly onto the wall. Be sure to use two coats if necessary. It’s advisable to live with the changes for a couple of days to see if your perception of the color changes with your mood (or the weather).
View the test surface at different times of the day, paying close attention to both the intensity and the angle to understand how natural and artificial light affect the hue.
Wrapping It Up
A kitchen is a place for gathering, making memories, and expressing creativity, so don’t rush into choosing a color. Take as much time as you need.
