Choosing a colour scheme for your kitchen is easy and fun… well, it should be, but sometimes it can be difficult and overwhelming, especially when you really start to look into all your options and discover that you can’t just have white or grey or anything else – there are seemingly hundreds of different shades as well. Then there are the woods and metals and everything in between to think about too. So what seemed like a pretty straightforward thing to do suddenly becomes a problem.
The thing to remember is that you’ll see this kitchen and your choice of colour scheme every day for years, and unlike something small like a cushion or rug you can change whenever you feel like it, kitchen colours aren’t as easy to swap if you get bored of them. So it makes sense to step back and really think it through properly rather than rushing into whatever happens to be popular at that moment. Keep reading to find out more.
Think About The Light First
It might sound strange because we’re talking about colours, but the fact is that you need to think about the light in the kitchen first because that can make colours seem different than you expect them to look. Ask if the kitchen is bright, and see if it gets natural light all day or just for a little bit (or not at all). And where does it face? If it’s north-facing, it will probably have a cooler tone to it, for example.
Colour changes depending on the light, and a light grey can look fresh and crisp in one kitchen but dull in another because of the lighting, just as a deep green can be cosy in one place and far too dark in another. It’s always worth testing samples in the actual space rather than relying on how they looked in a showroom or online because you might make a mistake if you don’t check.
Decide How You Want The Room To Feel
Something else that’s going to help you make the right choice is thinking less about specific colours and more about the atmosphere of the room and how you want it to feel when it’s done. Do you want it to be relaxing or warm and welcoming? Modern? Traditional?
For example, if you want something airy and relaxed, lighter tones and softer contrasts tend to work pretty well, but if you prefer some warmth and depth, richer shades are probably what you want to make the space feel like yours. Basically, there’s no right or wrong answer, but there is a difference between choosing a colour because you like it on its own and choosing one because it helps the room feel how you want it to.
Look At What’s Staying
Remember, not every kitchen project starts from scratch, and sometimes you’re just updating cabinet doors or replacing worktops and so on. Even if you are planning a new kitchen, you might still be keeping the flooring or certain appliances and structural elements.
It’s those things that you’re keeping that are going to really influence your colour scheme whether you want them to or not, and your flooring in particular is going to make a big difference. Warm wood floors tend to go well with softer, warmer cabinet colours, for example, and cooler stone or tile floors generally suit greys and blues etc.
The best thing you can do is work with what you’ve got and use that as the basis of your decisions about colour, otherwise things are going to look off.
Keep The Bigger Picture In Mind
Kitchens aren’t the only thing in your home – they might open into a dining area, for example, or a living area, especially in more modern layouts. So that means the colour scheme needs to match and work with the rest of the house rather than feeling totally separate.
We’re not saying you need everything to match perfectly, but there should be some linking elements somewhere, like repeating colours or materials or just some subtle accents to make the kitchen feel like it’s part of the home.
Don’t Let Trends Make The Decision
Every year there’s a specific colour that everyone says you should use, and lots of people do, but although trends can be inspiring, you shouldn’t make that the only reason to choose something if it’s not what you like. And of course, what looks modern and fresh right now can easily become very dated very quickly.
It’s worth asking yourself if you’d still like the colour if you stopped seeing it everywhere, and if the answer is yes, then it’s probably a good choice. If you’re not so sure, it might be better to think of something else.
