Home » Misc » Color coordinating kitchen

Color coordinating kitchen


The Dos and Don'ts of Kitchen Color Schemes

By

Diana Hathaway Timmons

Diana Hathaway Timmons

Diana Hathaway Timmons has over 10 years as a color and interior design consultant. She writes about ideas and tips for beautifying your space and incorporating decor trends into your home. She wrote the book "How to Sell Your Home Without Losing Your Zen" and has been featured in the "Huffington Post," "Better Homes & Gardens," and additional publications.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 04/15/22

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Your kitchen may be the one room in your home that is the most neutral. White or wood cabinets and simple countertops make a kitchen look clean and uncluttered. An elegant and simple kitchen can also need a pop of color. Whether you are thinking about adding a new wall color, or just some colorful accents, you'll want to know the do's and don'ts of kitchen color before you get started decorating.

Dos

Don'ts

Your Guide to Kitchen Colour Schemes

It goes without saying that when choosing your kitchen colour scheme, there are options. Too many options, in fact. Even though you might know what colours you prefer, there are an infinite number of shades, tones and hues to choose from. And what about harmony? When choosing your colours, you need to keep everything in mind. A colour scheme is not only defined by the colours you choose for your walls, floors and cabinetry – even the colour of your kettle, or potplant, can make (or break) the cohesion in your kitchen.

To create a kitchen that’s magazine-worthy, you’ll have to take a step back and look at your project as the sum of many parts. Below, we take a closer look at what these parts are – and how you should make you decisions.

1. Choose your cabinet colours

There’s a reason that cabinets should be your first consideration when choosing a kitchen colour scheme. Depending on what material and hardware you use, kitchen cabinets typically consume half your kitchen renovation budget, and take up approximately 40% of the visual space in your kitchen. So it would be a good idea to use your choice of kitchen cabinets as the foundation for future colour choices.

© Agentur Loop / Reform

What to do: Choose a colour, texture and material that fits your personality, budget and style of your home. Don’t overthink things just yet. Simply select cabinets that speak to you, and move on to step 2.

2. Choose your appliance colours

It’s completely possible that you may opt for built-in appliances. Built in goods will likely be tucked behind your choice of cabinetry, in which case you can move on to step 3. If you’ll go with freestanding appliance, you’ll have to consider how the appliance fronts match with the rest of your cabinets. Your cabinetry cannot be finalised until you know exactly which appliances you intend to purchase.

What to do: When it comes to appliances, your fridge, dishwasher and sink will have the biggest impact on your kitchen colour scheme. You’ll want your appliances to look ‘part of the plan’. To do that, simply choose appliances that complement your cabinet colour scheme. Consider matching white goods with white or light grey cabinetry. Stainless Steel appliances go well with brown hues, vibrant colours and shades of grey. These things might seem obvious at first, but it’s something many people get wrong.

© Agentur Loop

3. Select your countertops

Your choice of kitchen countertops is an important decision for many reasons. Other than practical and budget considerations, countertops are often close to eye-level – occupying a significant portion of your visual space. If there’s no cohesion between the countertops and cabinets, the visual harmony in your kitchen will fall apart.

What to do: When selecting countertops, first eliminate any options that are outside of your budget. Then, consider the colour of your existing kitchen floor. Matching these two colours is a fool-proof way of ensuring good colour coordination. If you intend to upgrade or replace your floors, simply use a sample of your kitchen cabinets to guide you in selecting your countertops.

© domenicominchilli.com

4. Choose flooring

Often, adjoining rooms of your home will dictate the colour of your kitchen floors. If not, it’s sometimes difficult to know what works and what doesn’t. When selecting a kitchen floor colour, it needs to coordinate well with all the elements you’ve selected so far.

What to do: Start by selecting your material first. Hardwood, tile and laminate floors are all popular choices. A basic rule of thumb is to pick a second dominant colour (your cabinets being the other). A complementary, yet contrasting colour will shape your kitchen. A timeless combination uses classic white cabinets, and warm wood or laminate flooring – with a countertop that alternates between both lighter and darker colours.

© SieMatic

5. Choose your wall colour

Oddly enough, kitchen walls are often the forgotten elements when it comes to defining an overall colour scheme. Walls play an imporant role in tying the room together and setting the mood. While walls are generally covered by cabinets, backsplashes and shelving, it’s still a chunk of space that becomes more noticeable when done wrong.

What to do: Select a color that balances well with the floors, cabinets and backsplash. Painting kitchen walls in off-white, cream or dove grey should complement most of your chosen elements, no matter what style you choose. Vibrant colours are also an option, just be sure that your floors and cabinetry have a more subtle palette.

© CIL Paints

6. Choose hardware colours

Beauty is in the details. Elements like taps, cabinet handles and lighting fixtures will be installed at the very end of your project, but have the potential to put the cherry on the cake of your renovation. While there are no ‘hard and fast’ rules about coordinating hardware colours – it does help to create a space that looks more planned than most.

What to do: When it comes to kitchen colour schemes, just stick with styles and finishes that complement each other. The easiest way of ensuring a streamlined look, is to use one type of hardware material throughout. Take a look at your metal elements – match them up and see them in use with your choice of cabinets.

© Plykea

Creating a flowing kitchen colour scheme might seem like a daunting task at first. Choosing a starting point, and moving your way through all the elements in your kitchen one-by-one will ensure you end up with a beautiful, cohesive space. For more design inspiration and thoughts about selecting your kitchen floors, cabinets and everything else, go here.

The combination of colors in the interior of the kitchen

When planning to renovate the kitchen or when planning to buy new kitchen furniture, everyone is faced with the problem of decorating the kitchen interior and choosing colors for such an important room in our house.

Based on the designers' recommendations, we have compiled the basic rules for combining colors in the interior of the kitchen. When deciding on the choice of color for decorating the interior of the kitchen, two main points should be remembered :

1. All dark colors can hide and reduce space, while light colors expand it. Therefore, for a small kitchen, it is desirable to use pastel colors in combination with bright accents. Too spacious kitchen can be made more comfortable if you combine bright colors and low-key dark color in its interior, and make the kitchen set two-tone. nine0003

2. The interior of the kitchen can be done in multi-color or single color. In a multi-color kitchen, one color should be dominant.

Single color (monochrome kitchen)

If you are going to design a kitchen set in a single color, you must not only choose one color for the set itself, but use its shades in interior design.

The basis of a quality kitchen design lies in the maximum harmony of furniture and decor with wall, floor and ceiling finishes. It is very important that the components of the interior fit each other both in terms of stylistic orientation and color scheme. nine0003

Every person associates the kitchen in the house with the comfort and warmth of the hearth. This effect can be achieved only if the right combination of colors in the interior of the kitchen.

Designer's advice on choosing a color palette and its intensity:

* The kitchen can be decorated in several colors. However, you should not use more than three shades, as in this case the main idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe design of the room will be lost. nine0003

* If the color of the walls and the color of the kitchen set are the same, then the shade of the furniture should be darker, at least one or two positions.

* In most cases, it is not recommended to make the floor and ceiling in the same color and texture. This will lead to an imbalance in the volume of the room.

* The countertop and backsplash (wall panel) should preferably be designed in colors that are opposite to the kitchen set and other furniture. The game of contrasts helps to place the right accents.

* If the furniture in the kitchen is light unsaturated colors, then the walls, curtains, upholstery for chairs or sofas, tablecloths must take the lead in using brighter and more catchy colors. Otherwise, the kitchen will be boring and uninteresting. nine0003

* If the walls are painted in bright, eye-catching colors, then the kitchen set should be made in soothing colors that do not attract the eye. And vice versa. The defiant color of the kitchen set does not allow making walls that are active in color.

Color rules:

White - goes with everything, best with blue, red and black

Beige - goes well with blue, brown and white

Gray is a boring color that is nevertheless basic. Pairs well with dark pink, red, purple, hot blue

Pink - this color goes well with brown, white, olive, gray, turquoise

Red - perfect with yellow, white, green, blue, gray and black

Brown - with bright blue, cream, pink, green, beige

Orange - with blue, blue, purple, violet

Yellow - with blue, purple, light blue, gray, black

Green - goes with golden brown, yellow, black, light beige

Blue - with red, gray, pink, orange, white, yellow

blue to lilac, green, yellow, orange, red

Black is a versatile elegant color. Looks good with all colors. Best combined with orange, pink, green, white, red and yellow. nine0069

At first glance, choosing the perfect color scheme for your kitchen seems like a difficult and impossible task. Indeed, you need to spend a lot of time to achieve the desired result. However, by applying the above rules in practice, you will see that the game was worth the candle.

A popular color option for the kitchen is a combination of the base color and its shades with white.

Basic rules for choosing wall colors for the kitchen
* A large pattern on the walls visually reduces the size of the room.
* A small pattern, on the other hand, makes the room appear larger than it really is.
* Geometric patterns on the walls of the kitchen in the form of intersecting stripes, like the ornament on Scottish kilts, create the illusion of a continuous space.
* Vertical pattern "raises" the ceilings, visually "increasing" the height of the room.
* Horizontal pattern and horizontal stripes on the walls expand the kitchen while reducing its height. nine0130
* The diagonal lines on the wallpaper add dynamism to the kitchen, creating the illusion of movement.

Today, designers are actively using an interesting option - the use of silver instead of white. If white is the traditional choice in a monochromatic interior, the use of silver is in line with the latest trends in interior design. Designers love metallic for its neutrality and the ability to combine this color with many others. Gray color is perfect for the kitchen in view of its practicality and non-staining. nine0003

So that a plain kitchen does not turn out boring, designers recommend following certain rules:

* choose at least three additional shades in the interior, one of which must be dominant.

* use different shades of the base color to divide the kitchen into functional areas. This technique, among other things, allows you to correct the shortcomings of the layout. nine0003

* use different textures of materials - one color looks different on materials of different textures. Contrasting accents. Even one item that contrasts with the main color of the kitchen will make a monochromatic interior more “alive”. For this, the already mentioned black color, and any bright shades, are suitable. The main thing is not to oversaturate the interior of the kitchen with separate bright details. nine0003

Another use of colors is two base colors and complementary shades of transition from one color to another.

Contrasting color combinations in the interior of the kitchen

When using contrasting color combinations in the interior of the kitchen, you must be extremely careful. For in this case, you risk making the kitchen too aggressive or tastelessly decorated. nine0003

The combination of opposite colors in the spectrum, where only one of the selected colors is the main one, looks good in the interior.

Contrasting kitchen looks stylish and trendy.

When designing a contrasting interior, furniture should be the starting point.

Furniture should be darker than the walls and lighter than the floor.

The most popular color combinations for a contrasting kitchen interior:
* orange and blue
* orange and black, gray
* yellow and purple
* peach and blue
* white and black
* red and black
* red and gray
* red and gray
white
* beige and dark brown
* green and black
* lilac and warm green
In addition, a combination of any bright color with white or black is considered a contrast. nine0006

 
 
 
 



 
 



Conclusion
Whatever design option you choose, whatever combination of colors in the interior of the kitchen you choose, follow the basic rules:
* White or black color can be combined without risk with almost any other color.
* In a multi-colour kitchen, use no more than five shades and no more than two colors for the kitchen set.
* The main (dominant) color in any combination should be only one color. nine0130
* Glossy surfaces enhance the depth and saturation of the color, matt ones subdue.
* All decorative elements of the kitchen serve as color accents, so they should be the brightest.

Design wisdom says that incongruous colors do not exist. The combination of colors in the interior of the kitchen depends, first of all, on your taste preferences.

Popular articles:
0006
Choose the color of the ceiling for the kitchen
The color of the walls in the kitchen - tips, photo
We draw up the kitchen with wallpaper - which color is to choose , types of wallpaper
Vinyl wallpaper for the kitchen - beautiful and practical, 55 photos
Mosaic tile in the interior of the kitchen

Ceiling design in the kitchen - photoOl000 different colors in the interior - designers' advice on choosing colors for the kitchen and 95 photos

The choice of color for the kitchen set depends on how you would like to see the kitchen after all the work is completed. It can be calm or tonic, effective or calming, bright or gentle. Consider in this article the basic rules and advice from designers on choosing colors for the kitchen. nine0003

Designer tips on how to choose the right color for your kitchen set and what to watch out for:

* Do not use more than two colors in one kitchen set.

* If the kitchen set is designed in two colors, then the color of the upper cabinets should be lighter in tone than the lower cabinets.

* A monochromatic kitchen looks better when it is made of colors ranging from light beige to dark brown, pleasant, calm and not too flashy. A plain kitchen looks good if the kitchen space is not large. nine0003

* Only one color should be the dominant color in the typeface if the typeface is made in different colors.

* Different colors of the kitchen set must be combined with each other.

Furniture should be the starting point in kitchen interior design.

If you are planning to buy brightly colored furniture, it is advisable to make walls in calm, neutral colors.

And vice versa, a monochromatic and not bright kitchen set requires more catchy, contrasting walls and surrounding decor. nine0003

The following color combinations are popular in one headset: black and white, black and pink, black and red, black and orange, red and gray, red and white, yellow and blue, beige and gray, green and light -yellow, dark brown and light brown, brown and beige, orange and dark brown, lilac/purple and yellow, burgundy and light pink, green and brown.

* In a small kitchen space, you do not need to use dark saturated colors. nine0003

Remember that a light color visually enlarges the space.

* A room with a large area will become more comfortable if the light suite is supplemented, "diluted" with bright accents.

* Too dark a kitchen set, even in a large kitchen, can create a gloomy atmosphere.

* The colors of nature are best suited to the color of kitchen furniture.

The best color combinations in one kitchen set:

- White - goes well with almost all colors. Best with blue, red and black; nine0069
- Beige - matches blue, brown, gray and white;
- Gray is a neutral color that can be used as a base color. Pairs well with beige/cream, pink, red, purple, brown, blue;
- Pink - brown, white, olive, gray, turquoise matches this color;
- Red - ideally combined with yellow, white, green, blue and black, combination with gray is also possible; nine0069
- Brown - with bright blue, cream, pink, green, beige, light brown;
- Orange - with blue, blue, lilac, violet, green;
- Yellow - with blue, lilac, light blue, gray, black, lilac;
- Green - matches golden brown, yellow, black, light beige;
- Blue - to red, gray, orange, pink, white, yellow;
- Blue - to purple, green, yellow, orange, red;
- Lilac - to yellow, green, brown, beige;
- Black is a universal elegant color. Looks good with all colors. Best combined with orange, pink, green, white, red, yellow.






Color plays a huge role in a person's life, it affects well-being, mood, performance, relationships. The kitchen is an important part of our home, we spend a lot of time there, so choosing the color of the walls for this room should be taken seriously. nine0270

Basic rules for choosing wall colors for the kitchen:

  • A large pattern visually reduces the size of the room.
  • A small pattern, on the other hand, makes a room appear larger than it really is.
  • Geometric patterns on the walls of the kitchen in the form of intersecting stripes, like the ornament on Scottish kilts, create the illusion of continuous space.
  • The vertical pattern "raises" the ceilings, visually "increasing" the height of the room. nine0678
  • The horizontal pattern and horizontal stripes on the walls expand the kitchen while reducing its height.
  • Diagonal lines on the walls bring dynamism to the kitchen interior, creating the illusion of movement.
  • Texture wallpapers look very extraordinary. By endowing the surface of the walls with new qualities, they are able to create an additional dimension in the room. Thanks to the play of shadows and partial shadows, curious color nuances and unexpected alternations of textures, you can get a lot of interesting effects. nine0678
  • When choosing the color of your kitchen, keep your own tastes and preferences in mind.
  • Undoubtedly, the kitchen set must be in harmony in color with other design solutions of the room: ceiling, walls, floor. However, first of all, its color should cause you only positive emotions. Psychologists do not get tired of repeating that the coloring of the things around us directly affects the character, mood, well-being and even performance.

Each person has an individual approach to the choice of color, so you should figure out what will be relevant for the kitchen, and what can hardly be called the right decision. nine0003

Let's take a closer look at the main color options:

Red - This color is considered one of the most intense, bright, impressive and eye-catching. However, do not forget that it can not only arouse appetite, but also inappropriately increase blood pressure. Psychologists say that such a solution for the kitchen is preferable for people who are strong-willed, self-confident and able to always keep any situation under control. Psychologists have come to the conclusion that bright red furniture should not be installed by those who regularly diet, wanting to lose weight. nine0003

Pink - This shade of red can have different effects on a person - it all depends on the saturation. However, he is not so aggressive, but, on the contrary, carries a tendency to calm and tranquility. Pastel shades of pink are able to improve mood, give a feeling of lightness and tenderness, but crimson ones - awaken appetite, increase tone, excite, make people more emotional. nine0003

Orange - If the lady of the house chooses this color for her kitchen furniture, she will always win. The fact is that it is orange shades that moderately increase appetite, and communication in such a bright environment is always relaxed and easy. This is one of the reasons why such tones are chosen in many modern cafes and restaurants. They are considered the key to movement, dynamics and communication. Who should choose such a solution? First of all, those people who are used to quick snacks are active and purposeful. nine0003

Yellow - A yellow kitchen will be filled with light, warmth, comfort and boundless good mood all year round. This choice is most often inclined to cheerful and loving people who love to start their day with beauty. Even in cloudy weather, when it is autumn or winter outside, it will always be sunny and clear in a yellow kitchen. Experts say that this color awakens the "muse" in creative people, and also contributes to the manifestation of imagination, prompts a desire to experiment, including in culinary business. A variety of shades allows you to choose the best one, but it should be borne in mind that too bright contributes to anxiety, and dim - a breakdown. nine0003

Green - Green has long been considered the most pleasant color to perceive. It evokes a feeling of calmness, and the interior in such colors gives people comfort and a sense of security. In addition, it is a symbol of growth, life, development, relaxes, protects from stress, nervous overload. Choosing a green kitchen is for those people who do a lot of work, read, work, and also regularly experience psychological or physical stress. In addition, scientists have found that this coloring is able to reduce pain in the abdominal cavity, harmonizes the general condition of the body. nine0003

Blue - A blue kitchen is sure to give its owners a sense of calm. It is natural that such an environment will evoke associations with relaxation, sea, sky, water. Well, how can you not relax here? Paradoxically, scientists have found that the popularity of blue shades increases at times when a country or the world as a whole is experiencing crises, including economic ones. It's easy enough to explain. It is the heavenly colors that are a sign of security, trust and even devotion. If there are those in the house who want to say goodbye to excess weight forever, then it is worth acquiring a kitchen in a bright blue color, since, unlike red, it perfectly fights hunger, dulling it. nine0003

Violet/Lilac - Violet kitchen is always a bit of a daring option, which always reeks of brightness. Many are inclined to this choice, knowing about some mystical properties of such shades - to attract wealth, strength and power. Nevertheless, it is the purple color that is considered an expression of sensuality, subtlety. To make such a kitchen look luxurious and stylish, you should pay attention to the right combination of shades and accessories. Calm tones, in turn, will create a unique romantic atmosphere in this corner of the house, where it will be pleasant not only to cook and eat, but also to receive guests with a cup of fragrant tea. nine0003

Brown - In most apartments today you can find kitchens in brown made of wood or "under it". This is not surprising, because such a color gives a feeling of confidence, stability, trust, comfort. In addition, it is considered the most neutral, since, in most cases, it does not affect the general well-being or mood. It is worth noting that brown is one of the most combinable colors, as most of the others are combined with it. nine0003

Black - A kitchen in black is, as they say, an amateur. The fact is that many modern people are prone to prejudice and consider this color to be mournful, mystical, dark. However, designers prove the opposite and, with a skillful combination of accessories, turn the black kitchen into a stylish and presentable room, which, in addition to everything, looks spectacular and harmonious. This is a classic that will remain relevant and in demand at any time. Most often, black is combined with white, red and orange. nine0003

White

The indisputable advantage of such a kitchen is the visual expansion of space. Also, this color is able to soften combinations of any, the brightest shades. It is known that it is completely impractical, but it always looks stylish, spectacular, expensive. However, you should not get carried away too much, as the abundance of white can cause eye strain and even headaches.

Learn more