Most people consider the kitchen to be the heart of the home, so a lot of care is taken in the design stage to ensure that it is not only functional but beautiful.  After all, it is a true centrepiece!  A very important part of the kitchen design is the use of colour as the colours used in the kitchen influences everything from your mood to appetite to the colours used in the rest of the home.  As colour is so important, we’ve put together this guide to using colour in the kitchen.  For more information or advice, have a chat with your local kitchen designer.  They’ll happily share their secrets with you!

Choosing Colours to Use in the Kitchen

One of the hardest parts about using colour in the kitchen is choosing what colours you want to use to start with!  There’s an excellent way to deal with this, though, without becoming overwhelmed.  Start by choosing all the colours that you like and then narrow them down to a few options.  Buy sample pots of paint in your shortlisted colours and paint canvases with them.  Look at the canvases in different areas and at different times of day.  You’ll soon decide if the colour really works for you or not!

Alternatively, you can pick one feature for your kitchen and choose colours based off that.  For example, you could choose a gorgeous mosaic tile, or find the benchtop of your dreams.  Use the colours present in the material that you find and choose complementary tones.  For example, if you find beautiful speckled black granite, use the lighter tones on your walls and for cabinetry.

What Mood Do You Want to Create?

Colours are one of the biggest “mood setters” in the kitchen, so you should be careful what you choose in that regard.  Do you want a kitchen that is light and airy, that has a country kitchen feel, that is modern and trendy, or that is warm and cosy?  The colours you choose will be how you achieve that. Warmer, richer colours will create an enveloping feel, while lighter whites and reflective surfaces will create that open feeling.  If you’re after a classic French look, that’s easily created by using whitewash, classic blues, sunny yellows, and cottage pinks and reds.

The colours you choose also affect your appetite, believe it or not! Reds and oranges will stimulate your appetite while blue or black can represent “off” food, curbing your appetite.

Go for Classic Neutrals

If you are after a kitchen that will last for years without dating, you can’t go past using classic neutral colours.  These are the colours that you would find in nature – off whites, creams, greys, earthy browns and reds and so on.  These colours are calming and comforting and they are very easily jazzed up with accent colours as your mood or trends dictate.