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Palatable Palettes: 8 Great Kitchen Color Schemes
Warm and appetizing or cool and relaxing? These 8 paint palettes can help you choose the best colors for your kitchen
Houzz contributor and designer at the Austin-based architecture and interior design firm, Loop Design (http://www.houzz.com/pro/loopdesign/loop-design).
Loop Design specializes in modern residential new construction and renovations. We are passionate about sustainable building practices and enjoy it when our clients bring those same interests to their project.
Houzz contributor and designer at the Austin-based architecture and interior... More »
‘‘There are no bad colors, just bad color combinations," said one of my interior design mentors many years ago. At first I disagreed with him, since there's a certain shade of brown-mustard yellow that I definitely wouldn't want slathered all over my walls. But after I chewed on his statement for a bit, I realized that I had seen that color used in ways that were quite beautiful. It's definitely possible to make any single color work in your home — it's all in how other colors and materials are incorporated with it. But how do you develop a cohesive color palette?
Spend a few minutes browsing through the thousands of kitchens showcased on Houzz and you will quickly see they come in all shapes, sizes, styles and colors. Colorwise they can run the gamut from eye catching, bold and bright, to light, tranquil and airy. Featured here are some of the many delightfully colorful kitchens on Houzz, along with examples of color palettes inspired by the kitchens.
Spend a few minutes browsing through the thousands of kitchens showcased on Houzz and you will quickly see they come in all shapes, sizes, styles and colors. Colorwise they can run the gamut from eye catching, bold and bright, to light, tranquil and airy. Featured here are some of the many delightfully colorful kitchens on Houzz, along with examples of color palettes inspired by the kitchens.
| Warm Color Palette If you love lots of bright and bold colors but don't want your kitchen to appear as if a rainbow exploded inside of it, consider working with analogous colors: colors next to each other on the color wheel. A simple way to think of this is warm versus cool colors. This kitchen features very bold splashes of warm oranges and red. The space feels exciting and energetic — great for entertaining. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Example palette: This potential palette features warm, analogous colors, plus a grounding neutral. Clockwise from top left (all from Farrow & Ball): Rectory Red, Charlotte's Locks, Down Pipe and Pale Hound. |
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by Studio Marler
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| Cool Color Palette This kitchen also features bold analogous colors, but it's on the cool end of the color wheel with shades of green and blue. It has a sophisticated and serene feel. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Example palette: Clockwise from top left, these cool analogous colors (all from Benjamin Moore) are Light Daffodil, Whipple Blue, Cream Silk and Brookside Moss. |
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| Bold Wall With Neutral Accents A great strategy for incorporating bold colors into your kitchen is to keep the expensive items — such as the countertops, cabinet fronts and flooring — neutral in color and save the bold colors for things that are easy and affordable to change out, like wall paint. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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by Hufft Projects
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Blank Canvas With Bold Accessories
Here's another kitchen that smartly features bold colors in a way that's easy and relatively affordable to change at any time. You could give this kitchen a completely different look just by swapping out the carpet tiles and counter stools.
Here's another kitchen that smartly features bold colors in a way that's easy and relatively affordable to change at any time. You could give this kitchen a completely different look just by swapping out the carpet tiles and counter stools.
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Example palette: This potential palette features deep colors that pack a punch and are best utilized in small chunks. Clockwise from top left (all from Sherwin-Williams): Roycroft Copper Red, Knockout Orange, Rave Red and Softer Tan. |
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| Splash of Green An unexpected splash of color can be truly captivating. To prevent it from crossing the line to overwhelming, however, take a tip from this fresh and airy space by keeping all the other elements in the space neutral. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Example palette: Here's another example of a palette that features one bold color with supporting neutrals. Clockwise from top left (all from Dunn Edwards): Lemon Lime, Chive, Cascading White and Silver Lined. |
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Bold Traditional Palette
Eye-popping colors aren't just for contemporary kitchens. This handsome kitchen features an oversize bold red range set in rich, dark chocolate cabinets. The tile backsplash has an intricate pattern to it but, because of the neutral colors used, it complements rather than competes with the range.
Eye-popping colors aren't just for contemporary kitchens. This handsome kitchen features an oversize bold red range set in rich, dark chocolate cabinets. The tile backsplash has an intricate pattern to it but, because of the neutral colors used, it complements rather than competes with the range.
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Example palette: This potential palette features a luscious, saturated red and a rich chocolate brown. Clockwise from top left (all from Glidden): Candy Apple, Swiss Coffee, Bittersweet Chocolate and Soft Suede. |
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| Splash of Yellow This appealing, light-filled kitchen sports a band of color at the backsplash and via the dining chairs. This is a great option for someone who wants a very light, soothing and restrained palette but with a little twist. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Example palette: An example of a palette for a light and bright kitchen, with a kick of color. Clockwise from top left (all from Mythic Paint): Sunny Side Up, Helios, Silken Sand and Slip of Silver. |
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Warm, Rich Kitchen Palette
This kitchen makes me want to eat! And definitely drink some wine. The color red is said to be an appetite stimulant, which is why most fine dining establishments are painted shades of red rather than, say, green or blue. Red can be tricky to work with, though, because it tends to suck all the light from a room. Instead of painting your walls red, try using red in smaller chunks, such as the red range featured in an earlier kitchen, or as used here, in these beautiful cranberry-red cabinets.
This kitchen makes me want to eat! And definitely drink some wine. The color red is said to be an appetite stimulant, which is why most fine dining establishments are painted shades of red rather than, say, green or blue. Red can be tricky to work with, though, because it tends to suck all the light from a room. Instead of painting your walls red, try using red in smaller chunks, such as the red range featured in an earlier kitchen, or as used here, in these beautiful cranberry-red cabinets.
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Example palette: A potential palette to stimulate one's appetite. Clockwise from top left (all from Behr): Indiscreet, Irish Mist, Chipotle Paste and Silver Drop. More: 8 Great Bathroom Color Palettes |
Ideabook updated on Jan. 3, 2013.
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Thanks, Leslie
Thanks again,
Leslie
Any image can be transferred onto tile.. Looks like hand painted.
http://www.AliciaTappDesigns.com
BTW, the sales person @ Menards picked out the countertop for me as I was overwhelmed with the choices. I knew I wanted the lightest maple capinets & she said go look at the countertop displayed behind you which I did & I was sold! That is the focal point of the kitchen.