How to use colour to create impact in your kitchen

An injection of colour can be a little scary for those who usually go down the neutrals route. But colour can really lift a kitchen out of the ordinary and transform it into something stunning. So, before you decide colour isn’t for you, read on. 

There’s something quite playful and exotic about bright and bold colour in the kitchen. Whether it’s on the walls, on the floor or on the splash back, some power-packed shades will provide the perfect backdrop for your stylish new kitchen and take it from plain and impersonal to stylish and fresh and will give your it oodles of uplifting energy. You could choose a zesty orange for some pizazz, a fiery red or a gorgeous dusky green, accentuated with plenty of indoor plants, to adorn your kitchen walls. Blue is very popular as a kitchen colour of the moment due to its versatility. There are hundreds of shades to pick – ranging from pastel pale to deep and dark – and each will have a different impact on the room. 

Ensure the kitchen reflects your personality by choosing colours you love or pick colours that are in keeping with how you will use the room. So, a kitchen used purely for creating culinary masterpieces will need colour that reflects plenty of light – lots of pale shades but not necessarily white, (although white walls with a bold accent colour tile splash back or a feature wall will work wonders). Spaces that host lots of evening entertaining could have darker, moodier tones to provide a suitable ambience and give a cosy feel. 

Pretty pastel shades are a great way to inject some colour into the kitchen without it being too overwhelming. Pastel pinks, yellows and blues work wonderfully with popular grey palettes and wood-effect finishes, creating a calm and bright, fresh and dewy haven. 

Metallic neutrals are still of-the-moment due to their ability to work well with browns and organic materials to create a warm feel. This natural look is both easily adaptable with other colours and is synonymous with good quality and timeless design. 

If you’re not sold on bold and bright colour to adorn your walls, then consider a subtle coloured pattern on the floor. Patterned tiles can coexist beautifully with solid surfaces, as they add a relaxed element that takes the sharp edge off a modern kitchen and makes it feel like home. And, there is every conceivable type of pattern available in floor tiles these days, from a classic Victorian style pattern to the ultra-modern geometric tile. And you can sneak pattern into the smallest kitchen space to give it some character. 

Chances are that you’ve spent good money on a beautiful new kitchen, so you’ll not want to change it for a few years (or decades). But you can change colour on the walls or even in the floor tiles, as often as your mood takes you. And each time you do, you’ll create a whole new look for your kitchen. 

In an age of safe and neutral shades, it can be quite refreshing to add some colour to your kitchen. A single powerfully-coloured wall will invigorate a pale space, giving it a personality and creating a homely feel in the most modern of kitchens. But don’t imagine colour to be suitable only for super-modern kitchen. Even in the most traditional of homes, the juxtaposition of a slash of red in a tile splashback or a blast of blue in a feature wall creates a striking and stylish effect.