It’s tempting to keep your kitchen colour scheme as neutral as possible to appease would be buyers or renters. But safe options like whites, creams and beiges carry the risk that your kitchen will end up looking like everyone else’s.
Colour helps you make an impression and build atmosphere. If you’re putting your property on the market, a colourful lift to your kitchen can surprise and impress.
Here’s seven ways you can turn up the rainbow without sacrificing elegance or style.
1. Feature wall
It’s one of the simplest ways to add punch to a room. Paint a single wall a distinctive colour that complements the rest of the kitchen, but pops with flair.
Remember the effect will bring the wall closer to you and may make the space seem smaller, so it’s generally suited to more spacious kitchens.
However a small wall or dividing structure can still be painted fearlessly to draw the eye and create a memorable finishing touch.
2. Splashbacks
A tile splashback can bring your plain kitchen to life. It can be subtle, or bold, depending on your risk tolerance and design tastes. It can enhance period features and feel (a retro or classic look) or take centrestage.
Glass splashbacks are increasingly popular, and are available in a gorgeous array of colours. Their clean and sleek finish adds a dramatic touch to your kitchen that doesn’t need to be confined to the sink or stove area.
3. Cabinetry & benchtops
If you’re upgrading your kitchen to sell, for renters, or just for yourself, consider if coloured fittings will work for you. You can buy from a dazzling array on the market, or give existing cabinets a facelift with a paint job.
Painting the inside of cabinets gives a pleasant and surprising dash of colour. Or you could buy coloured appliances to set off an otherwise simple palate.
You don’t need to envelop the whole space, but can use colour to highlight certain fittings or pieces, like these rows of drawers below.
The effect is an immediate boost, giving the room showstopping panache without upstaging the rest of the household.
4. Ceiling
Don’t forget to look up!
The ceiling can be neglected in the design and decor department, but shifting your perspective can bring much needed dimension to the hardest working space in your home.
Transforming your ceiling with a single colour, or by layering by painting cornices or molding with well balanced tones.
5. Flooring
Flooring can reflect, complement or contrast the other colours in your kitchen.
Lighter wooden floors are a subtle way to infuse earth hues, like reds and oranges. Darker colours ground and underscore (not to mention wear stains well).
Textured flooring like slate offers a spectrum of colours for you to build on.
Or you might try a riff on the conventional black and white tiling pattern, going for burgundy, or dark blue and white instead.
Make sure your flooring choices work with the overall design of your kitchen and don’t overpower the space.
6. Lighting
It adds warmth and cultivates mood, but well integrated lighting can also produce or enhance colour in a kitchen.
Use coloured lights to cast a moody hue, or work with wall colours to mix and mingle.
7. Furniture
Retain a neutral flavour on walls and go for broke with vibrant furniture to add energy and accent to your kitchen.
Stools, chairs or tables can be loud and proud in otherwise minimalist surrounds.
Artwork can be used to great effect, particularly in small kitchens where too much colour would create a claustrophobic feeling. A simple piece can match with other furniture or design elements to create uplift and enliven the space.
If your kitchen has a lot of reflective surfaces, a well placed bright piece will diffuse through the room.
Bonus: you can usually take it with you when you leave, unlike permanent fixtures and features.
This article was sourced from realestate.com.au