HIGHLIGHT UNUSUAL SHAPES
If your cabinetry or stand-alone kitchen furniture boasts unusual shapes, then use paint to make a feature out of them. If you’re working with open shelving, paint the whole lot in a striking shade. If there’s a back to the piece, paint this in the same shade as the walls so the eye is fully drawn to the silhouette. Bright white or a neutral shade is your best option to contrast with your furniture and let it steal the show.
Stand out with bold chairs
Add warmth to your kitchen decorating scheme with splashes of gemstone-inspired colour. Solid blocks in striking shades of sapphire blue or emerald green can emphasise the freestanding design of furniture and accessories.
The bar stools here have been painted in a rich blue shade to add a vibrant punch of colour to the muted tones elsewhere. This break in the colour scheme helps to highlight the eating area as a distinct space. Pick out this accent colour in kitchenware and even flowers.
Draw the eye upwards to structural features using statement lighting hung from beams
Add colour without changing your scheme
Even if you’re prone to stick to a neutral palette, a burst of colour will add warmth and personality. And since you spend a lot of time in a kitchen, it’s important to keep it both liveable and lovable. Painting the pantry doors in a striking sunshine yellow will provide warming gratification on a gloomy day. Using white allows an interior to reveal itself and you can always introduce more colour later on. Plus, if you have a change of heart, you can simply repaint the doors in a different shade for an instant refresh that doesn’t involve starting from scratch. Highlight the vibrancy of the yellow with a smattering of accessories in a similar colourway for instant cheer.
‘ITS SOFT FINISH MAKES PAINT IDEALLY SUITED TO UPDATE TRADITIONAL CABINETRY BUT WILL ALSO SIT HAPPILY IN A MODERN DESIGN’
Add interest to open shelving
Open shelving in a kitchen is a great way to add a splash of serious colour. Paint the entirety of the piece all in one colour. The shelves, the backboard, the sides, and so on. This technique will create the perfect spot to curate a collection of your favourite pieces. They will pop against the coloured background and the pieces themselves will seem elevated.
Here, a wall of floor-to-ceiling cupboards and shelving creates an excellent source of storage and the teal doors introduce a solid burst of colour to the space. Team with smart brass door knobs for a contemporary finish. Paint adjacent walls in a neutral shade – a barely-there pink is a modern alternative to more traditional whites, creams and greys.
‘AS ALWAYS, MAKE SURE TO TEST COLOURS IN THE MORNING, AFTERNOON, EVENING AND UNDER BOTH NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL LIGHT SOURCES’