help! what color should i paint my kitchen?
Reader Mike S. has enviable space and functionality in his kitchen, but he wants to take it just a little beyond beige. Any suggestions for him?
We want to repaint the walls of our kitchen, which look yellowish under the lights in these photos but are a base creme. We built the house in April ‘06 but were kind of afraid to paint in there with the dark floors and white cabinets — we figured we’d get paint all over. But now we can’t take the creme anymore! I am also considering putting up a stainless steel backsplash, but we have so much stainless already, it might be too much. Any thoughts? –Mike S.
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:06 am
Hi Mike,
I have stainless appliances, white cabinets, and charcol grayish counters and painted using a gray-blue with white trim. I get lots of sunlight and the white cabinets keep the room from appearing dark. You can get a sense of the color combo by viewing these dishes from crate & barrel: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=40&f=6503
May I ask what type of counter top you have?
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:00 am
What about a pale green?
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:10 am
I say, a light gray-blue. It would work great with the white cabinets, stainless and dark floors. I’m afraid pale green would be a washout. I feel its ‘blah’ and doesn’t belong in a kitchen. Just my opinion. I do agree that a stainless backsplash would be too much stainless.
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:22 am
How about tangerine for a pop of color or a gray blue for something more subtle.
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
I’m partial to a bright color — like a lime green or bright citrus. Another way to go would be leave the cabinets white and add a color to the backsplash
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 am
Love your site! Although my kitchen is much smaller, we have similar counter-tops and cabinet style. I’m attaching a pictures of my newly re-decorated kitchen. /Users/kelleycopeland/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2008/Roll 201/IMG_0436.JPG I warmed it up a bit by using different shades of neutrals. Hope you like it!
Please let me know if you don’t receive the picture.
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:54 am
mary f. i was going to suggest the same thing! a very light smoky blue would look amazing… or even a light marigold
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:36 am
Magenta! It is a warm color that is all about cravings! If that is too much, how about a bright orange? I’m hungry just thinking of it!
Backsplash- Subway tile. You know, the tile that has the dimensions of brick. It is clean and modern and is not stainless. Tile will warm it up a bit with some texture!
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:07 am
Those pots on the island suggest a great color — a rich, bold red. It’s a classic color that will play well with the white cabinets and the dark floor. And it makes shopping for accessories easy. Dishtowels (or dishes or cookie jars or whatever) trimmed in red are a thousand times easier to find than dishtowels trimmed in orange or just the right shade of green.
I think if you went with a blue-gray or other subtle color, you might deflate all the excitement in your kitchen. It looks bright and fab and modern and reliable — you don’t want to make it look all sleepy and hospital-esque and industrial. Go vibrant!
I love kris10’s idea about subway tile for the backsplash. I love colored glass tile, too, but for some reason I find it too much with stainless appliances. Not that I dislike stainless — it’s just a “one or the other” proposition with me. Also, a tile backsplash will not show dirt and splatters as easily as a stainless one will, and for my money, that’s a huge plus!
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
golden yellow or light apple green. no stainless backsplash. you need something with some texture, pattern and/or depth. all the stainless and grey looks flat and cold. too austere.
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I agree with Daffodil on the red. We have Benjamin Moore’s Confederate Red in our kitchen and I just love it. Our kitchen is nowhere as nice as yours, but we do have similar white cabinets. Our countertops & appliances are white too, and our floor is light wood.
I love the red with all that white, but I think it would look even better with your variety of surface colors. I do not find it too dark or overpowering at all (a lot of people warned me about that, but they were wrong!) and anyway, it doesn’t look like you have a tremendous amount of wall space.
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I was going to go with a grey blue as well. You can then add splashes of red or a light apple green for your accent pieces.
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I think a dramatic yet soothing color would be nice like a green or gray blue
September 24th, 2008 at 8:09 am
If you don’t get the stainless backsplash, definitely put in a tile. High gloss subway white backsplash adds a lot of interest, and prevents the grease and water stains you will get on the paint otherwise. That pluss the white cabinets will accent any color you put on the walls, either bright or muted. It you go with blue/grey paint, keep it either much lighter or much darker than the color of your countertops.
September 24th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Oh, and as for possible colors, what colors do you wear a lot? That has always been a good starting point for me. Actually it was what color does my husband wear a lot: he had an affection for the bland until I painted a wall a deep blue-gray that he wore, and now he’s totally into color.
September 24th, 2008 at 8:36 am
I really like the white even though I’m a BIG color person. Maybe a brighter white if it looks too yellow and then more colored accent pieces like La Creuset pans in bright colors.
September 24th, 2008 at 9:51 am
How about a Tiffany blue? You know, like robin’s egg blue. It would have a little more punch than a grey-blue. Great kitchen by the way!
September 24th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I’m a retro chic, so how about: Caribbean Coral, from the Sherwin-Williams Suburban Modern palette. It is, yes, coral, but on the toned-down side. It looks gorgeous with grey. And, I think that while the white, gray and stainless steel would be classified as “cool”, the coral would add “warm.”
Also - how about a valance, pleated for fullness, to soften up the kitchen’s hard edges - play up a lovely window - and bring even more color into the room. You’d want it to include gray, coral, white - and a third accent color.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:33 am
i have a yellow kitchen, stainless appliances and “faux” stainless backsplash. i installed the backsplash by myself it was super easy and realitively cheap, it’s actually plastic but you can’t tell until you touch it. they carry it at home depot and lowes around here.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I also suggest a blue. It’ll look gorgeous against the wood floor and the cabinets. Should you go with a dark rich royal blue or a more muted hue that has lots of gray in it or perhaps a light blue that really depends on the feel you want in your kitchen. A color choice is such an individual thing. You could also set up a large board and try out some different colors on it and see how you feel about them.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:57 am
RED!
My appliances, cabinets and counters are the same as yours, we love the red colour! I wish I could upload a pic so you could see
September 29th, 2008 at 5:02 am
[...] 5. When trying to decide a new paint color for room, trying looking in your closet for inspiration. As J recommends: “What colors do you wear a lot? That has always been a good starting point for me. Actually it was what color does my husband wear a lot: he had an affection for the bland until I painted a wall a deep blue-gray that he wore, and now he’s totally into color.” See more ideas for choosing a paint color here. [...]
October 14th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Well, Mike S? Did you pick a color?
I love the idea of bright orange or light apple green. Red would be good if you’re selling soon, but too standard for my taste. Good luck!