kitchen colour advice

5 years ago

Hello my design gurus. what colour shall I paint my kitchen? The utility is pale pink with a bit of grey in it ( Valspar Nanna's Pearls) and the front room is darkish bluey grey ( Valspar fake F&B Downpipe). I'd like the kitchen to be bright and light. I don't really do minimilism . I'm planning to strip and oil the table top and paint the rest of it, and the chairs . Not sure what colours though. And I want to paint the kitchen base units and diy shelving too. The scaffolding plank worktops are staying pale and natural.

Featured Answer

Sam Potter
Original Author

5 years ago

Jonathan: I love your cupboard interior ideas. It's wired for lights both inside and underneath ( not fitted yet) and I'm liking the idea of matching it to the table or going black.
Re floors I do like those patterns but hopefully the floor as it is is relatively stable, cos I haven't budgeted for new floor coverings.
ED if money wasn't an option I would go for proper lino but even vinyl will impact on the bathroom refit and exterior renovation happening this spring so fingers crossed I can live with what I've got. I can't believe your kitchen is worse than mine. I tidied for about two hours before taking the photos above! And yes, that yellow pot on the stove still has remnants of Sunday's mashed swede in it.

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Comments (27)

Danielle H
5 years ago
How about take a bit of inspiration from the birds you’ve got hanging from the lights, it looks like a couple have a pale mint colour?
rachelmidlands
5 years ago
Not really got any colour suggestions as I’m in the same predicament. Just started painting the kitchen but not got to the cupboards yet. Hoping to do a two tone style with dark green bottom and soft white above but it’s a fairly small kitchen so may well be posting a similar dilemma. I kinda like the Amsterdam/ Manhattan loft style kitchens with the mahoosive chimney hood and tall glazed cabinets and I think your kitchen would really lend itself to that style. Or you could go bonkers bohemian:-) (see pics). And if you ever get bored of the floor you could stencil a tile pattern! ( it’s like Changing Rooms all over again:)). Question I really wanted to ask is where did you get the fire escape shelves from? I absolutely love them!
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Jonathan
5 years ago
I think I would continue your pink and grey theme. I would paint the base cupboards and shelves nearly black, the wall cabinets light grey and then use Nanas Pearls on the walls. I also like Peignoir by Farrow and Ball which fits the same description of grey/pink.
I would then paint the table base claret or burgundy or Aubergine (depending on what you think goes with the pink) and the chairs white or pale grey.
Additionally I would probably move the range forward by about 10cm and put a shelf in the gap and then put the utensil rail behind the range in the chimney recess.
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
rachelmidlands the fire escape shelf was from ebay for 16.99. I checked and they're mostly more than that - ridiculous prices! But I did see one from an international seller for €33. Mine is a bit flimsier than it looks, presumably because it was cheap. I wouldn't be happy to have paid over £100 for it. So I don't think I'll be using it for its original purpose as a spice rack. But it is super cool! Here's a screenshot of the details of mine- but I don't think they're available any more
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
Danielle I do like that mint colour, and I love it as an accent, but not sure such a clean, medical look will work with my grunge around it. I think it might fight the busyness too hard. You've helped me decide on towel colours though, thanks!
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
Jonathan nearly black? Ooh bold. Those pics you sent look amazing. Am on it. Any advice on finish? Gloss? Matt? Re the grey wall cabinets, would you do the window frame in grey too, or paint it the gloss version of nannas pearls to match the doors, or leave it natural?
I've got a couple of vintage wingback chairs in the kitchen next to the table so I'll look for a colour in the fabric that might work for the table. Are you a fan of multicoloured/mismatched dining chairs? I'm wavering between adding lots of lovely colour (possibly taken from the hanging parrots) and making my brain jangle/matching the table.
rachelmidlands
5 years ago
£16.99.....bargain! I had a quick look and they’re mostly round the £100 mark. Gives me the idea to use kids toy ladders and ikea spice racks :-)
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
Rachelmidlands, I messaged the seller to see if they've got any more. I'll let you you know if they get back to me. And I just looked at the floor tiles in the second photo. Very nice. I've got varnished boards at the moment but they have flaked/worn really badly. So far I like the beaten up look, but if it gets a lot worse I might be forced to go down the cheap vinyl route and if I do I'd like a similar colour/pattern to your photo.
Jonathan
5 years ago
As far as floor goes you could consider painting it. There have been a few discussions on here about floor paint and which is the hardest wearing- but you will have to look those discussion up or wait for one of the contributors to comment here. If you do go the vinyl route you will need to overboard to get a flat floor but actually lots of vinyls are very cool- I like the Victorian inspired patterns- choose this before the paint as it might influence your decisions - for instance a floor with red in may make you rethink pink- a floor with blue in it may make you choose a gunmetal grey rather than an anthracite.
I would paint the cabinets with a flat paint but it needs to be practical- I would go to a paint centre like Johnson’s and get your Farrow and Ball favorite shade mixed and then take their advice about finish- I prefer satinwood/eggshell finishes for furniture and you will need a good primer.
As far as the window surround- definitely not the same as the wall colour- it is one of the nice features of the room and you don’t want it to disappear- you could wax it or paint it a contrasting colour - I think it should either be the same or similar to the cabinets on the wall.
kikiamack
5 years ago
Rachelmidlands - Maisonsdumonde sell a similar shelf. Looks a bit bigger and maybe more sturdy. Obviously price is a bit more too!
https://www.maisonsdumonde.com/UK/en/p/metal-wall-shelf-unit-in-black-h-70cm-darren-155466.htm
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
Jonathan: good tips re floor. I'm a veteran of both floor paint and the 'diamond hard' ash white varnish (can't remember the brand but it's everywhere) currently on the kitchen floor. I'm incredibly disappointed in how this varnish has failed to stand up to kitchen wear and tear. I had it everywhere in my last house and it was very hard wearing. Either they've changed the formula or different woods take varnish differently. Fortunately I like the aesthetic of a manky looking floor but at some point I may change my mind. It's hard to clean but related to my previous sentence that's not something that concerns me too often ;-)
If I do get vinyl it'll be black n white ( patterned tile or chequerboard design) so won't affect paint choices.
And re window surround- yup I like the cplour of the qood as I'm stripping it. Would you keep the natural wood frames of the glass cupboard doors too? Or paint them pink to match the newer wood surround of the wall cupboard?
Thanks everyone for all your advice on this. 'After' pics to follow in a few weeks because I've got an understairs cupboard and a pantry to build before I paint.
Jonathan
5 years ago
I think I would paint the glass cupboard in pale grey but I might paint the inside in a contrast color- for instance it you have painted the table base aubergine I might paint the glass cupboard the same inside. Alternatively I might paint it the wall colour and add a light inside or paint it nearly black and fill it with white crockery and a light.
Jonathan
5 years ago
Personally I think there are vinyl floor options that look better in a boho kitchen than the black and white checkerboard you mentioned
E D
5 years ago
Sam, really like your kitchen’s character. It’s not dissimilar to the kitchen in our ‘pied a terre’, only ours is messier. :)

We have linoleum tiles, checkered black and (off) white in our London home’s kitchen.

A classic look I think.

If you’re deciding to cover your wooden floor it might be a good idea to look into linoleum.

Ours was called marmoleum. John Lewis used to do it but no longer I think.

It’s incredebly hardwearing but will need some screeding before laying.
Emmanuelle
5 years ago
Sam, your kitchen is full of charm and comforting...
If it was my kitchen, I would paint the walls chalky white, and the units moles breath, or even better, a dark greeny- blue. ( see pic of cabinet!)
I would paint the glazed wall cabinet graphite outside, and an outrageously flashy colour inside, or the same pink as the other room. ( see pic of my own cabinet with pink inside!)
I would also paint the table graphite, but leave the top wood. X
PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
5 years ago
I like your chairs. I would paint them in black laсquer, does not matter what table color is. They would go with any table color.
G M
5 years ago
Lovely room. Would a bold colour pull it all together ? dark grey, burgundy or deep blue allows antique furniture to stand out. Alternatively what about blush pink walls?
Carolina
5 years ago
Re colour: what do you think of this?

If you did something like this, you could paint the window frame a darkish pink to pick up the colour from the crazy striped backsplash and refer back to the pink in the utility.

Painted floorboards:
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
Rachelmidlands: see below for info from the seller about the fire escape shelves.
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
Hi Carolina, Thanks for weighing in. I'm not that sold on turquoise ( I've scraped something similar off most of the skirtings and window frames in the house- see remnant on kitchen window) but I do like the blue glass cabinet. Possibly not for this room ( the interior colour is where I want the focus ) but for my bathroom renovation which is happening in a couple of months.
And I'd forgotten about the splashback! It's weird how stuff becomes invisible when you live with it. I'll think about how I can tie that in with the dining table, chairs and possibly window frame. Though keeping it natural is a frontrunner at the moment.
Juliet Docherty
5 years ago
How much natural light does the room get and how do you want it to feel? I can't bear grey in North facing rooms, much prefer browny neutrals and dirty brown pinks. Have you any photos in natural daylight? Also, it may be good to think about the unit colour at the same time, it needs to gel together.....
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
Hiya Colourhappy. It's East facing with a tiny brick-walled yard outside the window. I'll update the photos with a daylight one at the weekend. There won't be a lot of grey. Perhaps just the plate rack and glass-fronted cabinet. The biggest takeaway I've got from advice given so far is to use pale pink on the walls ( the same as in the utility and shower room next door - see photo, can't find one of utility itself) and make all the lower cupboards/shelves black or almost black.
rachelmidlands
5 years ago
Wow. Thank you Sam for emailing them. Will defo bookmark it for when they get stock in:))))
Carolina
5 years ago
Sam, this came just up in my Insta feed and perhaps it’s an idea for your kitchen? Paean Black and Sulking Room Pink
Carolina
5 years ago
On the app the wrong pic is showing, but if you click on it, the right one will hopefully appear
Sam Potter
Original Author
5 years ago
wow Carolina, that looks exactly like what I'm aiming for. Good spot!