How to Choose Colors for a Kitchen

For many it is an afterthought, but color choice can make a significant difference in the overall feel and comfort of your kitchen. A poor color choice can make your kitchen feel cramped, cluttered or out of place in your home. To make sure your meals are prepared in a comfortable environment, choose wisely.

The best color choices for your kitchen depend on the type, size and layout. Whether you're building a new home, remodeling your kitchen, or you'd just like to change things up with a fresh look, these guidelines will help you make a solid choice.

• Size matters. For smaller kitchens, brighter colors are preferred. Dark colors can make your small kitchen look smaller and cramped. They can also make the room feel a bit dark and gloomy. Whites and bright neutral colors are always safe choices, but brighter colors or pastels can be made to work as well.




• Large kitchens have more and better options. While light colors will still work in a larger kitchen, darker colors can be used without making the place look so gloomy. You can use blacks, dark blues, purples, or deep reds and greens safely with the extra space.




• Consider your kitchen's lighting when choosing a color. Natural lighting from windows will add brightness to your kitchen. If your light is all artificial, you might be better off using brighter colors. A kitchen with many windows is the best for deep, dark coloring, but they should still be offset with some brighter colors for contrast. You may also consider earthy tones; just dark enough to keep the sun from blinding you every morning.




• If your kitchen has an open floor plan, make sure your color scheme doesn't clash with the adjacent room. While it's fine for the rooms to be distinct, try to avoid any sharp divisions in color or texture. Even neutral colors and shades of brown can be problematic; an all-white kitchen can look awkward next to a living room full of wood tones.




• A kitchen with a closed floor plan has more room for exploratory coloring, but don't get too crazy with it.Try to maintain a flow from room to room. Remember to complement, not contrast, with the adjacent rooms.