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Colour it creative

If you tend to play safe with your choice of shades, take inspiration from our advice on how to experiment with colour.

Article by: Elizabeth Bailey
Publish date: 10th March 2010

We, the British are well known for our rather reserved colour choices, especially when it comes to the kitchen and paint markets – shades of cream and off-white are by far and away, the best sellers, but adding a few blocks of colour to your hub of the home will definitely inject the ‘wow factor’ into your room scheme. Adding colour is also a brilliant way of re-vamping without spending large sums of cash – and a new, cheerful shade on the walls can create a completely new atmosphere in a dull room.

Colour specific
Avoid blues and greys in a dark, north-facing room, unless you’re going for strong shades of turquoise or forget-me-not blue. Sunny shades of golden yellow, rich creams, even mustards and golds can ‘warm up’ a dull, gloomy room. Try warm tones of burgundy, rust, berry reds and darker pinks to add warmth and personality. It doesn’t have to overwhelm the room either – adding colour on the walls between the worktop and wall cupboards will do the trick, or focus on one section only – above the hob, in an alcove or even on the chimney breast.
For inspiration without garishness, try heritage paint ranges, such as those from Farrow & Ball or Little Green Paint Company. Kevin McCloud’s range for Fired Earth is also well worth a look. Another paint range that includes 100% natural paints in pigment-rich colours is Pots of Paint by architectural historian and interior designer Edward Bulmer. The Natural Oil Eggshell finish is low sheen and suitable for interior wood and metal work.
Glyn Rodney, designer at Cotteswood of Oxfordshire, says: “When we design kitchens for period properties we are always sympathetic to the original features, and top of our priority list is to use natural materials like stone, slate and timber. We use grey-greens, blues and creams with natural materials to emphasise each working area. These classic colours have been used throughout history and also enable the kitchen to blend with its surroundings.”

Cabinet decisions
Painted cabinets are the most obvious way of introducing colour into this room, and many of the bespoke kitchen makers can supply timber cabinets, which are hand-painted on-site. The advantage of this is that you can be very precise about the shades you require, and finalizing the shade in the room it’s going to be seen in is going to be more successful than choosing a colour in a brightly lit showroom.
Consider soft colour like mossy greens, grey-blues, and off-whites. Distressed finishes, where the timber below can be glimpsed, teamed with hardwood worktops are a good combination
and of course, the colours can be changed or refreshed every few years to provide a new
look to the kitchen.   
The popularity of island units, feature larders, over mantels and dressers makes it easy to combine painted finishes and natural timbers – it’s a neat way of allocating blocks of colour. Fired Earth’s new Moderne kitchen has a painted finish, and comes in a choice of four colour groups, which can be mixed and matched; customers can choose from Malm (grey-cream), Old Cream, Plumbago (grey), and Garnet, all of which would suit older homes.
Alexandra Ross Skinner, Design Director, Smallbone of Devizes says: “The newest kitchen trends include blocks of dense colour highlighting individual pieces of furniture or defining cooking/living zones with vivid splashbacks and worksurfaces. Strong ‘focus’ pieces such as a dresser or island unit sit beautifully with natural wood or neutral finishes. Smallbone sees this approach to colour as particularly effective when we’re designing for period houses, and the contrast between neutrals and colours can be used to emphasise original architectural features.”

Focus on: how to add colour
- Worktops: Granite, slate, and other natural stones come in a variety of colours. Granite can be colourful, including rich greens, browns and golds. Look at shades available from Granite Transformations and Kirkstone.

- Tiles:  For hand painted, look at Original Style and Winchester Tiles. Colours are vibrant and glowing, with the picture panels providing zest and style.

- Major appliances: Look at fridges and freezers from Smeg in retro shades. Range cookers are widely available in bold colours – try Aga, Esse, Mercury, Britannia and Falcon.