Colours in the Kitchen. The right match for every style

Colours for a new kitchen must be chosen with care. Here are some tips to help you find your way through the host of colours and finishes on the market.

KITCHEN COLOURS: HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST COLOUR SCHEME

The first thing to consider is the room dedicated to the kitchen, in terms of floor, wall, door and window colours. Doors and windows can easily be re-painted, but laying a new floor is a much more complex operation. For this reason, consider this the main element when choosing the colour of your kitchen.

MATCHING THE COLOUR OF KITCHEN UNITS WITH THE FLOOR

As we said above, the style and colour of the kitchen floor are a determining factor in the choice of colours for furniture and accessories, also because, unlike other rooms in the house and for obvious reasons of functionality and hygiene, there are no carpets or rugs apart from a non-slip mat in front of the sink unit. You may want to opt for a ton sur ton combination, for example a total white kitchen, simply using variations of the floor colour or complementary colours to create contrasts that harmonise with the rest of the room.

KITCHEN DIMENSIONS

The size of your kitchen affects your choice of colours. Dark colours are not suitable for a small room, which will benefit from light shades. Lighting also needs considering, whether natural or artificial, because light reflected by pale, glossy or glass elements will give the impression of more space. That’s why it’s a good idea to assess the position of lighting on the ceiling or wall, or integrated in the kitchen units, as well as the actual dimensions of the room.

COLOURS FOR KITCHEN UNITS

In a kitchen composition the most evident elements are the doors of base, wall and tall units and worktops, which can be coordinated in many different ways, particularly nowadays with the wide choice of materials and technologies dedicated to worktops and tops in general.

CABINET DOORS AND TOPS

Besides matching the floor, it is important to assess the overall optical effect achieved by choosing a particular combination of colours, also in consideration of the size of the room.  Where space is at a premium, for example, it is better to exclude dark colours and prefer doors and tops in light, neutral shades that will illuminate the kitchen and give the impression of more space.  It is important for doors and tops to be in the same style, avoiding a mix of contemporary design and classical finishes. Once you have found a coherent style, doors and tops can be in the same colour, conveying stylish elegance, or they can be coordinated in more original ways with different colours and materials.

COLOUR SCHEME. WHICH ONE?

When choosing colours for your kitchen you need to identify a given colour scheme to guide you, so that the composition you develop is coherent in terms of colour. The purpose of a colour scheme is to provide a sort of guideline to help you choose the actual colours you want. The three most common colour schemes are monochromatic, bichromatic and trichromatic.

MONOCHROMATIC

Opting for the same colour for cabinet doors and tops offers greater versatility of design and composition, as well as the certainty of a coherent style in which every element is harmonised and immediately perceived as an integral part of the kitchen. Having doors and tops with the same finish facilitates cleaning as a single product can be used for all surfaces.

BICHROMATIC

A two-colour scheme is perhaps the most versatile, and it is not by chance the most popular one when choosing colours for a kitchen. In general, two distinct finishes are used, one in a neutral colour and one in a definite colour. When properly combined, they make the room more dynamic and less monotonous. A particularly effective combination, for example, is to have base and tall units in a darker or more intense colour and tops and wall units in a light or neutral shade.

TRICHROMATIC

A three-colour scheme is an interesting alternative to traditional one or two colour schemes. It comprises a predominating colour, a supporting one and a complementary one. In this case, the predominating colour will be featured on the main units, the supporting colour will recall the colour of the floor and walls, while the complementary one will define details, for example of accessories.

DOMINATING SHADES

Besides the actual colours chosen, dominant shades are important to determine what we can call the personality of the kitchen. You can choose from lively glossy primary colours, or the infinite nuances of natural materials such as wood and stone, as well as original metallised finishes or elegant smoked glass.  There is a truly infinite choice, but for a first definition of dominant colours we will consider the three main types: warm, cold and neutral.

WARM COLOURS

Warm colours such as yellow and orange give the kitchen an immediate lively air, creating a sunny, joyful room. Consider also that according to Feng Shui yellow aids digestion. Red, particularly with a glossy or lacquered finish, recalls fire and the pleasure of tasting and sharing food. Recently, bordeaux has become very popular as it is very elegant matched with a grey stone finish, for example.

COLD COLOURS

Cold colours include green, blue, indigo and violet and their different shades, such as sugar paper, Tiffany blue, sage green or lavender.  According to colour theory, these shades transmit calm and tranquillity, but above all they expand the space in the room and so are particularly effective where space is at a premium.

NEUTRAL COLOURS

Neutral colours are quintessentially black and white, respectively the sum and absence of all other colours. However, this definition also includes all those soft, light colours like beige, light grey, dove grey, and ivory. Neutral colours give kitchens sophisticated elegance that can be enhanced by special textures, such as, for example, wood grain, the nuances of resin or marble, or contrasting metallised finishes.

BASING YOUR COLOUR CHOICE ON THE STYLE OF YOUR KITCHEN

Although there is no limit to imagination in design, certain colours are more suitable for different styles. As a rule of thumb, a classic or country style kitchen will benefit from neutral shades, a modern one is more suited to warm, bright colours, whereas cold colours will be more suitable for a shabby chic kitchen.  

CLASSICAL KITCHENS

There are practically two options for a classical style kitchen: wood species and light, neutral shades such as white, beige and dove grey. Classical kitchens are generally ton sur ton, creating a harmonious room that transmits the comfort and security of a family home.

MODERN KITCHENS

With its simple, uncluttered design, a modern kitchen is probably the most versatile, with plenty of space for creativity. As you can go from matt white to glossy red, and on to more daring colour combinations, the general rule is to choose the colour scheme according to the architectural style of the house.

CONTEMPORARY KITCHENS

Contemporary kitchens often mix traditional elements with modern ones, for example, matching sober, calm colours with contrasting finishes. This style is perhaps the one most influenced by the constant evolution of materials and cooking technologies that make the kitchen increasingly hi-tech and projected into the future.

SHABBY CHIC KITCHENS

Shabby chic design is based on a sensation of well-used elements that appear to be almost time-worn. The effect is achieved by a method of pickling, although in recent years the trend is for materials that have developed this vintage effect more or less naturally, for example Corten steel or wood reclaimed from old abandoned buildings (e.g. mountain huts, haylofts, shelters, etc.) and treated to last over time. It is based on natural, cold colours and pale and pastel shades.

COUNTRY KITCHENS

Country kitchens tend to prefer light natural wood coordinated with stressed colours or materials such as stoneware or stone. The effect is of an environment created by an artisan and closely linked to elements from nature. The walls of a country kitchen can be harmonised with the units by painting them grey or slate colour, or with a brick effect, whereas the floor is usually wood, terracotta or stone.

RUSTIC KITCHENS

Rustic kitchens concentrate entirely on wood and its finishes, using the vast palette of wood species with natural or stressed finishes featuring a special sheen that highlights knots and grain. This type of kitchen was once defined as ‘Arte Povera’, literally ‘poor art’, but today the style has been revisited and ennobled as an example of natural, sustainable design.

COLOURS IN THE KITCHEN. THE RIGHT MATCH FOR EVERY STYLE