When selecting your kitchen color it helps if you have a good idea of the sort of kitchen you want (just a kitchen, kitchen with dining area, etc). You can then go a stage further. What style would you like?
Rustic or country kitchen? Lots of pieces of wood furniture? Your prized plates and dishes displayed on a dresser? Perhaps a throwback to a simpler age?
Maybe a traditional kitchen, with the units finished with a paint effect such as dragging or stippling.
Using green on the walls of this kitchen sets off the cream units.
Or a modern kitchen, with clean lines and space-age handles.
The best thing to do at this stage is to get as many brochures as you can. Kitchen color designs change rapidly, and you may find a new design is just what you're looking for. You'll also want to make sure the design you've set your heart on is still available.
Choice of color
Once you have decided on the sort of kitchen units you want, this will be a major factor in deciding your color scheme.
Remember, you can often use dramatic kitchen colors if you want to. Usually there isn't so much wall space as other rooms, and you can color them to give contrasts and emphasis.
If you want your walls to be a backdrop to the kitchen units, then you could paint them a toned down version of the kitchen unit color. On the other hand, if you want a more dramatic effect, then your kitchen paint color would be a suitable contrast to the units.
You can compliment strong colors on a wall by a striking cloth on a table, or the color of the table itself. Perhaps your work surfaces are a deep brown; use a similar color in a wallpaper border, chair frames or seats, or in some picture frames.
Tiles
If you want to use tiles on the walls between the units and the work surface, you have the opportunity to be creative with color and texture. You can have plain tiles with a motif here and there, or put sets of tiles together to create a scene.
Tiles have been used for the work surface in this kitchen. Mosaic tiles are then used on the wall which give an interesting contrast. Glass fronted wall units break up the line of wood and prevent a 'boxy' finish.
One option to consider is to use hand painted tiles. These add a unique personal touch to the room.
This well lit kitchen has a yellow/green wall between the units which adds brightness.
The breakfast bar is an extension of the kitchen work surface, and makes good use of available space.
