What is color for us, what effect does it have on us? This is a very important factor in our lives; it affects our health, state of mind, and relationships.
The color of the walls in the kitchen is a very important design element, on which the harmony of the entire interior will depend.
When we are at home, we spend most of our time in the kitchen. That is why it is necessary to approach the choice of colors not only for the set, other furniture, but above all for the walls of this room with all seriousness. What color is best to paint the kitchen, let's look below at what experts advise.
A competent choice of shade will allow you to set a certain mood for the room and create a favorable atmosphere in it.
Color for kitchen walls: selection rules and recommendations
Let's look at the key principles of kitchen design.
To decorate a small kitchen, you should choose pastel shades.
- A large image visually reduces the size of the room.
- Small things, on the contrary, visually make the room larger.
- Intersecting stripes imitating tartan create the illusion of constant space.
- Vertical increases the height of the ceiling, the room appears higher.
- Drawings and stripes in a horizontal image make the kitchen wider, but its height is reduced.
- Diagonally located stripes make the room more dynamic.
- Textured wallpapers look very unusual. By giving the surface of the walls new qualities, they form an auxiliary dimension. Unexpected effects are obtained from the play of shadows, color aspects, and alternation of textures.
Dark colors visually conceal and reduce the area of the room, while light colors significantly increase it.
The background for the design is created by the walls. When choosing a color scheme, be sure to take into account the height of the ceiling, the size of the kitchen, style, lighting design, and furniture. Light shades are preferable in small kitchens; they make the room appear larger.
Feng Shui recommends choosing cool or light shades, such as white, green, light yellow, beige, light brown or blue.
On a note. You should not paint the walls in rich and provocative colors, especially if the kitchen is small and you are there most of the time.
Shades of the dark color spectrum should be used for kitchens located on the sunny side.
For large kitchens, dark shades are appropriate; in this case, the room looks smaller. Cold tones are not recommended here; the kitchen will look boring and faceless. If there is little sun, there is a lack of lighting, warm colors are suitable: beige, orange, yellow. If you have a sunny side, avoid deep bright tones; in the sun they will become even more saturated.
It is not advisable to use cool colors in a kitchen that is too spacious.
Nowadays green, for example, pistachio or light green, is widely used - experts are sure that it improves digestion. Soft tones are also in fashion, white is trendy - it is suitable for any style.
In a room with walls in subtle colors, you should create one accent wall.
Harmonious palette
When deciding what color to paint your kitchen, base your choice on your own preferences. However, choose additional colors from adjacent combinations. To do this, it is convenient to use Itten’s color wheel:
When choosing one color, neighboring variations become complementary. For example, by choosing a yellow color for the walls, you can harmoniously fit in a pistachio headset and place orange-colored accessories.
We recommend reading:
Characteristics and application of HPL plasticUsing decorative bricks in the interior: tips, photos
Original painting of walls in an apartment - cheap and beautiful: photo examples of painting walls
However, keep in mind that an excess of bright shades will negatively affect the overall impression of the design. For this reason, it is not recommended to use the three-color rule to select the gamma according to the Itten circle.
Basic rules for combining colors in the interior
You will get an excellent design if you correctly combine all its components: the color of the walls, furnishings, design of the ceiling and floor. For example, a white set combines perfectly with red, dark red, green, peach, yellow, and blue wall backgrounds.
Classic wood furniture looks ideal in yellow-red, beige or milky shades.
Principles of color combinations.
- Milky - harmonizes perfectly with all colors, most well with blue, burgundy and dark.
- Light brown - goes well with azure, brown and milky.
- Grayish is a dull tone, but is considered basic. Perfect with rich pink, reddish, lilac, rich blue.
- Pink – chestnut, milky, yellow-green, grayish, blue are suitable for this color.
- Burgundy - perfectly harmonizes with yellowish, snow-white, emerald, blue, black, gray.
- Brown - with light azure, beige, red, emerald, beige.
- Orange - with azure, blue, lilac, light purple.
- Yellow - with blue, lilac, azure, black, grayish.
- Pistachio – with amber-brown, yellow, dark, cream.
- Azure - with scarlet, gray, orange, milky, yellow.
- Blue - with lilac, emerald, yellow, orange, red.
- Black is a multifunctional, elegant tone. Looks good with absolutely all colors.
The most optimal combination is with orange, emerald, milky, yellow and red.
It may seem that choosing a perfect color palette is not easy. Of course, this will take time to achieve the desired effect. But by using the principles described above in practice, you can achieve the desired result.
If the set is made in bright, eye-catching colors, then it would be advisable to paint the walls in calmer and neutral colors or vice versa.
Popular color schemes
Think about what color of kitchen is better to choose in 2022? Nowadays pale, natural and achromatic color schemes are popular:
- White-gray. This design has been the most used for several years now. Sometimes pale blue shades are added to the design or the monotony is diluted with bright colors.
- Tree with white. Warm shades have always been relevant when decorating a kitchen. Using wood in light brown shades with a white cabinetry and marble countertop will allow you to create an exquisite design.
- Dark blue. It is dark shades of blue that are now used by many furniture factories and designers. This option is perfect for lofts, rooms in modern and high-tech style.
It is also becoming popular to use household appliances decorated in stainless steel. This helps to combine the sink, microwave, oven and refrigerator into the overall design.
What color is best for the kitchen space?
In order not to make a mistake in choosing a color, many factors are taken into account. First of all, what the hostess herself wants. She needs to be comfortable, since she has to spend quite a lot of time here. If she likes everything, then the dishes will be great. It is worth considering the opinions of other family members, because everyone loves to gather in the kitchen.
You can always find the optimal solution.
Do you have small children in your family and are there problems feeding them? The right color scheme will help solve this problem. A psychologist's advice wouldn't hurt either, since some shades affect the subconscious, emotionality, and appetite.
The photo shows a white kitchen set in combination with a sky-colored wall.
In small rooms it is better to use light colors, this will expand the area. It will be more comfortable with dark facades. It is also important how the windows are located. To the north, facades need warm colors, to the south - cool tones.
The color palette of the walls is considered the most important element in decorating a kitchen.
Preparing the base
Some acrylic, acrylate and latex paints have good hiding power, which can make minor defects invisible. But, basically, good preparation is required - the walls are first plastered, then puttied and sanded until a perfectly flat plane is obtained. To obtain a reliable base, fiberglass fabric is glued onto the layer of starting putty. It serves to reinforce the base. After the glue on the “web” has dried, the walls are leveled with finishing putty and finally sanded.
Painting kitchen walls with glossy or semi-gloss paints requires very smooth walls: the gloss reveals even the slightest irregularities. To get a good result, pay maximum attention to this issue. You can highlight all the irregularities using an LED lamp. It very clearly indicates all the irregularities.
To ensure that the paint lays evenly, the walls are primed. The composition is selected depending on the type of paint: latex paints need their own primer, acrylic paints need their own. This stage evens out the absorbency of the base, which reduces the consumption of expensive paint. It is absorbed into the primed surface in equal amounts, resulting in a beautiful, even coating.
Painting walls in a brick kitchen also requires a preliminary primer.
Even if the wall to be painted is deliberately made uneven - brickwork or other similar relief surfaces - a primer is advisable. It also improves adhesion to the base, the paint adheres better, holds tighter, and does not peel off.
Color solutions that visually change the size of kitchens
It is worth noting that the design is not always consistent in one tone. Often the walls are decorated with patterned tiles, decorative plaster, or wallpaper with a pattern. If you want to visually change the footage, when choosing material, consider certain details.
The entire appearance of the interior will depend on the correct shade.
- In a small kitchen, it would be better to stick wallpaper with a small pattern - this will expand the space.
- Wallpaper with a large image visually reduces the area, for this reason it is most advisable to cover spacious kitchens with them.
- If you want your kitchen to look larger, you need wallpaper with a pattern of intersecting lines.
- The geometric vertical image “raises” the ceilings.
- For a small kitchen with high ceilings, the best option would be wallpaper with horizontal lines or an image.
- A diagonal pattern can add dynamism to a room.
- Embossed wallpaper or textured plaster can significantly change the space. Tonality will play a major role, and the right combination of color and texture will help transform your kitchen.
Pink always creates a warm and homely comfortable atmosphere.
Coloring
First of all, use a brush to paint corners, joints, and the surface around sockets and switches. It is believed that it is better to apply the entire first layer with a brush, but this takes too much time.
Pour paint into the tray and saturate the roller with it, squeeze out excess liquid on a ribbed surface or edge and begin painting.
Starting from the top, make alternate vertical and horizontal strokes. When the first layer has dried, you can apply the second. The consumption of material and time will be significantly reduced.
The actual process of painting walls usually takes no more than a day, so you can update your kitchen interior in this way quite often if you wish.
Choosing the right wall colors for the kitchen
In order to choose the right range, it is necessary to take into account the degree of illumination, height and footage. Having decided on all the data, choose a color background.
Soft and refined shades make the design more sensual.
How to choose for a spacious kitchen
For large rooms, choosing a color palette is somewhat easier. Take into account your preferences and capabilities. The grayish color scheme looks calm. However, it must be “diluted” with the brightest colors. The main emphasis is on pieces of furniture.
Gray or light grey, combine striking elegance and simplicity.
In addition, it is worth listening to recommendations.
- Do not use brown, especially rich brown, in large quantities - it has a depressing effect. Yellow-green can be used to decorate a separate part of the wall surface.
- Neutral shades are best suited for decoration - it will be comfortable and warm. You can use any color palette, the main thing is that everything is proportional. Do not get carried away with dark shades, and also use a large number of cool tones.
Thanks to their restraint, such shades are a modern sign of good taste.
Which ones are suitable for a small kitchen?
What wall color to choose for the kitchen. To expand a small area, choose dark neutral shades diluted with bright elements. It is better to add silver-pearl, beige, ivory to the milky color. The advantage of milky color is its perfect combination with almost all colors.
It will undoubtedly give the room additional volume, brightness and snow-white cleanliness.
The azure palette visually increases the space, but additional colors are also needed here. Take, for example, this combination - blue walls, white ceiling, light flooring, cool-colored curtains. It is better if the wall covering is monochromatic. If you are thinking of using rich colors, for example, orange, red, it is better to decorate part of the wall or apron with them.
Various shades of orange, such as pumpkin, amber or ocher, create a very warm, rich, tonic and filled with positive energy interior.
Optimistic pistachio color with the use of vertical directions and reflective surfaces will give a feeling of lightness. But it’s worth knowing when to stop. Light shades are most suitable. It is important to choose furniture wisely.
The natural, natural and warm tone allows you to create amazing, sophisticated and attractive color combinations.
Dark colors are not recommended for wall decoration in a small kitchen. Used only when decorating elements or pieces of furniture.
Rich purple colors will add elegant luxury, bright expressiveness and originality to the design.
It is important! If the kitchen is small, there should be enough lighting.
Tips from designers
Experts recommend choosing a color scheme according to three basic rules that will help achieve a combination of shades and a harmonious interior. However, these are only tips, so the owner of the apartment does not have to strictly follow the standards of professionals.
Rule 60-30-10
Even in the examples above, you can see that interior design almost always includes three colors. And here there is one more rule, which can rightfully be called the key one. It adjusts the color ratio:
- 60% - dominant
- 30% is additional
- 10% - accent
Let's look at it in more detail.
Firstly, we are not really talking about colors as such, but about the rays of a circle. That is, these can be shades of the same tone: 60% beige (for example, cappuccino-colored walls, walnut floors, light tabletops), 30%, for example, red (burgundy set, scarlet upholstery of chairs), 10% gold in details. The main thing is not to make too much of a run-up within each beam so that they are not perceived as different tones. Otherwise there will be an overload.
Secondly, the dominant and main color is not your favorite one, which you want to use most, but the background one. Most often they are used in beige, shades of white and gray - neutral colors. Most likely, these will be walls, wallpaper or even furniture.
Thirdly, it is important to determine what you want to emphasize with color. It could be an apron, a table group - anything. The main thing is not to overdo it and not exceed this figure of 10%. The easiest way is to make one big “spot” and support it with accessories: textiles, curtains, decor or a chandelier.
Associations
The owner must rely on its own representations regarding the design. Some people consider pastel colors to be pale and boring, others - pleasant and cozy. The influence of shade affects the overall impression of the design, as well as emotions.
Light color design helps create the effect of increasing space - bright shades better reflect light and blur boundaries. When using contrasting solutions, decorative elements will, on the contrary, stand out against the general background. This creates the feeling that the room is smaller than it seems.
More size - less brightness
Designers recommend choosing the color of the kitchen, taking into account the surface area of the interior items. The larger the object, the less bright and contrasting it should be. To dilute the tones, it is better to highlight small interior items against the general background - plants, chairs, household appliances, and so on.
If you make the kitchen set bright yellow, the rest of the objects will become invisible. At the same time, rich color solutions are no longer in fashion - it is recommended to choose furniture in faded tones.
An example of decorating a kitchen according to a design project
What colors should not be used in the kitchen interior?
Refrain from using colors such as dark shades of brown and black. They have a depressing effect, the room looks cramped and not entirely clean. If you want to know in advance what it will be like for you in the kitchen with such an interior, hang white sheets, cardboard or unnecessary wallpaper on the walls. After applying paint to them, leave it for a while.
By contemplating these tones every day, you will decide which one is most suitable.
That's all the wisdom for decorating a kitchen. Follow our tips and you will create a unique design.
With proper use of shades in the interior, it will be possible to most accurately convey the main idea of the room design.
Safety precautions when working with paint
Modern coloring compositions belong to the category of environmentally friendly products.
They are fireproof and do not explode. However, this does not mean that they can be worked without protective equipment, namely gloves and respirators. Paint that gets on the skin is immediately removed with water and soap. Any remaining paint should not be disposed of down the drain. During subsequent repairs, do not try to scrape the walls. You can safely work on the existing surface. Repainting is allowed within 20 layers.
What does Feng Shui recommend?
When organizing a space in accordance with Feng Shui recommendations, it is worth considering the location of the room in relation to the cardinal directions. Each of them has its own element and shade. The key rule is not to use tones of the opposite element.
Southern kitchens are not recommended to be decorated in a blue or black palette. Gray tones, which evoke associations with metal, are not suitable for eastern and southeastern rooms. Favorable options that balance the elements of Fire and Water include yellow, green, and brown.
Useful tips
Experts have a small list of recommendations for everyone who has decided to update the interior of their kitchens. When choosing a particular range, it is worth remembering that the wall is a separate element that emphasizes the originality of the chosen style, the quality of the set, and the decorative features. Be sure to take into account the tastes of family members, decide specifically on the style and your financial capabilities. The color of the walls will be influenced by the size of the room and the type of lighting. Pale dogwood, tones of green, hazelnut, lapis lazuli, rich yellow, hazelnut color are the loudest trends of the coming season, offering successful color combinations.
Advantages of coatings
An excellent choice for the kitchen is washable paint.
Designers have been using paint and varnish materials when decorating for quite some time now, instead of standard wallpaper, tiles or panels.
Why is paint preferable for decorating kitchen walls? The answer to this question is quite simple. The widest palette and the ability to mix tones allows you to choose absolutely any shade. Practicality, low cost, ease of care and application make paint and varnish materials indispensable for designers. Housewives value them for their excellent moisture resistance, wear resistance, resistance to various mechanical influences and the ease of changing the interior.
Design examples
- A gray background, an additional purple shade and a white palette combine perfectly in a modern kitchen interior.
- The soft combination of greens and subtle yellows is accentuated very well by cool grays and natural browns.
- White, orange and metal harmonize perfectly with each other. The laconicism of lines and shapes serves as an excellent backdrop for unobtrusive accessories.
- Tricolor is the most win-win color combination in the kitchen interior. If one of the colors is white, the other two can be anything. For example, blue and red.
- The classic combination of beige and shades of brown is almost impossible to ruin. It doesn’t need bright accents, just add a little greenery.
