Choosing Kitchen Paint Colors

1. Choosing Kitchen Paint Colors
woodenfurniture
From cabinets and paint to
backsplashes and flooring, there are a
lot of opportunities within your
kitchen to add a punch of color. But
how do you put together a scheme of
colors that look good together? With
so many colors and shade variations,
it can be a challenge, but what a
great challenge that is.
Boston-based interior designer Jean
Courtney revels in the complexity of
putting together a color-rich palette,
especially in a kitchen. "White
cabinets? No problem," she says. "But
I think you're missing an opportunity
if you don't introduce some color
somewhere else in the room."

2. But which color -- or colors? That
seemingly simple question drives
homeowners to stare at paint chips
until they're dizzy and to cover their
walls with so many samples that they
look like crazy quilts. The human eye
can distinguish about 7 million
different colors. Some go together,
others don't. It helps to understand
color theory, but even if you know
that nearly every warm color has a
cool complement, that doesn't mean
you'll like that particular combination.
No wonder so many people choose
white. But there are many whites -cool, warm, and neutral. So where do
you begin?
Let Cabinets Lead
"Choose your cabinetry finish first," Courtney
says. One of the most popular finishes is
"natural" -- a clear finish that brings out the

3. inherent color of the wood. Of course, if you
decide to paint your cabinets, then that color -or mix of colors -- drives the scheme.
Next, consider the countertops, backsplash,
flooring, and appliances. In an open kitchen,
surrounding rooms become part of the overall
palette. The things you're most likely to paint -walls, ceiling, and trim -- come last. "It's like
fitting together a big puzzle," Courtney says.
"Everything has to blend and flow."
Consider the Light
Natural light greatly affects the perceived color
of a surface. Northern light is cool, for instance,
and it's often best to counter it with a warm
color. But as the sun moves or drifts behind
clouds, colors shift and change. Artificial
lighting changes colors, too. That's why it's so
important to apply samples where the colors
will be used and in context with other colors and
materials -- which also affect perception.
Courtney also considers the reflective qualities
of colors and surfaces. Dark, rough surfaces

4. swallow light, while pale, smooth surfaces
reflect and magnify its effect.
Track Trends
Which colors reign? White remains the classic
choice for painted cabinetry. "We offer four
different shades of white," says Sandy
Nierengarten of Crystal Cabinet Works in
Princeton, Minnesota. "All four are in our top
20 finishes."
If you're looking for something trendy, paint
companies introduce new palettes every year.
Fashion runways, cultural movements, and hot
travel destinations all influence the trends.
Not every color works well in a kitchen,
cautions Jackie Jordan, director of color
marketing for Sherwin-WilliamsMany cooler
colors, especially certain blue-greens and grays,
don't look good with food, so use them
sparingly. Same goes for intense, trendy hues.
Sprinkle them around in accessories. Buy some
old wooden stools for your island and paint
them. "It's a great way to make an impact with
color, and it costs almost nothing," Jordan says.

5. More for You
Try out paint colors before you pick up a
paintbrush with My Color Finder.
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