Kitchen colours

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/03/2015 (3872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CIL paint is unveiling its digital Culinary Collection of paint colours, featuring what it calls a mouth-watering palette of 20 hues, with names such as Adorable Peach, Bright Cherry, Cranberry Zing, Curry Spice, Lime Twist and Olive Oil.

“White kitchens have been trending for a number of years, but now we’re seeing a resurgence of colour in the kitchen, from cabinetry to counters to walls,” said Alison Goldman, brand manager for CIL paint, a brand of PPG Architectural Coatings, crediting the revival to current rich-in-colour bohemian, retro and return-to-nature trends in home decor.

“The kitchen is the most used room in the house and the area where family and friends tend to gather, so it’s the perfect place to add colour and personality to a home,” Goldman said. Still, it’s important to choose kitchen colours wisely, she cautioned, as some are better suited for this multi-purpose environment than others.

“Warm, uplifting colours, such as yellow, red and orange, and soft shades of grey, violet, blue and green, are known to be more conducive to appetite-building, entertaining and conversation,” she said, explaining CIL paint took these findings into account when developing its new palette.

This Culinary Collection brings together top kitchen-colour recommendations from CIL’s existing paint lineup. “No matter what the look or size of your space, the collection has a colour recipe for everyone,” Goldman said. For starters, she offered these suggestions as good choices for:

Modern kitchens: Grey is all the rage in home decor these days, and muted grey walls work especially well in a modern kitchen. Try Oyster Bay (90YY 63/044 SE48) or Barley Beige (30YY 68/024 DL50) grey from CIL paint as a base, accented — on one wall or through accessories — by a favourite pop colour, such as turquoise, tangerine or raspberry. Other striking wall-colour options, particularly in kitchens with stainless steel appliances, are lemon yellow or apple green. If a full wall of these bright colours is too much for you, paint them above your cabinets only or even inside cabinets with glass doors to liven up the room.

Country kitchens: Complement wood cabinetry by painting the walls cosy shades of terra cotta red, such as Burnt Pumpkin (24YR 12/447 DL08) by CIL paint, warm orange such as Persimmon Berry (60YR 26/605 DL10), or light sage green such as Cabbage Patch (90YY 62/264 MC21), creating a welcoming space reminiscent of open fires and roasted foods. Don’t know which colour to use? Simply identify the predominant undertone of your cabinetry or flooring — yellow, orange or red, for example — and choose a paint colour with the same base.

Small kitchens: Make a small space appear larger by minimizing the contrast between the walls and cupboards. Choose a palette of colours with similar tonal value — such as Peach Punch (56YR 48/398 CP10) orange, Ripe Banana (39YY 66/628 DL18) yellow and Citrus Fruit (70YY 52/532 DL21) green from CIL paint. Another option is to paint a focal wall a bolder colour and the other walls a lighter version of that colour. Use the kitchen’s vertical space to stack rows of shelving or add upper cupboards extending to the ceiling to maximize storage and the visual height of the room.

Windowless kitchens: If you can’t see the outside from your kitchen, consider bringing the outdoors in through the use of colour, such as optimistic shades of light green and yellow. A soft yellow — such as Citron Ice (53YY 83/348 CP19) by CIL paint, for example — can simulate the look and feel of sunshine. Crisp, white paint on trim, ceilings, mouldings and doors will help brighten the walls even more. For maximum brightness, install the right combination of artificial lighting in the room — including task, overhead and ambient lighting — and use high-gloss paint on doors and trim to reflect the existing light.

“When choosing paint colours, take into account the colour and design of your cabinetry, countertops, tiles, moulding, appliances, lighting and flooring,” Goldman said. “And remember that paint isn’t just for walls — freshly painted cabinets, tables, chairs and other decorative objects go a long way in helping to create a spectacular kitchen decor.”

Have an appetite for painting your kitchen? View the new Culinary Collection by CIL paint at cil.ca, where you can also ask CIL paint experts all of your colour, decor and paint questions.

connieoliver2015@gmail.com