Coordinating colors, materials, and quality labor can be a task. Let's take a look at cabinet colors.
Cabinet Paint Trends, coordinating them with you overall kitchen design can be a task.
Though we make it a strict policy not to choose the colors for our client’s homes and rental units, we often seem them struggle with coordinating the countertop, the floors, and cabinet’s color and/or stain. As more and more people are updating kitchens either to get out the 90’s/2000’s with their natural or even dark stains natural wood cabinet doors and drawers or just update a great kitchen already with a new color, I’d thought I’d go with a basic blueprint to figure out what color might work best for you and your kitchen.
Cabinet Color Guide
The most striking feature when entering a kitchen will always be the cabinets. They dominate and define the space more so than the countertop, floor, and/or sink/refrigerator, which follow closely behind.
This is a place of storage, of hidden secrets, of doors upon doors, sublime in their simplicity but mysteriously elegant in their function and utility. They can’t help to pique our subconscious curiosity and innate hunger for secrets behind Door #1, 2, or 3. I grew up on Price Is Right! Kidding aside, it central to human nature to wonder what's behind every door and kitchen cabinets even more so. Cabinets are central to our human endeavors; it's important to choose a color that reflects those ambitions. A well-designed kitchen--even if dated--can be transcendent through a well thought-out color change to the cabinet's system.
1. Ask yourself, “Why am I changing the color of the cabinets?” Take some time and jot some notes down on what you want to accomplish. Most of the time the answer is as simple as, It’s too dark or it feels dated. The answer is always a good start to figuring out the color to go with.
When you’re unsure, go light--as in white, or even a slightly off-white. It can brighten the space considerably. Most people are going with white now. It seems to be part of the Modern movement and it’s related aesthetics. Since kitchens tend to be one of the busiest areas in a home, it's wise to pick a calming color such as white or ivory for your walls. Light and airy, the color will instantly brighten up your kitchen and it'll be easy to add in pops of color here and there. The most popular colors are white, ivory, gray, yellow, and blue. Look through the internet and find styles you like and go from there.
2. Your countertops should not contrast heavily with the cabinet color but maintain the symmetry and energy of the rooms overall color and design. An example of this would be dark black cabinets and stark white countertops. I’m sure it exists as an artistic conception of some rich designer, but for the vast majority of countertops and kitchen colors there is kinship, a sense of familial relations between the two. They are usually one of the two dominant colors in the kitchen and usually reflects the cabinet/drawer theme. However, I’ve seen accent pieces to kitchen design that work well with countertops that are directly counter to cabinet color so anything can be done. When trying to coordinate cabinet color with multi-colored (spotty) granite countertops, popular 10-20 years ago and never will be again, it best to remember the color scheme you have in mind for your next countertop.
3. Your floor, because it’s size is relative to the cabinets in terms of visual space, should contrast with your cabinet color. A white cabinet and drawer system is striking against a dark wood floor. Keep in mind that even a natural or lightly stained wood floor is ‘dark’ against white cabinets so almost any tone works as a contrast to a like colored cabinet system. If you have dark or naturally dark wood cabinets and molding then you might consider a much lighter wood floor stain or tile.
Start with an overall theme if you are changing everything. Even if you plan to change out other elements like the floor and countertop later for economic reasons, you will not have to paint the cabinets again to compliment your new floors or countertops. If you like modern, go for cool dark or light tones. If you want a rustic/farmhouse look go for warm colors with a rustic or whitewashed look.
4. Most designers will choose two dominant colors and one accent color. The first two should be harmonious with each other while not being obtrusive to the eyes--simple colors, warm but not hot as in a 'riot of color'. The third ‘accent’ color is used to create symmetry to the design of and spirit of the kitchen as a whole. It should tie everything together like the perfect frame to a great painting. What’s the best colors for your kitchen? It’s really your decision based on what you like. However, make sure your countertop is one of the dominant colors. Vibrant cabinets with neutral countertops and kitchen flooring? Dark countertops and flooring with light cabinets? There’s numerous ways to transform your kitchen!
5. Appliances should be considered but mainly in the sense that your cabinet door and drawer hardware should compliment them, ie a stainless steel fridge and dishwasher would reflect the drawer and door handles. Dated appliances have to be considered in terms of color because they are often a unique tint, and not necessarily desirable contemporarily. A modern color would only accentuate those appliances. Ultimately, appliances should be updated every 15 years.
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