#5 Great Ideas for Adding Colour to your Kitchen - The Chromologist

Your kitchen is often a big investment, and so unsurprisingly it s one of the bits of a home where people play safe. That deep red colour you re so passionate about now may not, after all, look so great on your kitchen units in five years time. never mind it affecting the resale value should you wish to move. But a colourful kitchen is a joy it can enhance the warmth and vibrancy of this most central space in our homes. So whether your default kitchen setting is tasteful gloss white or you haven t updated your kitchen for years, we ve got five suggestions for adding some colour that is guaranteed to give your kitchen a lift.

1. Paint a wall

The easiest way to inject some colour, painting a wall in your kitchen is simple, affordable and, if you go off the colour, easy to undo again. We recommend that you pick a wall without any wall units on it, as this will make a bigger impact. Picking a wall that is away from the main activity areas of cooking and washing up will also mean you don t have to worry too much about maintaining the paint against grease and splashes, so there s no need to limit yourself to a kitchen-safe paint. If you re only painting one wall then you can really go for something dramatic. And if you re really keen to have a wall that can be wiped clean, then our insider tip is to apply a top-coat of dead flat Decorator s Varnish.

2. Paint the floor

Painting a wood floor not only covers a multitude of imperfections but it is also an incredibly versatile option. We ve noticed a trend for painting floorboards with stripes, chevrons and even a mosaic tile-effect in style magazines this year. So if you re feeling amities, this could be the look for you. Painting the floor can add an instant hit of colour without you needing to touch the walls or units, and depending on the colour you chose, it is also a good place to play some tricks with the eye. For example if you paint the skirting boards in the same colour, your kitchen floor area will miraculously appear bigger. The kitchen is of course a high-traffic area, so don t expect the floor to look pristine forever it may need a re-coat after a few years. But the weathering of a well-loved painted floor is, we think, all part of its charm.

3. Add tiles

Of course coloured tiles are hardly new. If you ve ever made-over a kitchen yourself you ve probably spent joyless hours chiseling some off the walls. However the latest trend for tiles is a million miles from ugly red-and-green mosaics or themed prints of chickens and herbs. There have never been more colour options or patterns available, from intricate Moroccan-inspired prints to the gorgeously colourful bespoke panels of Lubna Chowdhary. You don t have to just stick to the splashback  area behind the worktop either. Tiles on the side of an island unit, the floor or used for a whole feature wall will make a huge impact. And don t forget, there are no rules, as this image of a mixed up medley of tiles patterns shows.

4. Use wallpaper  sparingly