Neutral kitchens have been a popular trend for many years now. Given the initial investment, it’s easy to see the appeal of a timeless style and design that will look fresh and modern for many years to come. What’s more, the ‘blank canvas’ backdrop gives you the flexibility to personalise and update your kitchen with colours of your choice.
Most people think of painting and decorating as a way to update their room scheme. Sure, you can set aside a weekend project to paint an accent wall tangerine, choose ornate wallpaper for a feature wall or fit a purple coloured glass splashback – but you don’t have to.
A kitchen colour makeover can be whatever you want it to be: quick and easy, quirky and creative, or small and subtle. For instant results that don’t require any DIY skills and are equally effective at transforming your kitchen with a splash of colour, take inspiration from these 5 tips and learn to fall in love with your kitchen all over again.
- Hang colourful wall art
If you have some wall space in your kitchen that isn’t occupied by wall units, why not adorn it with a colourful piece of art? For maximum impact, choose a large, bold canvas with a motif you love and display it in a prominent position.
If you position your artwork near the hob, it’s worth protecting it from any cooking splashes and grease splatters that may find their way onto the picture. Unless you choose water-resistant oil or acrylics as the medium for your painting, a glass framed picture may be a safer bet.
You can be as creative as you like with your choice of art. From old masters to funky contemporary canvases, a collection of the kids’ artwork or bold commercial prints or posters, what matters is that you add some new energy and colour to an otherwise plain room.
Source: Redfin
- Bring the outside in
Sometimes, all it takes to create an uplifting effect in a room is to bring a little of the outdoors inside. Liven up your kitchen in an instant by placing a few plants or flowers in strategic locations. Pots of fresh green herbs on the windowsill, a mixed bouquet of garden blooms on the breakfast table, a lush green palm in the corner of the room, an exotic purple orchid or tropical indoor tree as a focal point – all it takes is a bit of imagination (and a garden centre or florist nearby!) to create a space that’s fresh, unique and personal to you. For more inspiration check out Pfeiffer Design’s minimalist kitchen which uses flowers to create a pop of colour.
Another cheap, simple and very effective way to offset the dreaded greige is to add pops of bright yellows and oranges by way displaying tropical fruit – lemons, oranges, mangos bananas – in a pretty glass bowl on the counter. Choose fruit or veg in colours you want to feature – grapes or aubergines for a splash of purple, red tomatoes, green apples and avocados…. you get the idea.
Finally, complement the fresh natural look of your kitchen plants with other natural materials and textures such as wood, glass, stone, wicker and rattan for a bright and airy result.
Source: Pfeiffer Design
- Show off your china and glassware
Do you have pretty painted plates collecting dust in a cupboard? Ornate glassware or jazzy one-off pieces that never see the light of day? From bright, modern dinnerware to vibrant serving dishes and funky decorative objects, not to mention the odd eclectic junk shop find, get them out from their hidden storage place and show them off on open shelves.
Updating your entire dinner service is one option to add a fresh injection of colour into everyday kitchen life. Rather than pairing your neutral kitchen units with classic white dinnerware, which would be the safest option, why not be daring and add some new exciting colour combinations to enjoy at mealtimes?
What’s more, there’s no need to stop at china and glassware. Cookware, small appliances, crockery, kitchen utensils and accessories now routinely come in an exciting range of bold colours in addition to the standard white, beige and stainless steel.
Source: homedit
- Display brightly coloured furniture
If there is space in your kitchen for a freestanding piece of furniture, take full advantage of the opportunity to add a bright splash of colour. Whether it’s a dining table and chairs, a dresser, shelf or other storage unit, or even some wall space you could personalise, look out for suitable pieces in a colour that you love.
Contemporary furniture retailers are a good starting point for fresh, colourful pieces that can bring your kitchen bang up to date. Think Scandi or Mid Century inspired stores such as Heals, John Lewis, IKEA and Habitat for design led pieces. Upcycled, painted vintage pieces are another way to add charm and personality to an otherwise too plain kitchen.
Don’t forget about freestanding kitchen appliances. SMEG may have cornered the market for stylish fridges and freezers in vibrant hues, but there are other makes and colours too. Even a big purple fridge is not an impossibility!
Source: Nesting Gypsy
- Add plenty of soft furnishings
Once you’re locked on to a fresh accent colour to add some much needed contrast to your neutral kitchen scheme, it can be incorporated into the room in endless ways. Soft furnishings are a quick and easy way to achieve the transformation.
Table cloths, place mats and seat cushions, aprons, tea towels and oven gloves, curtains and window dressings, even a cheap and cheerful mat on the floor – you’ll be surprised by the difference such a simple addition can make to the look and feel of your kitchen.
Source: Ideal Home
