What color should I paint my kitchen

[thyme4change]

I have been trying to decide if we should scrap our whole kitchen and do a whole new one.  But, that seems like a lot of work, and a lot of expense.  Our cabinets are fine - they were cheap, but they work great and I love, love, love the layout.  They are an oak cabinet with a maple glaze on them - so pretty light, but still a wood grain.  I hate our counters, so I was thinking that if I replace the counters, repaint, get a new light fixture and maybe new window coverings it would seem like a new kitchen.  

My house is a mid-century ranch, the kitchen is open to the TV room, which is pretty neutral (beige paint.)  I have a white table and red chairs in the kitchen - which are new.  I have a soffit over the cabinets, and there is one big blank wall next to the table.  I'm not really a wallpaper person, but, I could be convinced.  I hate floral, and won't go too 'girly'.  

What is a good color to paint a kitchen?  

[simser]

I've painted my kitchens either a really pretty buttercup yellow or a periwinkle. I've loved both of them. I did the periwinkle with black cabinets and white, and the yellow with white. I'm not sure the yellow would go with your cabinets though.

[tallguy]

What is a good color to paint a kitchen?

What is the color of whatever on your stove is most likely to blow up?  There you go.  

[thyme4change]

Jun 4, 2016 13:39:05 GMT -5 tallguy said:

What is a good color to paint a kitchen?

What is the color of whatever on your stove is most likely to blow up?  There you go.  

LOL

[NoNamePerson]

Jun 4, 2016 13:39:05 GMT -5 tallguy said:

What is a good color to paint a kitchen?

What is the color of whatever on your stove is most likely to blow up?  There you go.  

 If I had taken that into account when I had to paint kitchens over the years I would have just melted a box of crayons and thrown them up against the walls.  I'm dangerous in the kitchen!!

[zibazinski]

Aqua

[midjd]

Our cabinets sound like the same color as yours. We painted the kitchen a light bluish gray, it is my favorite of all the paint colors in the house. I think it's this one: www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6239-upward/

What are you thinking of for counters? 
 

[alabamagal]

At my previous house we used an Olivish green picked out from the current trend colors. I HATED the olive green in the 70s but it fit nicely with our oak cabinets. We also inherited some outdated wall hangings from MIL that looked really good in our kitchen.

[mroped]

We have a multilayered, sponged paint. The boss did it by herself and I kinda like it!
Is something like multiple layers of brown/orange(?) 
I cannot even describe what color is but I know it works and is different!

[Tiny]

Grey is a really popular kitchen color right now. I see a lot of kitchens done with a shade of grey on the walls.

What if you did the big empty wall in a bright Turquoise (or Agua) and then the other walls (and maybe the TV room walls too) with a complimentary neutral color (a white or sand or whatever goes with the Turquoise/Agua). You can then add in curtains, pot holders, towels to go with the Turquoise wall.

Alternatively - if you already have a lot of accessories in a color you like - use that to color one wall...

Turquoise should work with your red and white table/chairs. Flamingo pink or a pea green might work too.

[Deleted]

Jun 4, 2016 15:09:21 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Aqua

[lynnerself]

I have 90s oak cabinets.  We left the cabinets alone. Put down laminate tile that looks like a terra cota floor. Put in black quartz counter tops, black range, stainless appliances, tan walls and a brick red accent wall. Sort of Tuscan. 

I like it, but if I wanted to update, I would paint the cabinets and walls off white and have a modern black and white kitchen.

[debthaven]

You could paint one wall red to go with the new table and chairs.

We just put in a new kitchen ... the walls are white but the backsplash is bright red glass. It looks great! I also bought some new, inexpensive items in red ... ie oven gloves, dishcloths, soap dispenser, lamps, trays, etc.

[thyme4change]

Jun 4, 2016 18:33:36 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Grey is a really popular kitchen color right now. I see a lot of kitchens done with a shade of grey on the walls.

What if you did the big empty wall in a bright Turquoise (or Agua) and then the other walls (and maybe the TV room walls too) with a complimentary neutral color (a white or sand or whatever goes with the Turquoise/Agua). You can then add in curtains, pot holders, towels to go with the Turquoise wall.

Alternatively - if you already have a lot of accessories in a color you like - use that to color one wall...

Turquoise should work with your red and white table/chairs. Flamingo pink or a pea green might work too.

Grey was my first thought. I seem to be on a grey streak right now. But, because the kitchen is open toy brown on brown on beige TV room, I am thinking I should coordinate.

[thyme4change]

Jun 4, 2016 15:35:38 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

At my previous house we used an Olivish green picked out from the current trend colors. I HATED the olive green in the 70s but it fit nicely with our oak cabinets. We also inherited some outdated wall hangings from MIL that looked really good in our kitchen.

Right now our kitchen is a light Olivish maybe dark mintish color. I like it, but I just want a change.

Maybe I don't since I can't come up with any better ideas.

[Tiny]

Jun 6, 2016 9:01:49 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Jun 4, 2016 18:33:36 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Grey is a really popular kitchen color right now. I see a lot of kitchens done with a shade of grey on the walls.

What if you did the big empty wall in a bright Turquoise (or Agua) and then the other walls (and maybe the TV room walls too) with a complimentary neutral color (a white or sand or whatever goes with the Turquoise/Agua). You can then add in curtains, pot holders, towels to go with the Turquoise wall.

Alternatively - if you already have a lot of accessories in a color you like - use that to color one wall...

Turquoise should work with your red and white table/chairs. Flamingo pink or a pea green might work too.

Grey was my first thought. I seem to be on a grey streak right now. But, because the kitchen is open toy brown on brown on beige TV room, I am thinking I should coordinate.

Go with grey... google    grey and beige bedroom (or bathroom or kitchen) for ideas of shades that work together.   

when was the last time you painted the TV room?   Maybe you're "update" needs to include repainting that room as well.  

[thyme4change]

Jun 6, 2016 10:07:23 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Jun 6, 2016 9:01:49 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Grey was my first thought. I seem to be on a grey streak right now. But, because the kitchen is open toy brown on brown on beige TV room, I am thinking I should coordinate.

Go with grey... google    grey and beige bedroom (or bathroom or kitchen) for ideas of shades that work together.   

when was the last time you painted the TV room?   Maybe you're "update" needs to include repainting that room as well.  

My couch is brown, which probably needs to be replaced. But my stained concrete floor is a brownish redish stain. I have no idea how to make grey work in there without refinishing the floor and replacing the furniture.

I feel like I am leaning too grey. The outside of the house is grey, my bedroom is grey, my bathroom is grey, my laundry room is grey. Can I do everything in grey? Seems like a rut.

[Plain Old Petunia]

My kitchen walls are tan, the same as the rest of the house.  I love them.

Your wall color should coordinate or complement your counters.  What are you thinking for those?  Will you be doing a backsplash?

[Plain Old Petunia]

Jun 6, 2016 9:01:49 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Jun 4, 2016 18:33:36 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Grey is a really popular kitchen color right now. I see a lot of kitchens done with a shade of grey on the walls.

What if you did the big empty wall in a bright Turquoise (or Agua) and then the other walls (and maybe the TV room walls too) with a complimentary neutral color (a white or sand or whatever goes with the Turquoise/Agua). You can then add in curtains, pot holders, towels to go with the Turquoise wall.

Alternatively - if you already have a lot of accessories in a color you like - use that to color one wall...

Turquoise should work with your red and white table/chairs. Flamingo pink or a pea green might work too.

Grey was my first thought. I seem to be on a grey streak right now. But, because the kitchen is open toy brown on brown on beige TV room, I am thinking I should coordinate.

Personally, I HATE greys and browns together.  Brown is a warm color, grey is a cool color.  One or the other, but never both, IMO.

[thyme4change]

Jun 6, 2016 11:15:09 GMT -5 Plain Old Petunia said:

Jun 6, 2016 9:01:49 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Grey was my first thought. I seem to be on a grey streak right now. But, because the kitchen is open toy brown on brown on beige TV room, I am thinking I should coordinate.

Personally, I HATE greys and browns together.  Brown is a warm color, grey is a cool color.  One or the other, but never both, IMO.

When I look at pictures of brown and grey together, it is grey everything and a few natural wood items (like a table and chairs) or brown everything with a grey stone counter. That seems okay, but brown paint next to grey paint seems very contradictory.

[kittensaver]

A REALLY good color to paint a kitchen is one that makes you happy when you look at it . Seriously. Double Seriously.

I recently (last Fall) did what you are proposing: a "facelift" of the kitchen as opposed to a tear-out-and-start over. We left the floor plan and the cabinet framing intact, painted the cabinets, got new doors and drawers (with new hardware), new countertops, new sink, better lighting, upgraded trim and a couple of new appliances.

Try and shoot for a style that "fits" your existing house (mid-century ranch). That doesn't mean you have to go backwards in style with knotty pine and scalloped word work , but it should definitely harmonize/blend with the rest of the house. And please don't put Tuscan Villa or Fussy French in the middle of a ranch house . Some styles that should work well for you: Contemporary; full-on Midcentury; Industrial; Urban Cottage - or a mix of these.

If you want to get an idea of how to upgrade without tearing everything out, Moon posted my photos on the Slackers thread. Post #68.

Good luck whatever you decide!

ETA: ymam.proboards.com/thread/48109/2016-slackers-club

[lexxy703]

My last kitchen I painted dark chocolate brown with light beige counter tops & cabinets. It looked fabulous. My current kitchen is a lighter greyish brown color with white cabinets & grey countertop. It opens to my living room with taupe walls & brown leather furniture.  It flows nicely.