Add colour to a kitchen

There is no rule that says you can't have colour in a kitchen. In fact, colourful kitchen can look amazing when the right colour is used...

 

ABOVE: This kitchen is the perfect example of how to take your kitchen from blah to bright all on your own. Homeowner Karen Bertelsen chose to paint her cabinets rather than replace them, and opted for a modern green to spruce up her retro kitchen.

ABOVE: Decorating with orange can be tricky since it commands attention, but we love the way it works with grey tones in this kitchen. With bold hits of orange, the space becomes the perfect pick-me-up on a Monday morning.

ABOVE: Stainless steel appliances and Cappuccino-coloured breadboard cabinets give this small suburban apartment kitchen big city looks without the price tag.

ABOVE: When choosing a backsplash, it seems natural to gravitate towards white subway tile or marble. If you have white cabinets, try adding some character to your kitchen with a coloured backsplash like the one above. Not only will it make mornings brighter, but it will set your kitchen apart from all the rest.

If you don't have the budget for the 'real thing', grab a sponge and some colourful paint and start stamping your own faux backsplash!

ABOVE: If your taste for decorating doesn't extend to painting the walls in bright colour, add accent pieces that incorporate bold colour. Here, the kitchen stools in emerald green work nicely with the pale sage-green walls.

ABOVE: Some may not consider this colourful, but it's still a welcome change from the abundance of white kitchens we're used to seeing. We love the warm wood tones used throughout, set against stainless steel and brick for a very masculine look.

home and garden network