Designing your Kitchen Part 2 -  Colours

Colours

The Colour Wheel

The colour wheel shows the relationships between colours. The inner ring shows the three primary colours: red, yellow and blue. These are mixed to form the secondary colours on the second ring: green, orange and purple. The third ring shows tertiary colours which are formed by mixing adjacent secondary colours.

Colour Schemes

Using the colour wheel you can examine the colour relationships of various schemes. Three main colour schemes exist: monochromatic, harmonious and complementary.

Monochromatic schemes are based on tints and shades of one colour. They are very popular as they are easy to use and create a simple background for other features such as outside views.

Harmonious schemes are based on the use of adjacent or similar colours not more than two colours apart on the colour wheel. For instance yellows, oranges and greens. Note there is a common colour in this group: yellow. This scheme is particularly suited to the person who uses the kitchen after a stressful day.

Complimentary schemes are based on colours which are opposite each other on the wheel like yellow and blue violet. This is often used to help create a bright, cheerful mood.

Colour and its impact

Colour can affect both the temperature and shape of a room. Warm colours are centered around the oranges and are welcoming and homely. Bright colours encourage activity and can be alerting.

Cool colours on the other hand are centered around the blues and greens suggesting calm, relaxation and quiet.

The quantity and proportions of chosen colour schemes can be used to change the apparent shape of your room. For example, cool colours can make your low ceiling seem higher and your narrow walls seem further apart. Warm and bright colours appear close, making the room feel intimate and small.

As a rule of thumb, three colours work very successfully in a kitchen, so any additional colours will require careful planning.

Determine the surface you are looking at most of all and select these colours first. This is usually the bench top and splashback.