Choosing Paint for your Kitchen
The kitchen is often the heart of the family home. As a place of high activity, you can be bold with adventurous and interesting colour combinations. Additionally, beyond choosing colours for your kitchen, it’s also important to select the right finish for every surface.
Discover our guide to choosing the right paint finish and colours to paint your kitchen.
Which paint finish is right for my kitchen?
Our range of finishes provide a durable, beautiful effect for walls and woodwork, including kitchen cabinets.
The choice of finish used determines the level of sheen, so the look and feel of the space is an important consideration. Matt and eggshell finishes are classically beautiful when paired with wooden countertops and stone flooring, whilst a sleek high gloss finish can look striking and contemporary. We formulate our paints to withstand busy family life, little hands and even pets.
| Suitable Finishes for... | Recommended Finishes | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Walls |
Our Intelligent Paints are completely washable and water-based. Perfect for busy family kitchens. |
|
| Kitchen Units & Woodwork |
Water-based: Oil-based: |
Eggshell paint resists moisture and staining. Perfect for protecting your woodwork whilst maintaining complete scrubbability. For detailed advice how to paint kitchen cabinets, see our step-by-step guide. |
| Kitchen Floors |
Floor paint is exceptionally durable and water-based, with an attractive mid-sheen finish. An easy yet dramatic way to change the feel of a room. |
Water-based or oil-based paint, which is better for kitchens?
When selecting paint for your kitchen, you can choose from both water-based and oil-based paints.
Water-based paints
Our Intelligent Paints are breakthrough water-based paints which are quick and easy to apply. These finishes are completely washable, so you can use them with confidence on most surfaces. Use our Intelligent paints on surfaces including plaster, woodwork and radiators.
Our Intelligent Paints also hold a 'Child Safe' certification. Therefore, these paints are suitable for all areas of the family home.
Oil-based paints
With a nine hundred year pedigree, oil-based paints are the classic finish for woodwork. Oil-based paints form a deeper bond with the surface than a quick-drying paint. So, traditional oil-based recipes are renowned for their increased longevity, excellent flow and smooth finish.
We have reformulated all our oil-based paints using naturally occurring vegetable oils to replace solvent ingredients.
Our Interior Oil Eggshell paint finish is a durable choice for kitchen cabinets and woodwork.
Learn more about selecting finishes in our in-depth guide to paint finishes.
Which primer is suitable for the kitchen?
Intelligent ASP (All Surface Primer)
When renovating a kitchen, there are often many different surfaces which can be transformed with the use of colour. Kitchen cabinetry and furniture as well as tiles and melamine will be subject to a coat of paint. Our Intelligent All Surface Primer (ASP) provides the perfect surface on all walls, woodwork, Formica, tiles and glass.
How to choose kitchen paint colours?
When designing a space, consider how you would like it to feel. You can be bold with sumptuous dark colours, or produce a simple, neutral scheme with a bold colour highlight. So, how do you choose where to start with your kitchen design?
Consider existing colours in your home
When choosing colours for your kitchen, try to decide what sort of style you are looking to achieve. Take into consideration colours that already exist within the space. Surfaces, tiles, flooring and artwork are all elements that you can include as colours within your palette.
If there are any architectural features or areas of interest within the kitchen, consider using colour to highlight them.
Look for kitchen inspiration
When beginning your decorating project, take time to research schemes that you would like to recreate. You can browse images on Pinterest or magazines for inspiration.
Browse our kitchen inspiration to find the scheme of your dreams.
Consider the direction of light
The space, orientation and light in your kitchen will affect the colour. Each shade can look entirely different depending on the direction of natural light.
Discover our guide to considering the orientation of the space.
Sample colours in situ
Order sample pots of your selected shades and paint out large swatches onto A4 pieces of paper. Place these papers on different walls around the kitchen throughout the day.
Order sample potsInspiring Kitchen Schemes
Discover three beautiful schemes with some of our favourite kitchen colours. Whether you’re interested in kitchen trends or want to create a timeless space, find inspiration below.
Tea with Florence Kitchen
1. Combine complementary green shades for a vibrant, contemporary finish.
Pair Harley Green and Tea with Florence for a subtle contrast. This combination is perfect alongside light wooden furniture and gold finishings.
Explore this Look
Aquamarine Kitchen
2. Use one of the Colour Scales families to create a balanced, harmonious scheme.
We’ve produced four different shades using varying strengths of the same pigment. Use in combination for a fully coordinated finish.
The Aquamarine family are a classic blend of blue green which bring a gentle coolness and tranquillity to a room.
Here, the use of Livid on the door frame adds balance and grounds the scheme.
Explore this Look
Brooke House Kitchen
3. Add colour and texture to a neutral or white kitchen scheme by combining paint and wallpaper.
We paired Brook House – Cinder with Ceviche, an almost white wall paint. Additionally, we complemented the wallpaper with Grey Moss, a sophisticated grey without too much umber undertone.
Little Greene wallpapers are spongeable, to maintain a clean kitchen without damaging the print.
Explore this Look
Light Peachblossom Kitchen
4. Light Peachblossom is a rather exclusive dusky pink, once used in the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
Here, we complement Light Peachblossom with handmade patchwork tiles and Grey Teal units which is a confident base for light pink and peach hues.
Explore this LookFor more inspiration, browse our kitchen image gallery.
If you’re struggling with selecting shades for your kitchen, seek help from our colour consultants. Our professionally trained consultants will help you decorate your home with confidence.