Tips on Coordinating Colors and Patterns in Your Kitchen

If you are like most people, then you probably spend a lot of time in your kitchen. Whether you are preparing meals or cleaning up after them, helping kids with homework, or just hanging out with friends, the kitchen is one of the most used rooms of the home. With this in mind, any kitchen remodel should be done with the end results as the guiding light of every decision.

Identify Your Primary Point of Focus

As you begin creating the kitchen of your dreams, you’ll find that there are three major points of focus: the floor, the countertops and cabinetry, and the walls. Starting with a clean slate will present you with a huge array of choices and, if you aren’t careful, the variety of colors, patterns, styles may come together to present a busy kitchen with no focal point where the eye can rest.

To avoid this type of confusion, choose one of the areas of focus and then work out from there. For example, if you really love hardwood floors, then start there. Once you have chosen the wood and color for your floor, you’ll be ready to move on to the other areas of focus in the kitchen.

Many people start with the countertops because these are often the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel. Whatever your primary point of focus is, be sure to carry a sample with you as you continue shopping for your kitchen features.

Choose a Preferred Color Scheme

Professional home decorators often recommend that you choose two dominant colors and then add a third accent color. If you have chosen one type of flooring which you love, then compare your favorite color schemes with the flooring to be sure that they will complement the flooring. If you have chosen the countertop first, then compare the color scheme against your countertop. Each color, pattern, or style decision should be brought back to the original point of focus. As you add details, make sure to combine them in order to get a good look at the whole picture.

Coordinate Appropriately

Usually, people coordinate their flooring with their countertops. When this is the case, the cabinets or the walls may be used as the secondary color in the kitchen. However, sometimes the countertops and cabinets will be coordinated, while the floor becomes the accent color. When considering these four separate elements: flooring, walls, countertops, and cabinetry, put one of the elements into a neutral position, coordinate two of the elements, and use the fourth element as the point of contrast.

Pay Attention to Subtle Patterns

A common mistake which homeowners make when they are remodeling a kitchen or bathroom is to use a patterned floor or countertop without recognizing the busy-ness of the pattern. For example, a granite countertop isn’t just grey. It often has lines of whites and blacks, or browns, beiges, and rusts, or blue with ribbons of contrasting color. If you have a granite countertop and plan to install a mosaic glass tile backsplash for example, make sure to choose a large tile pattern with solid colors rather than small tiles with color variations.

Be aware of similar patterns in tiled or hardwood floors and in the tiles used commonly as a backsplash.

Check Out Popular Color Schemes

One painting professional said that there aren’t any colors which are bad to put into the kitchen, but there are bad color combinations. If you are having trouble making everything come together just right, look at some of your favorite kitchens and take note of those color combinations.

Your initial preparations can lead to a completed kitchen project which satisfies you even as trends come and go. After identifying your primary point of focus and have determined the color scheme which you want to use, you’ll be well on your way to creating a kitchen which you will be in love with for a long time to come.

About the Author

Suzie Bennikar is a seasoned home improvement expert, who strives to find new and creative ways to better remodel and decorate a home.