Kitchen colour schemes

People like to express themselves when it comes to home decor but it doesn't have to stop with the lounge and bedrooms. The kitchen has evolved over the years and is now as much as a design feature as the rest of the home and you can be quite creative when choosing your kitchen look.

Should your kitchen scheme be white, metallic or colour?

Your style of home will often dictate what type of decor you should consider for your kitchen. A metallic look would suit a kitchen in a very modern home but bold colours would fit in just as well. An all white kitchen fits in anywhere and colour and interest can be introduced via appliances to break up the expanse of white areas but whatever you have in mind, before you make a final decision you should consider the following

• Are the surfaces and materials easy to keep clean?
• Does what you have in mind compliment the rest of your home?
• Will it date?
• How will your choice affect your home's resale value?

How to choose a colour scheme for your kitchen?

Many people opt for an all white kitchen because of its versatility. White kitchens are bright, tend not to date and will not clash with your home's decor. They can be complimented with the use of coloured appliances and accessories.
But they can also look a little bland in the absence of some kind of colour accent in the form of utensils or other decorative touches. They will show up dirt and discolorations that are inevitable with age and use so they need to be kept very clean to keep them looking their best.
Colours are always a great way to put your own stamp on your space and kitchens of any style lend themselves well to colours whether you go with bright primaries or opt for softer pastels or earth tones.
You need to carefully consider your choice of colours though if you are planning to sell your home down the track or place it on the rental market as your choice of colours may not appeal to everyone and can have a negative impact on a potential buyer or tenant.

Metallic colours and stainless steel finishes suit very modern kitchens and the look is sleek and commercial. Metallic paints do come in colours and can look very effective.

Stainless steel is stylish and reasonably easy to keep clean and looking its best. It is tough, comes in either reflective or brushed finishes and it's becoming very popular. The reflective finish will show up marks and blemishes very easily and fingers can leave smudge marks that can be hard to shift. The brushed finish doesn't show marks as easily but care needs to be taken with cleaning stainless steel as it can scratch.