Kitchen painting question?

Question

Before we started kitchen renovation, I found an inspiration picture - a Tuscan farm scene with yellow-orange fields, dark greens trees, and red roofs and the poppies. We have tiles w/ shades of yellow, tan, and rust and maple "spice" cabinets. The appliances are stainless steel w/ black. The countertops will be Juniperano St. Cecelia granite, which has a light base, with black, yellows, oranges, and some red flecks in it. The sink is black granite and the fixtures are brushed nickel.

I took the color of the picture mat (Warm Muffin from Behr) and we painted that on the ceiling in the kitchen. The kitchen walls will be faux Italian plaster (not a lot of wall showing due to cabinets, tile backsplash, and banquette seating).

The original plan was to pick up the red from the painting and granite by painting the kitchen walls a darker red color (similar to Behr's Ruby Ring). I need to paint the walls, but I'm starting to get scared. Will the red be too dark/bold? If so, what to do?

Answer 1

Do a test paint first (I'll explaing below). I figured this out the hard way when I was painting my family room and kitchen.

Here's what you do. Cut a piece of cardboard to about 12" by about 12". Then go out and buy whatever is the smallest quantity of paint that you can buy of that color you want to paint your room. I believe Behr has sample paint portions you can buy pretty cheaply. Paint that cardboard with two coats of paint and let it dry. Then get some blue painter's tape and stick a ring of painter's tape on the back of the painted cardboard. Now stick it up on the wall around all your major stuff. Look at it under different lighting situations during daytime, nightime, evening, etc. The paint will look slightly different under each lighting. Leave the sample cardboad piece up on the wall for a couple days if you have to. If you still like the color after a couple days, then the paint should be fine in the room. Doing this sample technique I developed can save you tons of time and money.

I know from experience. Third time of picking a color and painting the downstairs was a charm, cause I didn't want to paint it a fourth time. That's why I developed this technique of color sampling. You need a big sample that you can step back and take a good look at. It's hard to tell what a color is going to look like when you have a 1.5"x1.5" sample and you are holding it about 2 feet from your face. When you look at your room you are going to be several feet away not 1-2 feet. At the same time, while the color may look good near one major object in your kitchen it may not look good next to something else. I kind of used a fall-orangish red till I got around to the fire-place and realized that it didn't go with the fireplace at all. Then I had flourescent lighting vs sun light vs incandescent light all to battle with when I was trying to pick my color. The nice part about this technique is that the sample is big, you can move it around, and you can stand back and look at it from a distance.

Answer 2

If you don't have too much wall space you may want to think about covering hafl of the wall w/dark red paint and other half w/wallpaper picking up on the lighter cream color. Or even painting the wall w/ cream and accenting w/bolder red.
GramSam
I am at present time renovating my cabinets. White cabinets w/lt grn panells and picking up w/these colors on desk, etc. I also am repainting my countertops from a darker color to a white w/tiles centered on island breakfront. It is a challenge; but can be successful w time and patience.
I hope this has been helpful

Answer 3

Your kitchen sounds great. Though red is a great color, it also is highly stimulating and that may work when you are entertaining but not so much when you are wanting a more relaxed, comfortable feeling. I would look towards the yellows but to be careful as yellow is a difficult color to get just right. It's best to get little samples and paint them on the wall first and stay with the warmer yellows.

Answer 4

I dont' think you can go wrong with red in a kitchen... red makes you hungry, inspired and lively... all things you wanna be when cookin'!
Kitchens usually don't have a large wall, so i'm sure you'll be fine! DONT BE AFRAID OF COLOR!