Dh says it makes him feel like he lives with a serial killer!

[Pippyls67]

I want to paint my kitchen red. Tried a tester pot and Dh says it looks like I’ve committed mass murder and not cleaned up after me. I think it’s jolly. Very old house, quite dark though with low ceilings and exposed beams, stone walls etc. Maybe it could he construed as ‘spooky’. Depends on your take on it I guess. I really want a deep rich colour feature wall. What colour would you go? Should I stick to my guns (excuse the pun) and stay with the red? Edited to say yes to first couple of replies- you’re right, I must consider him too. He’s not prepared to suggest a colour tho as he got free reign on his own study. Just comments unhelpfully. He’s very old tho so he says he’s fully entitled to be curmudgeonly from time to time. So up to me. Maybe on reflection this is why I want a jolly colour. Or Oh my God, stream of consciousness thinking now, am I trying to bait him for mild entertainment???? No - I’m old too - but I’m not that cantankerous. Ahh the fun of being a pair of retirees.

Some women appear to do this. I notice it with both my SILs. The kitchen as Their Space, their DHs relegated to some kind of man cave situation. I'm fond of both of them, but they have some deeply essentialist notions about gender norms.

Oooh now this floats my boat. Burgundy walls and a nice glass of burgundy to toast it! Could do that of an evening.

I love red (although agree you should find something you both like). Can you post a picture of the kind of thing you have in mind? Is it red units or walls or both?

I have a pepper red kitchen. However I live in a council built 1930s two bed terrace. With a tiny galley kitchen. And DH painted it for me as a surprise when I was at work.
It works in my kitchen (have had lots of compliments) but there's not too much space that's actually wall as opposed to cupboard so that might make a difference.

How about a plum or burgundy?

It’s his house too so I think if he doesn’t like red then you’ll have to find another colour.

As stated - I’m old and from a very traditional farming country background . It’s no excuse, but it kind of explains the essentialist gender norms. Perhaps I need dragging into the 21st Century by my Damart dressing gown cords 😁!

Dc wanted red bedroom but his room is dark so we compromised on red wall and banana yellow for the others.

I'm all for embracing a dark and cosy vibe in old / dark houses (our north-facing sitting room is painted dark green for eg) but red is a very difficult colour to get right.

In my old job I used to visit a house where the sitting room was painted dark red - they also never opened the curtains, had huge samurai swords on the wall, skulls on the shelves and lots of reptiles in heated cages around the room. Now that was a serial killer vibe!

One wall burgundy & a deep cream on the others?

I painted my kitchen walls red once, thinking it would be cheerful. Hated it.
what about a terracotta, reddish, but lighter and not so gloomy.

I don't find red a restful colour. With kitchens I always imagine what they would be like to sit in with a hangover or migraine- not that I particularly get either, but I can imagine. My friend has just had hers done all red walls and it looks smart but I couldn't live with it. One feature wall might be tolerable.

When we moved in our kitchen reminded me of my student union bar, it was very 1990s. Walls were painted purple, orange and red. We painted it coffee and cream colours, fitted travertine tiles with pastel shades and had light Maple coloured wood units fitted. So relaxing.

Burgundy works in this deVol kitchen, mixed with (what looks like) F&B sulking room pink.

what colour are your units?

As someone with a 300 year old house that spent bloody AGES painting over red paint from previous owners, don't do it. It was so dark and dismal and looks much better now it's a light colour. I actually don't mind red on high ceiling period homes, I just don't think it works on beamed, low ceiling cottages. And it's an absolute fucker to get rid of.

Mustard or yellow or very orangy peach is what you are after, not red

My kitchen is very much my room, in a slightly overcrowded house. My desk is in here and I sit, work, write and paint in the kitchen behind my Japanese screen! Of course every bugger else has to use it too but I do think of it as my space.

I lived in a Victorian terrace house years ago and the previous owner had painted the back room a deep pepper red - one of my friends called it 'the bloodbath room' 😂 I quite liked it, but there was quite a lot of darkish wood in the room too, and it was a bit too 'heavy' overall.

How about a deep but muted/soft-ish terracotta? Or even pink - another friend did her bathroom in, iirc, Ointment Pink from Farrow & Ball and against wooden skirting/door frame it looked fab.

I think the decor in the kitchen should be chosen by the person that spends most of the time in there. Red sounds great.

It doesn't really matter why he doesn't like it - you should pick colours that the two of you both like!

How about a strong yellow - it's cheerful and strong but not as hard to get right as red.

Or burnt orange?

Wow, that sounds wild!

I like the burgundy and blush @TheGirlattheBack posted, that’s a lovely mix. My last bathroom had a redcurrant wall and cream tiles, similar vibe.

Great picture inspo- thank you. The units are lightish yellowy oak in a shaker style. Work top is jamocha granite.

@Pippyls67 - yup go for it.
It will grow on him 🤣 🎨🖌️

I've got feature walls (not full rooms) in my Victorian house in several rooms. And I think they are fab (luckily my DH does too, but more in a "go on then, what you do usually works..." kind of way. Rather than something he'd probably do without my input...

F&B Eating Room Red in the diner part of the kitchen (it is quite a dark room too, so the other walls are Tallow, which really glows with the red.). Looked at Raddiccio but too purplish for wanted.

Then full on F&B Citron for one wall of kitchen end (rest Tallow)

Brinjal wall in lounge - deepest darkest aubergine, plus on one wall of our office.

I'm planning to paint the Entrance Hall / boot room off the kitchen half F& B Dutch Orange and half Hague Blue soon too.

Go for it! It's only paint, if he really hates it after living with it for a while you can always paint over it.

My library is a deep red; I have dark wooden shelves and furniture in there, and I really like the depth the shade gives. It could be dark I suppose, but with lamps and candles it's really cosy!

Couldn't agree more. My heart sinks with every "it has to be LIGHT" comment. Dark colours are absolutely luxurious and can make small spaces look bigger. I have no idea why people are so scared of colour that they live their lives in greige.. It's not like you can't ever repaint.

Terracota mixed with orange and peach is what she is after