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.

I've got farrow and ball Calke green in my kitchen (every wall!).
It's my absolutely favourite colour - and varies in colour dependant on the light coming in

This picture is very much the vibe actually. Our window is identical. One wall is exposed stone, three walls plastered and painted. Quarry tile floor, big exposed light oak beams that are the same colour as the units. I’ve got a lot of Portmeirion botanic garden on display in a big open fronted dresser. That’s very pretty and colourful.

I wouldn't force it if he hates it, but OTOH, I ordered a load of egg yolk-yellow tiles for our kitchen which I know DH would have gone "urgh absolutely not!" if he had seen them on the website page.

I did check beforehand that he was OK with me ordering and he said yes, but didn't look at it clearly because when they arrived he went "Oh... I didn't know they would be so... bright"

But then when we got them out of the pack and spread them out to mock up the look he said "Actually - it's OK - it isn't as overwhelming as I thought it would be."

I ended up having to send them back because something wasn't right, BUT because he has now seen what the colour looks like, he's much more on board with a bright colour for the kitchen backsplash, which I'm pleased about because TBH at the moment the kitchen is way too monochrome, it needs a splash of colour.

I think sometimes people can struggle to imagine the effect of a bright or deep colour when used carefully in a balanced way. They see the brightness/darkness and get scared by it, whereas an accent wall, or a backsplash or careful accessories for example can work wonders to liven up a space without being too much.

I have a black/white/red kitchen and I love it. The counters are black slate, the stove is enameled cherry red or fireman red. A huge painting of a pomegranate dominates one wall and the top open shelves are lined in red. Everything else is white.

Just Googled that. Oh my! It’s stunning!

I wasn't brave enough to use red in the kitchen, so settled for a red downstairs loo instead. It looked great! It's been repainted since, this time in bright blue.

I echo what others are suggesting re burgundy, it sounds like a good compromise.

What about green? There are so many nice shades of deep green around at the moment!

Thank you. Lots to think about. I’ll Google them all!

That's true. DH can't envisage colours in a space in the same way I can. We had an argument over the colour for the kitchen walls. I wanted what I call coffee and cream colours. He was insisting on grey and said "I'm not having brown, it's a poo colour!". In the end I just said he should bloody well go out and get what paint he wants. He came back with two pots, chuffed with himself about the lovely grey shades he had chosen.

https://www.dulux.co.uk/en/colour-details/egyptian-cotton

https://www.dulux.co.uk/en/colour-details/soft-truffle

Definitely coffee and cream in my book. 😆 "Oh yes, what lovely shades of grey," I said.

I go for yellows and oranges when I want to brighten and jolly up a dark close room. I love the Valdpar range for these.

I think a red feature wall can look fabulous and dramatic, but red tends to close spaces up, imo. Which doesn’t sound like it would be ideal in your kitchen (low ceilings, etc).

What are your walls and ceilings like? Perfectly straight mean you have to get the cut in on a feature wall and where it meets the ceiling perfect. Uneven walls and ceilings mean you go with them, but it can look a state. I love red and and have had it in old and new houses, so speak from bitter experience.

I've done a cherry red against pale wood units and a pale floor but it was a small kitchenette in a contemporary flat with very little actual wall space. With a dark floor and low ceilings while I loathe a feature wall I'd incline towards something more like a painted cupboard or other item of furniture to cheer it up if you feel it is lacking. January light is quite miserable which doesn't help but Im not sure you'll crave a red kitchen in July?

What does work quite well are accessories [not coloured toasters] but changing up cushions, a blind or other soft furnishings to pick up and warm a neutral room? That and a feature piece of furniture or lamp? These can be swapped out when you are bored or seasonally if loads of time and the inclination/cash to do so.

Exactly what the red on ours looked like. The previous owners had used a matte red on rough textured, uneven walls with black ceiling beams and white in-between the beams. The walls are wonky against the ceiling, so the red line was all over the place and looked so shit.

Sounds nice as a feature wall as long as it’s a deep red not bright blood red. Another option is terracotta? Bit more neutral but still statement.

Obviously it's a matter of taste but a red wall anywhere in a home would definitely not be mine, especially in a kitchen.

Just a feature wall? I can't see the problem. It's only a temporary colour change and can always be over-painted later on.

So depressing imo.There again I'm all about neutral shades on walls with accent colour furnishings & accessories which many would find boring 😂

Our kitchen is very dark and always felt cold painted a green similar to that depicted above. After trying numerous Farrow & Ball, Little Greene co etc options, we settled on a lovely warm biscuit/ cafe au lait colour - good old Dulux Natural Hessian as recommended by poster on Mumsnet. It feels so warm and fresh. Worth a try?

I wouldn't choose red for a dark house, tbh. We painted a room red once, and it did always feel dark in there, though it had decent natural light. When we finally repainted to a lighter neutral, it was a change for the better.

I'd go for smaller splashes of red rather than painting the entire room, but everyone is different. I do think you need to agree on wall colour when you share a house, though. I wouldn't appreciate it if DH tried to insist on a colour I hated.

It is just paint and a feature wall? Try it out. If not good, paint over it.

Or, I guess you could go with all magnolia, beige tiles and carpets, white doors, beige curtains, white appliances. :-)

People are afraid of colour.

Terracotta, coral, deep peach, ochre yellow or brownish brick red might be warmer and more inviting for your DH and less serial killer.

How about a burnt orange? Warm without being murdery! Found this on Pinterest

I would go with red, I love red. Is the kitchen small or large ? I live in an old cottage with small rooms and I have embraced this and gone darker, not lighter.
If you love red, have red . Personally I never ask my DH what he thinks about colours, I just paint it whatever I like. He is happy with this I should add !

I'd grow tired of red fairly quickly and it's not fair to have a colour DH doesn't like too.

By grandma painted her kitchen in bright orange ceiling and all. My grandad loved her a lot but when she died he painted it white within the month.
Personally I would go for a teal or lilac a bit different but more reflective