Who wants to help me choose which colour to paint my kitchen units?

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Have just bought a new house, we are decorating throughout and I'm getting a bit jaded with all the decisions!

The kitchen is the heart of the house really and it's important that I get it right (not least because our budget is small as we haven't sold out old house yet) so I can't afford to do it twice. I'm thinking of cream units, top and bottom, but DH loves the existing contrast of colours. The units do need painting regardless, they look good on the photo (taken from rightmove as I forgot to take photos when I was there today) but in reality the units have been scraped in places and generally need a makeover.

I'd really love cream units at the top and a sage green on the bottom but the floor is a pale terracotta colour (with a red tone in it) and the tiles behind the cooker are various shades of red and I don't think they will work with green. Our budget won't stretch to replacing either I'm afraid.

Haven't posted a pic on here before so hope it works!

Since you mentioned terracotta color, I thought I would post a link for you. IT is really for deciding paint that will go well for your fireplace but I thought this would apply too. I have a red/orange tone brick with terracotta hearth flooring (whatever you call it) ....I was looking for something that would go well with it.

Here it is: www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-paint-colours-for-rooms-with-a-brick-fireplace/

I'm trying not to over-identify here. When we moved into our house, 5 years ago, we inherited wood-effect melamine units, crimson tiles, orange terracotta floor tiles, yellow walls and ceiling and crimson woodwork. It was SO much worse than your kitchen, which at least has lovely proportions!

Anyway, I tried loads of colours against the dark red, and the one I found that calmed it down most was a cool greigey/putty colour (Homebase Putty, though they seem to have changed the colour). I have actually used this to paint my units. I painted the tiles white.

The orangey floor still niggles me, though. And I thinking of painting the walls a dark colour - at the moment the floor is the strongest colour in the room, and I think only a dark colour will knock it back. Maybe a grey, or a grey-green, or a grey teal?

Thanks blueberry! I see I was spot-on with my greige recommendation, and grey, but possibly veering off with the green...

Thank you for your replies, that link gives some good advice.

I should've said but the room is North facing so doesn't get much light during the day so I'm worried darker colours will make the room too dark. Does anyone like the red units? I could have them repainted red but I'm really not sure. DH loves them but it's me who will be spending more time in the kitchen so I think I should get the deciding vote!

The red is not bad. I don't know how red it is. Maybe glaze (or wax it) to tone it down if it is really bright red.

you can turn it into a fiesta kitchen and have fun with it.

(or mexican/spanish style kitchen) their kitchen is very colorful and fun.

It's quite a dark red and there is bright blue paint underneath (don't know whether they've used it as an undercoat or if it was once actually all painted blue) which I think impacts on the shade of red.

DH and I have been disagreeing about the kitchen again today, not helped by his parents raving about the red when they came to see the house for the first time this afternoon!

I'd really like to paint all the units in F&B Pointing, boring I know, but may compromise and let DH have just the island kept red.

Not sure those ideas would work blueberry, it's a farmhouse and I think they'd look out of place? Love the idea though!

We inherited a kitchen with teracotta-y tiles on the floor and splash back. We've had the units painted in a Johnstone's colour match of F&B skimming stone and elephants breath walls. And (most importantly) we replaced the warm white lights with bright white LEDs (4000K) which cools everything down colour wise. It looks good.

I would paint it all cream. Would look lovely with those work tops.

I would go for some fairly neutral units and then do new handles. I LOVE these.

There's some lovely provencal handles in there which I think would look great with the terracotta and give the room a sunny feel.

I do e-design consultations, but I'm happy to chime in here as someone posted a link to my site above and it's much appreciated as I love new visitors! Okay, so if you choose any type of green for those bottom cabinets it will 'enhance' the terracotta floor and the floor will 'enhance' the green in the paint colour. Overall the look will be a bit more 'country' feeling. I think your kitchen is lovely so you could definitely go that direction if you like a more colourful look. The other option is to choose a nice neutral for those base cabinets.
If you do want a neutral with a very slight green undertone for a more 'subtle' approach then check out Crownsville Gray which is a mix of brown/gray and a touch of green. Dolphin (a BM Affinity colour) is a bit more neutral. I also quite like Sparrow which is also a neutral but on more on the brown side (with grayish undertones). I hope that helps!
~Kylie
www.kylieminteriors.ca

I have terracotta tiles floor tiles and a mix of sage green (well actually Lichen green F&B) and cream kitchen cupboards - I have lived with it for 7 years and love it - would not change it (yet)

Tried to PM you a photo but can't attach a photo - sorry.

I would go with green for the bases and a warm grey/cream for the wall cupboards. Green is a nice restful country colour. The tiles behind the cooker are a bit dated though and the reds will clash with the new green. It is possible to tile over the top of them using inexpensive plain tiles from somewhere like Topps Tiles for as little as £10 per sq mt.

Alternatively you could paint the tiles as a cheap stop gap until you can afford to replace them. Ronseal do a paint that covers tiles.

Dulux Kitchen paint is very good as it stands up to being cleaned but the colour range is a bit limited. Timeless is a nice neutral grey and Melon Sorbet is a nice sage green. Dulux paint here

Neptune also do a good paint range for kitchen units.

It's a lovely kitchen.