Suggestions for colours for hand painted kitchen - *noddyholder*, *MrsFlorrick* and other design gurus!

[amazonianwoman]

My new kitchen is being installed next week and painted the week after and I haven't thought of colours yet...

The units are quite traditional shaker. The range cooker is cream and centred along a run of units with a honed granite worktop in Nero absolut I think it's called - dark slate, not quite black. The large island has a teak worktop. There's also a freestanding cupboard containing the fridge + freezer.

The flooring will be this colour

There are patio doors facing north, 2 windows facing east and a larger window facing south. The room opens to a dining room and family room so they all need to flow. The kitchen used to be a lounge with much larger windows so at the moment it feels darker, so I want to keep it light.

Where to start?! I was thinking of painting the main run very pale, off white, but which white?! And the island and fridge cupboard darker but no idea which colour.

I have shaded white in the hall and like it, it looks like a pale olive colour rather than grey. I also have a whole tin left (stupid decorator insisted I would need that much) so thought about using that on all the walls? Or is that boring?!

Any suggestions? I'm crap at choosing paint colours.

Thanks!

I love this Martin Moore English kitchen but have no idea which colours they've used.

Hi Amazonian. Loving the chosen floor.

Having looked at the Martin moor kitchen you linked, I'd say one of the following F&B colours: elephants Breath, skimming stone, pavillion grey, Cornforth white, dimity.

Elephants Breath, Pavillion Grey are possibly slightly darker than the MM link photo. And the other about the same or slightly paler.

As for which one. You need sample pots and paint into a3 paper and look at them in different lights and against the furniture and tile samples and granite sample and anything else you plan to have in the room.

As for Walls. I personally would go for a white. Simply because your beautiful floor tiles will stand out more and you can then go for a darker/stronger colour on kitchen units without making your room dark. And you are having honed black granite which is quite dark.

Also look at Fired Earths Malm, Flake White, wax Myrtle, peace and quiet.

I wouldn't go for a pale olive with that limestone. Don't think it would be nice against it and against a black worktop.

If you don't want white walls look at either a shaded white which has either grey tones to compliment the black worktop or warmer tones to compliment the Dijon limestone floor.

And same applies to paint for kitchen units.

Enjoy picking paints. I love doing kitchens and bathrooms. It's such a joy.
Bit bored that mine are all done. Think I need to move house and start again...,

This www.higham.co.uk/southfieldshandlelessshaker.htm

Has a very warm (but dark) floor with pavillion grey units and what looks like Blackened on the walls. That could work for you.

Or this is a good example
www.higham.co.uk/hammersmithgrovehandmadekitchen.htm

The floor is Jura beige limestone. Which is almost the exact same colour as the Dijon. I know because the limestone shower tray from the bathroom photo I emailed you, is Jura Beige to match the Dijon.

The units are painted in Cornforth White with white walls and as you can see its quite a dark kitchen.

My kitchen is in 2 F&B colours; bone and tallow (although the tallow looks like a warm cream rather than pinky as on the charts)

The units are on 2 sides of the kitchen and are the creamy colour, the island units are painted in bone. Both are topped in an almost black granite. The walls are an only just off-white (think it might be Dulux Timeless) and the wall opposite the units, by the table is painted in F&B Mouses Back

I love it, it's very neutral yet warm and is traditional but modern too.

Argh. Sorry talking out of my backside (tired).

It's Jura worktop with Tundra floor!
And it's the ceiling that's white and the walls are probably pavillion grey

And they have a green splash back over their range. I don't think it goes personally.

Sorry. I will come back tomorrow when less delirious with tiredness.

I did Elephant's Breath (main run) and Charleston Grey (island). If you want a photo, PM me.

Our units (coming in 2 weeks) are Cornforth White too. Our floor tiles are a mid-grey shade with blue/brown tones and we're having white walls for now until I can decide what shade of slightly darker paint might go with it but I am worried about it being too dark

I wouldn't put a cream range with my colours as I don't think the cream-tones go with the shades I've chosen, but that's me not you! I've just got a thing about cream and grey not looking right.

You can get some lovely off-white shades with warmer tones in that I think will look beautiful with your stunning tiles. From F&B what about Wimborne White or Clunch?

Thanks all

I agree that the greys might not look right with a cream range (beginning to wish I'd played safe with a black one, but too late to change that now )

I've used timeless before, that would work on the walls. I love Bone, have some Garden Trading tins which are that colour and they look ok with the floor sample and range.

Just about to go into the F&B shop now...

I have Bone for a few fitted cupboards always looks lovely. Not grey!

Bone is gorgeous. Good luck in the shop. I spent a small fortune on sample pots and was torn between Ammonite (too pale) and Purbeck Stone (I liked it but others though it was too dark and would date quickly) so that's how we ended up with Cornforth White units. I'm obsessed about keeping the room light and flowing through too!

Does it have to be F&B? Little Greene paints are stunning too.

Let us know how you get on!

Armed with samples, will try them out when the floor is laid

Yes I love Little Greene too, just can't face having too much choice! I'll actually get the paint trade mixed for the units as FB don't make an oil based eggshell. Or maybe I should find the LG nearest equivalent and use their oil based?

Little greene is better paint.

Ok, anyone know what the nearest LG equivalent is to FB's Bone?!

Have a look at LG Portland Stone Deep. Slightly less green in it than F&B Bone, but it's probably the closest. There's a slightly darker version called Portland Stone Dark (surprise!) but that might be too dark for you.

LG don't make oil eggshell anymore either. Nobody does. It's now outlawed due to high VOC content.

F&B used to do one and it was fab.

I am on my second kitchen with units painted in F&B water based eggshell. It's great and durable. No chips or cracks in the paint in either kitchen.

Previous kitchen was painted by me when we moved in and when we sold 6 years later it still looked so fresh and smooth the buyer thought we had just had it painted and professionally spray painted.

Currently kitchen was done a year ago when installed. Despite DC best efforts it's still flawless.
It needs to remain so as Beautiful Kitchens magazine are coming to shoot it in January!

LG are great too. Don't sacrifice a colour you want because you're told one brand of paint is better than another. It's unlikely te difference is huge.

You can have grey with cream. Not a cool grey but warm grey tones like Skimming Stone and Elephants breath.
And I think Rolling Fog in LG.

^WSS - it just has to be the right shade of grey.

My MiL has a painted kitchen and she used this dead flat varnish on top. It's a few years old now but looks pristine and she's a heavy kitchen user.

Oooh MrsFlorrie Beautiful Kitchens Mag. That's exciting!

*MrsFlorrick Sorry! Auto correct. Although why it autocorrected to that I don't know

Little Greene do still make oil eggshell, the oil quantity has been reduced, but it's still oil paint. The regulations are due to change again in 2015 and then oil paint will be hard to find, but at the moment lots of companies still do oil.

Are you anywhere near North London ? I can recommend Sally Bourne interiors iN Muswell Hill N10, they can give you a Little Greene version of Bone.

I also think LG still do an oil based eggshell, as do Alcro (used to be Beckers).
I would pick a neutral but not white colour for the units, I haven't used Bone but like the look of it, I really rate LG paint too, so do look at their range.

As the current oil based eggshell will be toast in a years time, its not am wise to use it now.

If you want to repaint in a few years time, you won't be able to apply water based eggshell ontop of your old oil based one. You will have to have it completely sanded (messy).

No matter which company or paint colour you choose now, do choose the water based eggshell to avoid this issue later.

Oh why does the supposedly simple task of choosing and using paint have to be so complicated! LG do still sell oil based eggshell but I didn't realise it would be phased out in 2 years. I see the dilemma Mrs Florrick!

I've used FB water based eggshell in the hall, stairs & landing on all the woodwork and it isn't wearing at all well - it was only painted this time last year Would you use external eggshell - is that any tougher? My lovely Railings front door still looks good

Now I can see why people choose gloss kitchens

I like Portland Stone

Thanks everyone again.

Opposite end of the country to North London