I have come to hate my grey kitchen in the winter.

[Allthethings]

New kitchen several years ago. Opted for dark grey units, white quartz worktop, light grey flooring. I didn't want the walls white so opted for a lovely pale blue.

It all makes me very happy in the spring and summer. Its south facing and gets beautiful light filtering in, 'rainbows' cast by the sparkle in the quartz, foliage shadows on the walls etc...

In the winter, it just makes me feel miserable and cold and I don't want to spend time in there. We have an oak table in the dining part, have added colourful art on the walls and even added some oak shelves to try and add warmth and make it cosy. Ultimately though, the grey makes the space dark and the blue walls make the space cold.

I'm open to suggestions, or even commiserations if you have experienced similar. I love country style kitchen diners and I'm not sure what I was thinking when we made the choices we did. It was part of an extension so perhaps we were deciosion-fatigued. Also, it was difficult to plan a kitchen for a space which didn't then exist.

What do you think would make the biggest difference? Change the floor colour? Lighting? Wall colour? If so, what colours? Would painting one wall deeper shade help or make it worse?

If you love the blue then keep it!!

Mats on the floor, some really big artwork if you've the wall space, will all help. What are your window coverings like? Curtains will be cosiest, and if you have them on a pole they can come down for the summer.
Fairy lights can help too, or even a warm coloured light-up artwork.

Thank you. I've been looking at photos and the blue is a greeney colour when natural light hits it. In the summer months it is just right.

It is the dining section that's worst so probably its not the grey cupboard doors that are the problem. We've frnech doors at the centre of the back wall where the dining area is. I've a peninsula which means that is the direction I am staring at. I will focus on small changes there. A rich runner for the table is a good idea. Also I could think about adding a temporary curtain to the French windows to black out the darkness. But what colour?!

The flooring is a bigger issue than the paint. I was trying to get a new england style floor but when it arrived, there was less contrast between the kitchen cupboards and floor colour than we had expected. Stripping the floor will be a pain but ultimately cheaper than a new floor or a giant area rug.

Thanks for helping me mull it over.

If you're looking for plants to use then I would recommend orchids. They are incredibly easy to look after (I say this as someone who has managed to kill a cactus in the past!). They need very little care, just a little bit of water once a week and they thrive in direct sunlight. They come in so many colours that the choice is almost endless.

If you have windows without any dressings, you’ve essentially got a black and blank space in winter, which will appear to suck the warmth out of the room.

Put curtains up (as pp says, you can take them down in summer) and have some yellow toned lamps near that space to warm it up.

I think you're right. Curtains would help.

I'd rather they were thin, voile types so there's no so much bunching when they're open.

Any good sites to look at? The back reception room has some from H&m which are white with a small pattern on. Last time I looked they didn't sell anything like that. Maybe IKEA...

Going against the grain here re the curtain idea - what a shame if you have beautiful french doors! Looking out of a warm kitchen at grey skies / snow / darkness is precisely what makes the space feel extra cozy in my opinion.
Can you put a couple of large pots with something like Photinia Red Robin trees decorated with warm white fairy lights outside? Or a Christmas tree? Glas jars with candles / storm lanterns would work well, too.

One thing that can make modern, sleek kitchens feel cold is a lack of texture. To contrast all those smooth and shiny surfaces you would want cushions and maybe a rug in interesting textures (e.g. velvet, crochet, sheepskin, tasseled).
The same goes for other accessories. Avoid 'hard', shiny surfaces. Use seagrass baskets or porous, textured concrete as plant pots. Vintage / handmade looking stoneware crockery, fat lava vases, linen napkins, rustic candles on the table. Always have fresh flowers / eucalyptus branches (they last for ages) / amaryllis or hyacinth bulbs in glass jars. Vase with interesting bare branches decorated with those thin wire mini LEDs. Aroma diffuser or scented candles with a warm, wintery scent. Search Pinterest for Scandi winter decorations (similar cool colour palette but not ‚cold‘ at all).

This is the problem of colour schemes. A cool one will look great in the warmer months and warm colours so cosy in the Winter. If you do repaint how will you feel come Summer as you will likely have the same problem in reverse?

If you’re looking for a pink, F&B calamine has a touch of grey that keeps it from being sugary. We have it in our grey and white bathroom.

Or go darker - a deep navy blue in our kitchen works great with the expanse of black outside the glass, but it needs lots of very yellow light.

Everyone has been so helpful. You have given me hope that with the addition of a few extra items, I should be able to improve the look of the space, even if I can't completely transform it.

I get what you are saying about the curtains but I was going to put them in the inset. We have quite a deep inset as the doors are set flush with the outside wall so they can open outwards almost flat to the wall. This summer I put some flimsy cheap white voils up with a tension rod on very hot days to keep out the flies. I was thinking of using the same rod inside the doorway but add better quality curtains. The woodwork of the door will still be seen. Of course, that will mean less light when they are open but perhaps worth it if we are mostly in the kitchen when it is evening and dark.

I do have a small sofa in the kitchen and had not considered adding some textured furnishings to that. I also have a small shelf that is not being utilised and I will use AnotherDIYSundays ideas to find something for that.

You could try a sari as a curtain- not much bunching, but sumptuous. A bright pink with gold trim might sing with your blue (you'd need to check though). Jewel colours definitely warm things up!

Just to say that timeless CAN go wrong! It is often brilliant but not always.

I’d say warm sage green too, f&b have nice ones you could get colour matched in johnstones, couldn’t cost you more than £50? Then maybe some accessories in warm but palllle pink, very in right now so lots of things about. Completely agree with previous poster re texture. And fairy lights. And yes curtains even if you don’t close them and also pots outside with lights in those.

Just to say that timeless CAN go wrong!

NOOOOOOOO not listening lalalalala

I have vibrant voiles up on a pole through the summer, to reduce the glare. I take them down in winter to increase the light, but they look good. Mine are a textured, shot, metalic chiffon in iridescent colours.

Iridescent everything goes well with grey- Wilco has a range of pots, soap dispensers etc.

Orange wall paint? My kitchen sounds a lot like yours and we have a bright orange wall. Not everyone's cup of tea but I chose the colour to add perceived warmth and it works. Originally wanted duck egg blue but thought it may feel cold..

Try a tall plant or two that stand on the floor or in a raised planter instead of on window ledges. Something that gives texture.

Add more wood to go with the table. A large chopping board that stays out or a nice fruit bowl.

Add a large mirror with a 'warm' frame in wood.

Add a hessian, or cow hide natural looking rug

Add more lanterns, candles and lamps. You should have lighting from all angles and brightness. A downlighter, an uplighter, some hidden low lighting, a regular lamp etc

I cannot see how sage green with darker grey units and a grey floor is warming anything up. I have Borrowed Light by F&B in a bedroom but not with dark grey units where I am not sure it could ever look warm.

I would also put up a decent pole for the voiles for the French windows. Preferably not in the recess so you can get them out of the way when the doors are open.

I have a kitchen that’s glass on two sides. I love the dark! I cannot see anything as we Iive in a village with no street lights and I cannot see another house. However with the paint, accessories and having a few magazines and bits and pieces on show, it feels lived in.

I can see why Pointing might not work with white quartz work surfaces. However I’m not sure I would stick with the blue. I don’t think blue and grey is a great combination as they are both cold colours and the floor is exacerbating this. It’s cheaoer to repaint. However I might be tempted to lighten the floor as well.

Today I'm working from home in the kitchen. I've changed the table around so it goes a across the room rather than the rectangle running towards the door driving one's eye towards it. It also makes the table more of a focus. When I get a runner it should help.

Taking inboard suggestions here I've moved some ornaments to the bar shelf which feature some metallic colours on them. I've moved a textured wooly throw from the living room to the kitchen sofa and added a blush velvety cushion. I've moved some battery operated fairy lights to the shelf with the Cacti. I could get better pots for the Cacti.

Anyway, the throw, ornaments and cushion won't stay but I can see what a difference these small touches make. I hadn't considered dressing the sofa. That will make a huge difference. I shall be buying a few new bits this weekend. I like that I can change the look in the summer when I want my cool, fresh sanctuary back.

I'm not convinced about the curtains. I think they'll crowd the space so I'd rather start off with a temporary non fixed pole

When time and money permit we'll tackle the floor. Then if the paint still screams 'too much cold' I'll look at changing the paint. I think I lean towards a blush neutral. I wouldn't do sage. Our bathroom is sage and we chose it to go with a cream vanity unit. I don't think it would go with our shade of grey cabinets in the kitchen. The blue paint was always supposed to be green. I fooled myself that the green would show through as its a gender blue in natural light. But it's definitely blue.

I have a dark kitchen, so added lots of pastel. Pastel pots, utensils, containers for coffee etc and some little hanging signs and hearts in pastel. Also a string of bunting and a string of fairy lights.

We have Timeless throughout our house and it's great - it goes with everything.

As for this thread - you've all encouraged me to tackle my kitchen too. I have French grey units, a duck-egg blue island, limestone flooring and dark grey granite and it's so gloomy in winter! I need to change the tiles on the splashback behind the cooker - thinking of going for yellow - which is kind of a bold choice for me eek!

Juneau: Have you thought about a mirror splash back? Reflects the light. Easy to clean?

I have similar colours in my kitchen but the island is off white and my work tops are pale grey flecked granite. So a lighter colour scheme I think. Can you paint the Island? Cushions for my chairs are bright with orange and yellows. I’m a fan of flowers in my kitchen too. Hate bright splash backs though!

I second the plants idea. We have a window sill with no blinds, and I have rows of herbs as well as two cacti up there and it definitely makes a big difference. I also have a couple of large candles in beautiful holders. I don't tend to light them , but they are lovely and decorative and cosy in themselves.

I'm happy to take onboard the suggestion to buy fresh flowers for the kitchen every week. I could do with a smaller vase. I'll add that to the list of things I need to buy!

Bubbles I hadn't thought of a mirror splash back, but even if I put one in it wouldn't reflect any light really, because the kitchen/dining/living room is all open plan and the kitchen bit is in the centre of the house with no windows from which to reflect light. The mirror would just be facing the wall opposite! But I know what you mean about bright splash backs (rather like bloody 'feature walls'). I've ordered a few samples this morning and we have several tile shops in town, so I've already told DH I'm going to drag him round them when he's next working from home He'll love that!

I feel like I’ve really let the Timeless side down, I promise I have used it successfully and get its appeal, however I used it in our ginormous knocked through Victorian sitting/dining room and it’s just institutional and depressing. Can’t be arsed to repaint so just look at it sadly and brood.