Ideas for painting my kitchen diner please!

[Lissie87]

We have bought a house with a perfectly nice but rather boring kitchen diner. It has cream kitchen units and mint tiles, which unfortunately don’t really go with how I would ordinarily decorate, but can’t be changed as we’ve just spent our last bit of cash on redecorating the grotty bathroom! (Please don’t talk to me about painting tiles - I made a massive mess of that in our last house).
The walls are currently a colour that I assume is Dulux Apple White and I’m itching to paint them something wild, but I don’t think anything will go... Also, husband is colourblind and really wants the whole lot white or cream. Floor is oak effect, dining table is actual oak, and there’s room for a two seater sofa. Any suggestions for paint colours or other decorating ideas welcome! For guidance, I generally like my house to look like an artist lives there, despite the fact I have a really boring job.

This is a stock photo, but shows the type of units I have.

Im strugglung to envisage mint green with cream! Have you got a photo of the mint? It might give an idea how to tue them together. One seems fresh and the other seems country.

Here’s what we’re working with!

The tiles are more mint / less sage in real life.

Hmmm. I can only think a darker green.

Hopefully someone else will make some suggestions

Thanks @MildredPuppy - I’m nervous to make it too dark as it’s north facing (though does also have west facing doors which let in good light as long as the weather’s ok.)

F&B Sugar Bag Blue Light? Perhaps with some wallpaper somewhere to add texture/pattern?

I have pink walls with cream units and walnut worktops and floor, I love it!

I'd paint the bottom cabinets dark green and the top cabinets white. White walls (or very very pale pink), brass/brushed gold handles.

I’d choose a pastel candy shade of pink too. You might as well embrace the pastel trend until you can afford to change it.

Agree with @Ozanj , search ice cream colour palette on Pinterest, go with the pastel green/pink/blues/creams with a bit of dark chocolate brown in the accessories for a punch.

Homebase have some new paint in for tiles which looks fantastic. If you did them a different colour that might open up more options for you for the walls

Pink and green go well. Are you looking to paint the units or paint the walls?

What colour are the worktops?

Agree that pink and green is a nice combo.

FB Peignoir would potentially give you an artier take on pink than a straight pastel. Possibly Cinder Rose too?

Or, depending on how it worked with your northern light, the infamously named, dead salmon? (Definitely arty ).

I would go with the pp suggestion of an ice cream colour palette, as you cannot change the mint tiles. Look at 1950’s American diners for inspiration.

It could look amazing with pink walls, coral accents (feature wall and sofa perhaps), and chrome accessories

You can get tile stickers - my friend got them when she had bodged painting her hideous tiles and they look great. Loads on etsy.

Came here to say pink...

Also, change the handles - this is a really simple way to make a big difference. Places like Dowsing & Reynolds have interesting stuff (but £££, so perhaps could provide inspo at least!)

Thanks all. I had thought of pink but not pastel - I’ll definitely look up the ice cream palette! Worktops are wood effect. Re changing the handles - I think I’m quite limited by their size and the marks they’ll have left on the units, but I’ll have a look.

Came here to say tile stickers as well! Ditto recommendation of Etsy for those, but also Rockett St George do cool vinyl splashback rolls (if they're wide enough to cover your mint tiles)

Also came to say tile stickers! Paint the units and change the handles

I'd be looking at these sorts of colours (all Dulux)

Not sure if you can see from the picture, but the tiles are textured to match the pattern on them... Would that make stickering hard?

Rocking, those colours are lovely - my first thought was a terracotta, but might look like an orange-fest with all the wood? Also like the F&B colour suggested but wonder if would read too cold in a north facing room?

Sorry, just realised a few F&Bs suggested! I meant the sugar bag one! Will check out the pinks 👍