Selecting an Interior Paint (Blue Kitchens)

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When selecting an interior paint for a kitchen I have rarely seen blue on the walls or cabinets and seen even less that were actually done tastefully. Now I am not a blue hater in any way, in fact the Tiffany Blue is one of my top colors for an interior... in like a living room or bedroom. The honest truth is that blue is a tough paint color for a kitchen.

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Blue is a color found all throughout nature in many, many shades. Why is a natural color like this so hard to incorporate in a kitchen, a place where we take raw elements (food) and make them into works of art?

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It goes back to "tasting" your paint color like I described in a previous post. Other than blueberries what natural foods are actually blue? Not many that's for sure. Thus we don't associate blue with food. In addition the color blue can actually suppress the appetite.

Before you go selecting an interior paint in the blue family to help with your "diet" we have to discuss some of the other "feelings" that blue walls/cabinets in a kitchen can create. Like green, blue can be associated with "healing" which is one of the reasons it appears in a lot of doctor's offices. Certain shades can also be associated with depression. Because of the feelings fabricated and it's lack of representation in food, I think blue can make your food taste bland or make it less appealing. If you're still wondering why this would be such a bad thing when you're trying to lose a few pounds think about how hard dieting can be. The last thing you want is to have those select items on your approved list tasting even more insipid when you're fighting those cravings for refined sugars and greasy fats.

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That's not to say blue can never be an option with selecting an interior paint for your kitchen. There are other factors to take into consideration such as the contrasting colors of the floor, cabinets, other walls, and lighting. It just may prove to be a difficult task when used in such a high volume as opposed to being used as an accent color through your use of accessories.

What has your experience been with blue kitchens? Have you found some that have worked? What feelings does the color blue extract from you?

Selecting an Interior Paint (Green Kitchens)

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If I were to ask you what paint tasted like you might give me a funny look and wonder if I myself have eaten paint and then wondered why. However, that is almost what we do when we select an interior paint color, especially in a kitchen. The mind is a very powerful thing thus when we see a color we associate it with memories we have where this color has been used. If it is a food color we can almost taste that food as we take our trip down memory lane. Green seems like the perfect food color, right; and since eating is typically the main activity for a kitchen it is a great solution... sometimes.

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So how do you know which greens to use in a kitchen? Always remember that in a place associated with eating we will remember how that particular green reminds of food, good or bad, before we usually remember other objects. Green can look fantastic as a paint color. It also may be better suited to use through the use of accessories as opposed to paint. It just depends on the exact color you settle on.

When selecting an interior paint for the kitchen you will want to take into account the value (lightness or darkness) of the other finishes being used. To do this I try and picture my room in greyscale. If the green of my wall and the brown of my cabinetry would be the same grey value I know I have a problem. The eye likes to see diversity when it comes to the different values of colors. My personal preference is to not use dark paint colors on the walls in a kitchen. However each person's feelings and association with any color will come from their own personal experiences.

If you were to see any of these greens what memory would come to life? How do these greens relate to food? Here a few associations I can think of:

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The scary science project in my fridge or pantry.

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Baby food. I know it is just pureed by the thought of baby food peas makes me a little sick.

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The pumpkin that was left of the porch for way too long.

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Walls that have seen too much moisture.

Certain shades of green remind me of some "interesting" memories I have growing up. I was the oldest child of many and have changed my fair share of diapers. Some were varying shades of green. If I were to paint my kitchen in one of those particular shades I think I might vomit just thinking about the smell. Speaking of vomit... You get the idea green can have some really gross associations.

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While selecting an interior paint for a kitchen we tend to associate colors with food first we also want to think about other spaces where green may be used. For example, green is often used in the hospitality and healthcare business. The last thing I would want is for my kitchen to remind me of my doctor's waiting room. For some reason food just doesn't seem as appetizing in a space that mimics anything related to a hospital.

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Sometimes the fix is as easy as switching to a paint with just a tad more blue or a tad more yellow. Other times finding a different shade completely will make for the better option.

Thus when you have brought home your sample swatches and put them under the various lighting that you color will be exposed to ask yourself these simple questions.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I see this color?

How would my room look in greyscale?

What does this paint taste like?