What color would you paint...

[pixiewings71]

My kitchen is a very pale yellow, our countertops are yellow tiger skin granite, it's yellow, black, white and grey all mixed together, our appliances are black & stainless, the cabinets are a light wood, the floors are cream ceramic tile. I say yellow, it's very pleasing and it will match your cabinets and counters IMO!

 

[meliss8599]

Our style is French Country and we just painted our kitchen "Sweet Blue" by Behr and it's soooo beautiful. It's definitely not a grey-blue. You can find it and it's color family here: http://www.materials-world.com/paint-colors/behr/behr-colorsmart/behr-colorsmart-30.htm

It makes me smile every time I walk into the kitchen. I have yellow gingham window treatments which make it feel like a beautiful sunny day.

 

[lpandorf]

I have pretty much the exact kitchen as you do - white cabinets, light gray countertops and had the white builders paint. I had no idea what to do so I paid an interior decorate for a couple hours of her time and asked to pick paint colors for the kitchen and family room - open concept and right next to the kitchen. She picked a nice sage green for me. Looks really nice next to the white cabinets. I am using some deep reds and gold as accent colors.

 

[Friendly Frog]

Can you post a picture of your kitchen and hardware? The style of the kitchen cans sometimes influence color choice. ( Also does the kitchen show from another room? If so, what colors are in the adjoining room?)

My home is older and very traditional in style. I have off white cabinets (and off white wainscoting in the attached breakfast nook.) I painted the walls a soft yellow and I really like it. I wanted something lighter since the breakfast nook is off of a paneled family room with wood floors. The yellow helps to reflect and bring in the light from the bay window in the nook. My curtains are deep red with gold.

My other choice was a sage green shade but the yellow just seemed to work better with the style and age of my home.

In the end, I would just use what makes YOU and your family feel good, no matter what the rest of us think. Pick a color that makes you smile.

 

[AlternateEgo]

I was looking up paint colors recently and read that yellow is a bad choice because it causes aggression in people and will make your kitchen feel like a battle ground. That being said... my mother just painted every room in her house yellow.

I was looking at "Nugget" from Behr. It looks beige to me, but has a gold tone to match everything in my living/dining/kitchen.

But with white, I would almost go with a Coral or Aqua Blue. Do you have dishes that you would love to pull color from? Or a decorating style like contemporary, traditional? Do you have a theme like fruit or vegetables, wine, etc...

 

[britfish]

Thanks for all the suggestions, its been a huge help. I tried the online tool and picked out a bunch of colors I like, I seem to be really drawn to the blu/gray.
Our kitchen/DR/LR are open concept, kind of in an L shape. Right now everything is white, but if I start with a blue/gray in the kitchen will I be tied in to that color for the dining room since they are next to each other? Forturnately we have some "jogs" in our walls (if that makes sense) so they rooms are well defined as far as painting would go but you can see all rooms when sitting in one room.

ETA: no big colors in the other rooms, gray/black granite table in DR with light wood chairs, LR has dk. brown and lt. brown leather as well as a brown/white ottoman and a rug that is terra cotta, tan, black and green in the LR.

Thank you all for your help, you are saving me tons on a interior decorator!

 

[wlake]

OP, I think we have the same kitchen, right down to the color of the hardwood! We have a very open floor plan and ended up having an interior designer come help us pick out colors (we're VERY afraid of choosing paint colors!!). She put a light sagey green in the kitchen which we love. So, count me as another vote for green!

 

[britfish]

I was looking up paint colors recently and read that yellow is a bad choice because it causes aggression in people and will make your kitchen feel like a battle ground. That being said... my mother just painted every room in her house yellow.

I was looking at "Nugget" from Behr. It looks beige to me, but has a gold tone to match everything in my living/dining/kitchen.

But with white, I would almost go with a Coral or Aqua Blue. Do you have dishes that you would love to pull color from? Or a decorating style like contemporary, traditional? Do you have a theme like fruit or vegetables, wine, etc...

OMG that story about your mothers choice is so funny! Totally made me laugh! I guess thats my problem I realy don't have a style, everything is white

 

[Gigi22]

OP, if you haven't already done so, you might find it helpful to get some sample paint chips in the colors you really like and spread them out in your kitchen. Make a point of looking closely at the appearance of the colors on the paint chips at different times of day over the period a few days. The appearance of a single color can change with the natural lighting changes which occur every day. It may help your decision-making. Got this trick from an interior decorator!

 

[tlbwriter]

Our kitchen/DR/LR are open concept, kind of in an L shape. Right now everything is white, but if I start with a blue/gray in the kitchen will I be tied in to that color for the dining room since they are next to each other? Forturnately we have some "jogs" in our walls (if that makes sense) so they rooms are well defined as far as painting would go but you can see all rooms when sitting in one room.

If you can see all of the rooms while sitting in one room, your colors will need coordinate. You won't have to use the same color in every room, but you'll need colors that go together (for example, your blue grey probably wouldn't look good next to an apple green, so you wouldn't want to use those two colors). I would keep them all cool or all warm, but I know some people like to use different color combos (blue and orange supposedly complement each other, but not to my eye). Do you have colors in the dining room or living room that need to be considered, such as carpet or upholstery?

 

[kirstenb1]

I vote blue/gray. Your cabinets/countertop sound like they're cool tones. Then for the dining room stay within the same color chip, but go with the lighter or darker shade on the chip so it doesn't look so monotone.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

My first thought was also Yellow, my kitchen is yellow and I love it.

But, I also think a soft blue-gray would be nice if you don't want to go so bold.

That's what I thought too, and I just asked my mother, who has an excellent eye for these things, and she also said blue-gray.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I think a buttery yellow (chamois, not bright) would be really pretty.

 

[DebMcDonald]

Sage green

This is what I had in my kitchen with white cabinets, speckled grey corian, and a gray tile floor, but I have to agree with some of the beginning posts. I think a blue-grey would be beautiful.

I also think with what you have to start with any vibrant color would be gorgeous, you almost have a very blank slate that anything will go with.

 

[DizneeCM]

I think your answer lies in your living room rug - choose one of the shades in the rug - tan, green or terra cotta for the walls, and then use the other colors as accents in your kitchen (towels, etc.). I think that tan (if it's dark enough to contrast with the cabinets) would look especially nice with the gray countertops, and it's very neutral so you could easily change your accessories.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Blue-grey would be pretty, too, I agree. Or, really a blue-green-grey. I guess that would make it more turquoisy-grey.

 

[britfish]

I went to Lowes and picked out about 40 swatches in tans, greens, blues and grays. So far I think the gray tones look best but I am going to leave them up for a few days and check them out in the different lights.

 

[Evi]

I would keep it white..if it needs a re-coat I would do that then I would change all the knobs and faucet to match something fresh and modern. I would then update my counter-top and add a back splash if you don't have one. I think you'll be much happier incorporating color into your back splash and countertop and accessories because then you can change them every so often as apposed to be committed to them forever. (the accessories that is)

 

[smokeyblue]

I was at Lowes today pricing out coutertops and flooring. Wow was the girl I talked to awesome! I was totally overwelmed and she asked all the right questions and got me on the right track. I wanted slate/blue ceramic tile. The most impressive thing is that she told me that she would not go that way because of the size of the kitchen and the fact that there is only one window. She showed me a much lighter colored tile that had the same shades in it but a much lighter base to it. She was right on the money!

Definetely ask the sales people what they think! If you talk to the right person on the right day you might get some really good advice. I'm sure they've seen it all good, bad and ugly!