Adding colour to your cooking space boosts mood and wellbeing. New research shows colourful kitchens can also increase the value and saleability of your property.
There’s no denying that a new kitchen is a major investment, not just financially but in the style stakes, too. This is a commitment that can set you back tens of thousands, get it wrong and you’ll have to live with your creative choices for years. But in design, fortune favours the brave, and if you dare to go bold you will reap the benefits of a colourful kitchen – and up your property’s desirability in the process.
Cheeringly, the data also shows that Londoners are the bravest in the UK when it comes to kitchen colour choices, with design savvy Capital dwellers increasingly experimenting with vibrant hues, not just in the cabinetry but on our kitchen walls, small appliances, and (not so) white goods. Brands like Smeg and Everhot are known for their statement kitchen products in bold primary brights or vibrant candy shades, while an accent wall in a strong hue can bring character and energy to an otherwise neutral scheme in the kitchen. For Dawn Filkins, head of creative at Smile Kitchens, it’s not just about the colours we use in our cooking spaces but importantly, how we use them. “Over the last few years, customers have been looking for increasingly colourful kitchen designs, and as we continue to use our homes in different ways, unusual colours will only become more popular,” she says. “Not every kitchen is suited to the same use of colour, and so thinking about the placement of colours in relation to room size, lighting, and the effect you want to create is the key to a truly impactful design. Darker blocks of colour are a great way to add depth and a touch of elegance to the space but will inevitably make the room look smaller. Using wall cabinets in a lighter colour where the base units are darker will keep the luxury feel, whilst creating the illusion of a larger space than with dark cabinetry alone.”
Rotpunkt’s Smala SC is shown here in the new Velvet Green colourway
If you’re looking for more colour inspiration from the experts, Rotpunkt’s new Velvet Green is both cool and calming in this updated Shaker style kitchen concept. Thanks to its clean-lined design, it offers a bold colour block without interruption, which only adds to its serene aesthetic. Brandt Design’s Heritage Furniture kitchen is seen here in Farrow & Ball’s Pelt with SS23’s hottest colour lavender on the walls. Quintain Living’s north London development The Robinson uses bold pops of colour throughout its luxury apartments, representing the spices brought back to Britain from across the commonwealth. A statement splash of saffron yellow will add instant cheer and a sense of optimism to your morning coffee routine. Doyennes of the luxury Ikea hack, Husk have gone blush pink in their New Natura kitchen in Terra, while Farrow & Ball’s case study kitchen successfully flanks the forest green Beverly with the denim-like Selvedge – two of the brand’s 11 newly released paint colours – proving that blue and green should always be seen.
Husk’s New Natura kitchen is shown above in Terra, a playful blush pink
According to new research from kitchen makers Magnet, homeowners are missing out on adding both value and vibrancy because they’re afraid to venture away from neutral, seemingly safe colourways. The research shows that one in three perceive a white or cream kitchen to be lower in value, while blue and green are said to look the most expensive – yet around half of the homeowners polled admit to having little or no colour in their homes at all. Head of merchandising Hayley Simmons says: “This insightful new research brings to light just how tentative British homeowners can be when it comes to incorporating colour in the home, yet the benefits of opting for richer, more vibrant tones far outweigh any risk. We would highly encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and embrace colour in the kitchen.”
DIRECTORY
Kitchens: Magnet (magnet.co.uk) | Smile Kitchens (smilekitchens.com) | Rotpunkt (rotpunkt.co.uk) | Brandt Design (brandtdesign.co.uk) | Husk (madebyhusk.com). Small appliances: Smeg (smeguk.com). Range cookers: AGA (agaliving.com) | Everhot (everhot.co.uk). Paint: Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com). Developers: Quintain Living (quintainliving.com).