Home Kitchen Design – How to Select Paint

When it comes to kitchens, creating a solid durable surface is very important, so picking the right paint for the job is key. Learn how to select paint for your kitchen in this House & Home video:

If you’re starting with a bare dry wall, it’s best to start with a primer rather than a paint plus primer combination. A primer will do a better job of sealing the wall and will avoid sheen differences caused by dry wall seams.

Ceilings are often overlooked, but they have a huge effect on the look, the light and the overall ambience of a room. Most ceilings tend to be painted white because of their reflective qualities, making a room seem brighter and larger. Ceiling paint is designed to be dead flat so it’s more forgiving and hides most imperfections.

Paint colors are just as transformative in the kitchen as they are in any other room. Depending on the lighting and your personal style, you can decide to inject a little or a lot of color into your kitchen.

• White is often a kitchen go-to and for good reason – it’s bright, it’s clean and it never goes out of style.
• Warm colors such as red are a bold choice for a kitchen and make a strong contrasting statement, especially against white cabinets.
• While some people consider gray to be too cold, having the right shade can work wonders.
• Light blues and greens aren’t too intimidating and usually offset wood cabinetry very nicely, whereas a dark blue can be quite dramatic and is very trendy right now.
• Warm tones like yellow can create a cozy country look or, depending on the tone, a very sharp modern look. Yellow does require a skilled eye to get the shade just right.

Paint comes in matte, satin, suede and silk sheens. A suede sheen is best for higher traffic areas like kitchens; it has a little bit of a higher sheen and is a good choice for walls where you need to scrub a little bit more. A silk sheen is suitable for cabinets, furniture, trim and doors as it is scuff and stain resistant.

There’s a lot you need to know when picking paint, so when you go shopping come prepared with a list of all the different surfaces you want to paint and bring some color inspiration to help you narrow down your choices.