You have painted your walls or wrapped them in paper, you’ve settled for the kitchen layout and the kind of feel you want to have in your kitchen. You can already visualize how the kitchen will look like after you are done with it. However, there’s one key aspect that will make or break the feel of your kitchen: your stone type (Marble, Granite or Quartz) and countertop colour. The choice of colour will make or break the aesthetics of the room. It is a matter of great importance that you familiarize with all available colour options before choosing your kitchen countertop.

There are four main theories of mixing and matching colours in order to achieve the ultimate aesthetic feel in your kitchen:

Complimentary:

Basically, this is using two or more colours that are vastly different from each other and combining them to create a strong combination. This theory is helpful when you want one colour to stand out or when you want to add a degree of subtle to a brighter shade. It is of great importance that you ensure that the colours work well in this style else you will end up hurting the aesthetic feel more than complimenting it. This is quite an intense combination that needs someone who is sure of the colours.

Monochromatic scheme:

This is the direct opposite of complimentary colour scheme in that you use only one colour. Monochromatic colour scheme performs best when you use shades of the same colour to achieve a subtle colour scheme that is noticeable without detracting from the overall kitchen design. You will find this ideal in small kitchen spaces and kitchens with contemporary design elements. This gives a calming effect but it may look a little one dimensional.

Analogous

This is basically the marriage of the two schemes mention above. Here, you choose two colours that are next to each other but optically distinguishable – one colour is a stronger shade of the second colour. The idea here is to place the stronger shade in large parts such as walls and ceilings and the second colour for smaller areas. This will work best when you team up cool colours or warm colours.

Mix and match

In this colour scheme, the colour is determined by the material. Mixing of materials is an increasingly growing trend among home owners. By mixing materials, you are able to add texture to schemes and prevent the look of your kitchen being overpowered by just one material. It has the potential of reducing the cost too – without necessarily increasing maintenance cost or compromising on the styling. For instance, if you use granite and introduce timber in some areas (where no much action takes place), you will not only compliment the looks but also make your kitchen top more affordable.

Other useful tips

• Clashing colours – if you feel brave and confident enough, you can opt to add non-related colours and still have your kitchen looking beautiful. However, if you get it wrong, you will leave your kitchen looking like a circus.

• Choose the countertop first – before you settle for the colour scheme of your kitchen, you will want to choose the countertop first. This is because you can always re-paint your walls and ceiling later. All the same, it doesn’t mean that you install the countertop before painting the walls.

Regardless of the countertop colour scheme you go for, ensure that you take time to hunt around for the correct materials. Be sure to check out what friends and family have done with their kitchens. You will want to learn from their mistakes and take advantage of where they excel. Do thorough research before settling on a colour scheme. Take advantage of the numerous home maker apps available to help you match the colours of your kitchen or get free advice from Surafceco team.