Colour Your World!

Most often when you think kitchen cabinets your mind goes straight to the typical white or wood toned colours. However, more and more people are deciding to incorporate some colour into their kitchens by going with colour cabinets. What was once most commonly seen in farmhouse styled kitchens or retro kitchens is now more popular than ever for every style design. Maybe people have been inspired by the Dunphy kitchen from the show “Modern Family” or perhaps the style is just making it’s triumphant return but I get asked about the how to’s and colour options of painting cabinets quite often. When I started doing my research on this topic I was pretty surprised at just how bold some people will go and the colours were endless. I wanted to know more about the colours and what exactly the average person is feeling when they step into their lime green or corn yellow kitchens every morning and I was surprised at what I found. Let’s have a look at how these shades look on the cabinets and what feelings these colours can evoke from within:

Browns, Blacks and Greys:

BROWN:

“Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favourite colors.”

BLACK:

“Black is the absence of light and therefore, of color. It represents power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, underground, good technical color, mourning and death.”

GREY:

“Gray is the color of independence and self-reliance, although usually thought of as a negative color. It can be the color of evasion and non-commitment since it is neither black nor white. Gray indicates separation, lack of involvement and ultimately loneliness.”

Blue:

“Blue represents peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, cold, technology, and depression.”

“While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.”

“Blue can slow the pulse rate, lower body temperature, and reduce appetite. Blue is considered a business color because it reflects reliability.”

“Blue is often considered to be the safest global color.”

“In China, blue is associated with immortality. In Colombia, blue is associated with soap. For Hindus blue is the color of Krishna. For the Jews, blue symbolizes holiness. In the Middle East blue is a protective color.”

Green:

“Green, one of most-often cited favorite colors. It represents nature, environment, health, good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune.”

“Its cool quality soothes, calms, and has great healing powers. It is often worn in operating rooms by surgeons.”

“In China, green hats mean a man's wife is cheating on him; it is not a good color for packaging.”

“In France studies have indicated green is not a good color choice for packaging either.”

“In India green is the color of Islam.”

“In Ireland green has religious significance (Catholic).”

“In some tropical countries green is associated with danger.”

Purple:

“Purple represents royalty, spirituality, nobility, ceremony, mystery, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning. Purple is considered an exotic color.”

“Purple dye was made from the mucous gland of a snail. It required thousands of snails to yield 1 gram of dye causing it to be a color only nobles could afford. Today purple is a trendy color targeting creative types.”

“It has been said that the color purple decreases your appetite.”

Red:

“Red is the color that we pay the most attention to. It is the warmest and most energetic color in the spectrum. We associate red with love, valentines, danger, desire, speed, strength, violence, anger, emergency exit signs, stop signs and blood.”

“Red can evoke a fight-or-flight response, raise blood pressure and make the heart beat faster.”

“Red would not be the color of choice for psychiatric wards, prisons or a hospital.”

“In China red symbolizes celebration and luck, used in many cultural ceremonies that range from funerals to weddings.”

“In India red is the color of purity and is often used in wedding outfits.”

“Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant.”

Yellow:

“Yellow represents joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard, spirituality and inspiration.”

“The yellow rose is a symbol of friendship, less passionate or threatening than red ones.”

“In Asia yellow is sacred, and imperial.”

What do you think about colour cabinets? Are they a great way to add a punch of colour to your kitchen or would you rather stick to the tried and true? Based on the descriptions, what colour cabinets best suit your personality? Share!