Natwerk Designs

Design kitchen color scheme around white stove and fridge?

A white fridge and stove are coming today. We are just re-coloring the kitchen (walls, cabinets, flooring) temporarily and inexpensively until we re-vamp to re-sell years later. I'd love to do a modern mocha muave slate color scheme, but I think the white will be too stark a contrast. The countertop stays for now- a marbly laminate that ranges from a beige to mocha, with mauve undertones. How do I tie in that mix with white? To what extent can we use modern neutrals? Thank you!

Public Comments

1. Try dividing the room with a chair rail. I used a color called "Library Pewter" (kinda mocha) on the lower portion and "Heron Plume" (a white) on the upper section. Both paints are made by Sherwin Williams. Looks great, lots of compliments. My appliances are white as well.
2. Don't forget white itself is a neutral! The colors you've described would all work very well with white appliances. Mocha and white work very well together (and would create a spa/cafe-latte sort of theme). You can use a mauve as an accent color in your linens and accessories. I'd also add some punches of color (a deep mulberry red or forest green would be lovely for the holidays) in exchangeable accessories (decorative plates and serve ware, linens, and wall art) to coordinate with the changing seasons. Deep hues would add drama during the colder months and a bright palate (banana yellow, robin's-egg blue) would add brightness for spring. Sounds like you'll have a lovely kitchen! Good luck!
3. If you love modern mocha muave then go for it. You may be selling it in a few years but you have live in it until then so why not enjoy it a little...it's just paint and easy enough to change if need be. Since it's the kitchen (one of the most used rooms in the house) there's a good chance you'll have to do touch ups to freshen years of wear and tear anyway. If you're uncertain about colour, buy a sample sized paint to test it out rather than buying a whole gallon...some paint stores also sell oversized paint chips. The white appliance will only stand out too much if they're the only white in the room so introduce other white elements (doesn't necessarily have to be on the wall). Too much white and you've got an overly sterile looking space. A touch of colour and contrast gives a space warmth and personality.
4. with a white fridge and stove the best look would be white cabinets, close to colour of appliances is important otherwise one of the whites will either look too dull or too bright next to the other. Then you can keep your counter top and use a wall colour that is anywhere in the range from the beige to mocha. This will look sharp, clean and contemporary and allows you to set the tone of the room with your accents, table wares, window treatments, decor pieces. You could use anything from red, mauve, plum, teal, black...the possibilities are endless.
5. Were it my kitchen, I would paint the cabinets "smart white" by Sherwin Williams, and then paint use "Flexible gray" for the wall color. http://sherlink.sherwin.com/swapp/color_visualizer/index.jsp