The latest kitchen paints

Paint is a quick and inexpensive way to personalise your kitchen – and the choice is endless. Use this guide to choose a formula and shade for your project.

Click on the links below to see the latest paints from these companies...

Dulux | Little Greene | Homebase | Crown Paints | B&Q | Fired Earth

Dulux: 'Use bold shades'

Louise Smith, Dulux global colour designer says: ‘Children love bright colours that have a sense of fun about them – but when they grow up to be adults, their preferences change gradually from these exciting colours to neutral and cream shades that will stand the test of time. But does a colour scheme have to last forever? ‘Interior trends follow fashion predictions, and while wardrobes tend to be more neutral during the autumn and winter months, most choose brighter, livelier shades to wear in spring and summer. As you become more aware of this change and embrace colour in your daily life, it becomes easy to live with – and you may wonder why you were satisfied with warm neutrals for so long.

‘Colour is addictive, so you might have started with buying a red toaster and then find that you want to introduce some more invigorating brights to your kitchen. Colour blocking has become very popular in fashion, combining strong, bold shades in the same outfit – so why not try this at home? Adding colour to an alcove, or a chair, table or cupboard doors, is a great way to refresh your kitchen and brings it up-to-date.’
Back to top

ABOVE: Walls in Pink Nevada 1 Tailor Made Colour Kitchen Emulsion, around £24.99 for 2.5 litres; shelving in Almond White Quick Dry Satinwood, around £16.99 for 750ml, both Dulux.

The Little Greene Paint Company's timeless new range

Following the success of its Colours of England range, The Little Greene Paint Company has once again collaborated with English Heritage to create Retrospectives, a collection of 32 authentic colours from the 1960s and 1970s. These iconic shades make a strong statement on their own, as well as blending well with other shades in the latest colour card.

ABOVE (left-right): Tivoli Absolute Matt Emulsion; Marigold Absolute Matt Emulsion; Leather Absolute Matt Emulsion, all £27.50 for 2.5 litres, The Little Greene Paint Company.

Each shade is available in a selection of environmentally-friendly water and oil-based finishes, suitable for all surfaces in the home, including The Little Greene Paint Company’s signature flat finish Ultimatt, as well as eggshell, gloss and floor paint.
Back to top

ABOVE: Wall in Lemon Mivvi Absolute Matt Emulsion, £27.50 for 2.5 litres; units (from top left) in Cupboard Green, Spearmint and Milk Thistle, and worktop in Grace, all £37.50 for 2.5 litres, all in Intelligent Eggshell; from the Retrospectives collection by The Little Greene Paint Company.

Unique naturals from Homebase

Authentic Origins is a new range from Dulux which is available exclusively at Homebase. Inspired by British nature, the colours in the palette work alone or in a harmonious combination for a relaxed, warm feel. A thick, creamy matt emulsion that dries with a flat finish, the range is available in 18 colourways and costs £23.99 for 2.5 litres. It is shown (in picture below) in Plum Preserve on the large wall and Early Spring on the smaller wall.

ABOVE: All paints from the Authentic Origins range at Homebase.

Sample pots of 125ml cost £2.49 each, so you can afford to experiment with a range of shades, including Pink Bunting, Field Mouse and Moss Blanket (below).
Back to top

ABOVE (left-right): Pink Bunting Matt Emulsion; Field Mouse Matt Emulsion; Moss Blanket Matt Emulsion, all £23.99 for five litres, Authentic Origins by Dulux.

Expert advice from Crown Paints

Mark Bannister, decorating consultant at Crown Paints says: ‘Once, kitchens were simply places where meals were created. Now they are at the heart of most homes – and with a little planning when decorating your kitchen, you can make the most of the space it offers. When painting any room, some advance preparation is essential to achieve a perfect finish with the right décor. This is especially the case when you’re painting a kitchen.

‘As the space will be exposed to humidity and fatty grease (regardless of how often or thoroughly you clean it), the paints should offer a degree of moisture resistance, wipeability and anti-mould properties.

‘Decide what style you are looking to achieve – simple and fresh, rustic country or contemporary, for example – and select shades that work with the key elements, such as cupboards, worktops and flooring.

‘Colours tend to evolve with fashion and this is true of kitchens too. It wasn’t long ago that every kitchen seemed to feature yellow and blue. Now people feel more confident about bolder shades, including steel me tallics and grey. Or you may want a neutral canvas backdrop on the walls and introduce bright colours with appliances or tiles.’
Back to top

ABOVE: Crown Paints’ Kitchen & Bathroom Paint is a steam-proof, super tough, stain-resistant matt emulsion that also prevents the build up of mould. It is suitable for use on walls, ceilings, wood and metal, and grease marks can be wiped away. It is available in 29 colourways, including Delicious Pink, Toffee Apple and Seville Orange (above) and costs around £21.99 for 2.5 litres.

Give kitchen furniture a new lease of life with paints from B&Q

A piece of furniture, old or new, can be given a new lease of life with just a few coats of paint to give it a completely bespoke look. Colours Everywhere Matt is a multi-surface finish that is tough, durable, stain-resistant and easy to clean. It is available in 60 colourways and the interior of this Malmo three-door glazed dresser (After image, below), £349, is painted in Warm Yellow, £17.98 for 2.5 litres, while the exterior is in Colours Quick Dry Gloss Lemon Ice, £18.98 for 750ml, all B&Q.
Back to top

ABOVE: A kitchen dresser is given a makeover using Colours Everywhere Matt paint from B&Q; (Far right, top to bottom) Spring Matt Paint; Victoria Matt Paint; Warm Blue Matt Paint, all £17.98 for 2.5 litres, Colours Everywhere, B&Q.

Eco-friendly paints from Fired Earth

Fired Earth has three paint collections that can be used to add colour to a kitchen. Its National Trust range is particularly suitable, as the hardwearing emulsion, £32.50 for 2.5 litres, is washable and extremely tough. The palette of 36 colourways is inspired by the wealth of beauty within the National Trust’s historic houses and gardens – and it’s also available in eggshell.

The two Kevin McCloud collections are also available in a wipeable matt emulsion, £29.50 for 2.5 litres, as well as in eggshell. Both are made from minerals, pigments and resins that have been selected for their qualities of opacity, density, light fastness and durability. Developed with the environment in mind, with minimal or low-solvent (volatile organic compounds) content, the main Kevin McCloud collection comes in 120 colourways, with a further Mid-Century range of six colourways inspired by the Festival of Britain.
Back to top

ABOVE: Shelving painted in Garden City Acrylic Eggshell, Mid-Century collection by Kevin McCloud for Fired Earth, £17.50 for 750ml.

FEATURE JO MESSENGER
All prices and stockists correct at time of publishing
Featured in the February 2012 issue of Real Homes