Kitchen Design
Embrace your inner creativity by adding colour, texture and interest to the backbone of your kitchen with these exciting decorative ideas
Kitchen walls establish the foundations of the space, playing a vital role in defining the look and feel of a room. Rather than just settling for plain walls, instead capitalise on the decorative potential that they offer – after all, the walls are the most sizable surface area in a kitchen.
The options are endless, from installing wall panelling that accentuates the height of the room, to playing with paint, embracing prints and patterns, to making a decorative feature out of the building materials of your house.
Decorating your kitchen walls is a costeffective way to make a bold design statement and can instantly add a new dimension to what may otherwise be an underwhelming space.
Top to tail
Two-toned walls have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, but this look actually goes back centuries. ‘The painted tide-line was originally found in downstairs kitchen and scullery spaces, where the lower half of the walls were painted in a dark, durable gloss paint to help hide the inevitable scuff marks,’ says Merlin Wright, design director at British Standard by Plain English. Today, a similar technique is used to create the illusion of a larger, brighter space. ‘When working out the height of the tide-line, consider the position of window glazing bars and wall cupboards; the line works best when it can continue around the whole room uninterrupted,’ adds Merlin. Cabinetry starts from £590.
New leaf
Bright and light are the buzzwords when it comes to choosing a kitchen colour scheme, but deeper shades, such as Little Greene’s Garden, can bring an energetic feel to the space. Also consider the paint's finish and durability. ‘Traditionally, hardwearing gloss paints were the go-to finish, but the rise in washable matt paint means the style of finish is now a matter of taste rather than functionality,’ says creative director at Little Greene, Ruth Mottershead. Prices start at £75.50 for 2.5 ltrs of its Intelligent Eggshell.
Outside the box
Mosaic tiles have been used to dress walls and floors for centuries and they have never gone out of style. Combining both texture and colour, a geometric design, such as Original Style’s Herald marble mosaic, £266 per m2, instantly catches the eye. Due to the intricacy of the designs and the time it takes to install, mosaics are a more expensive option but can make a bold statement as a feature wall.
Chalking it up
Chalkboards aren’t just for school. Painting a feature wall with durable chalk paint, such as Rust-Oleum’s chalkboard paint, £15 per 750ml, is a great addition to the family kitchen. Whether used for adding sh
