Latest Kitchen Color Trends

By Jennifer Haupt--HGTV

As kitchens cement their role as the central gathering place in the home, they're taking on more vibrant, energetic colors. "The kitchen is absolutely a key place for color," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, one of the premier color forecasters in the country. "It's the place where people gather, so it's apt to have some mixing and matching of colors to create high energy."

Bold Is Beautiful
Since most appliances are basic black, white or silver, people are adding bursts of color on other surfaces. "Most kitchens have minimal wall space, so it's a good place to splash some bold color and make a statement without overpowering the room," says designer Jamie Drake, author of New American Glamour, whose clients include Madonna and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"We're seeing bolder colors that complement stainless steel, as well as the darker cabinet colors that are in style," explains Becky Ralich Spak, senior designer at Sherwin Williams. "Aztec clay colors — such as copper, henna and ginger — as well as gold tones, are popular options."

According to Jamie, bold colors are starting to show up in some unexpected places. For instance, you might frame a stainless-steel sink with a burnt orange or fire-engine red countertop, or inlay hot pink or chartreuse tiles around coffee-colored cabinets. "People are viewing kitchens that have too much of any one color as flat, so more color is definitely the way to go," Jamie says.

Heat Up Your Kitchen With Color
Adding color doesn't necessarily mean you're stuck with bright hues. Subtle colors are also popular for creating a soothing atmosphere in which to seek both comfort and food.

"Warm colors like apricot, yellows and reds are going to continue to be popular in kitchens because they're comforting and appetite stimulators," explains Leatrice, who has a background in psychology as well as interior design. "What makes color trends different from year to year is how you put them together in fresh, inventive ways."

For example, instead of typical country colors in the kitchen, Leatrice suggests pairing a rustic "tapenade" green with accents of "strawberry ice." The cool pink puts a new spin on traditional rustic design.

Designer Jarrett Hedborg leans toward more subdued and relaxing silver blues, gray-greens and tobacco browns found in nature. "I like to use natural background fabrics and textures, such as grass cloth and rattan, to add depth and interest," says Jarrett, who counts Jim Carey, Bette Midler and other celebrities among his clientele.

The world market is also influencing color trends. The Color Marketing Group, an international, nonprofit association of more than 1,000 color design professionals, says that as India becomes a more powerful player in the world market, people will be drawn to its soothing oranges and yellows. Reds continue to be hot, in part due to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

What's "out" in kitchen colors? According to Jarrett, stay away from colors and combinations that have a commercial feel, such as the ones you see over and over in restaurants and retail stores. "There are words we avoid because the color schemes are done to death (like) Tuscan and Terracotta. These have become color clichés," he explains.

Fresh New Hues
Pantone recently announced eight new color palettes, which mix old favorites and fresh new hues. Here are a few that Leatrice recommends for a splash of color in the kitchen:

Agrestic — This appealingly contemporized country style calls for comforting combinations, like bruschetta browns, tender greens or warm golden yellows, with an unexpected accent of a vibrant pink.

Savories — Accent your home with deliciously exuberant, youthful and whimsical hues. This palette includes tasty blends of chocolate and daiquiri green, with dollops of bright hues to embellish the mix.

Ethnic Chic — Style reaches a new level of sophistication when you pair deep purple with misty yellow and stone grays or juxtapose burnt orange against vibrant blue and dark brown

When to DIY and When to Hire a Pro

Doing maintenance jobs yourself can be a smart way to save money, but choose the right DIY projects or you’ll end up paying dearly.

Look for maintenance jobs that are relatively easy and need to be done regularly,  so you can hone your skills over time.

Why pay someone to do something you can do yourself? Because sometimes doing it yourself costs more than it saves.

More than 100,000 people injure themselves each year doing home improvement jobs. So add medical bills to your DIY budget, and you ending up spending the same, or more, than if you hired a pro. We’re not suggesting that you call a plumber each time you need to plunge a toilet. But think twice about what DIY might really cost you. Here’s how to decide.

Stick to routine maintenance for savings and safety

Seasonal home maintenance is ideal work for the weekend warrior because you can tackle these jobs when your schedule permits. Because these are routine maintenance projects, your savings will add up. Mowing your own lawn, for example, saves $55 to $65 a week for a half-acre lawn. The bigger the lot, the bigger the savings: with two acres, you’ll pocket around $150 per week.

When it pays:

• Snow removal
• Pruning shrubs
• Washing windows (be careful on that ladder)
• Sealing decks
• Painting fences
• Fertilizing lawns
• Replacing air conditioner filters
• Cleaning gutters

When it costs: Unless you have skill and experience on your side, stay off any ladder taller than six feet; according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, emergency rooms are filled with people with ladder injuries. The same goes for operating power saws or attempting any major electrical work—it’s simply too risky if you don’t have the experience.

Become your own general contractor

If you’re more comfortable operating an iPhone than a circular saw, you could act as your own general contractor on some home improvement projects. That means you hire, schedule, and pay the carpenters, plumbers, and other tradesmen yourself. You’ll save 10% to 20% of the job cost, which is the contractor’s typical fee.

When it pays: If it’s a small job that requires only two or three subcontractors, and you have good relationships with top-quality professionals in those fields, consider DIY contracting.

When it costs: When you don’t have an established network of reliable workers, time to supervise, construction experience to spot problems, and the skill to negotiate disputes between subcontractors, your project and budget are at risk.


Invest sweat equity on big jobs

Contribute your own labor to big jobs being handled by a professional crew and cut hundreds, even thousands, off construction costs. For instance, tear out kitchen cabinets and appliances before the contractor gets started, and you might knock $800 off the cost of your remodel. Make sure you negotiate cost savings with your contractor before pitching in.

When it pays: Jobs that are labor-intensive but require relatively little skill make perfect sweat equity jobs. Perform minor interior demolition, such as pulling up old flooring, daily job site cleanup, product assembly, and simple landscaping.

When it costs: If you get in the crew’s way, you may slow them down far more than you help. Make your contributions when the workers aren’t around; mornings before they arrive, or nights and weekends after they’ve left.

Add finishing touches

Unlike the early phases of a construction job—which require skilled labor to frame walls, install plumbing pipes, and run wires—many finishing touches are comparatively simple and DIY-friendly. If you paint a basement remodel yourself, for instance, you can save up to $1,800.

When it pays: If you have skill, patience, or an experienced friend to teach you, setting tile, laying flooring, painting walls, and installing trim are good DIY jobs.

When it costs: The downside to attempting your own finish work is that the results are very visible. Hammer dents in woodwork, or sander ruts in hardwood floors will annoy you every time you see them. So unless you have a sure eye and a steady hand, don’t perform the tasks that only a skilled tradesperson will get right.

Will you hire a pro for the next home maintenance project or will you DIY? If hiring a professional, we would be more than happy to get you in touch with one of our preferred contractors.  And, as always, contact me, Mynor Herrera, for expert advice on everything real estate. I am licensed in DC, MD & VA, and I specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the subdivisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda and Whitehall Condominium.

Source: houselogic.com