I have received lots of questions through the Crown Paint’s website recently from people asking for advice on how to give their kitchen a whole new look on a budget. For many, the kitchen is the focal point for family life so it is important that it reflects your personality as a family and will function to suit your lifestyle. I often recommend that you choose a particular style and then build your kitchen around that design.

I have chosen two kitchen trends that I find are the most popular and easy to integrate into family life. I will take you through the colours involved and how to use this look in your home to create the perfect kitchen without breaking the bank.

The first of these looks is a Mediterranean style kitchen. This is one of my favourite looks for a kitchen as it is not too often that you are able to use such bold colours in a room in your home. Using tones from this palette is the perfect way to introduce a little sunshine into your kitchen. Shades to consider for your walls include Hot Sun, Soft Spice and Spice Rack.

These all take their inspiration from the casual Mediterranean way of life and vibrant cuisine. Choose one colour to feature rather than a combination of all three to ensure the look stays true to the design.

Painting is a cheaper alternative to tiling your kitchen but it is still important to tile some small areas such as the splash back behind the sink and your stove. This is a chance to get creative and introduce some truly beautiful shades, try using a blend of sky blue and white to continue the theme. Use a dark stain, such as Sadolin Interior Stain in Redwood on your kitchen table or cabinets to produce a natural looking surface.

The Mediterranean style is all about taking inspiration from nature so avoid having modern looking appliances and utensils on display. Instead use wildflowers and conventional pottery throughout the room.

The other potential look for your kitchen is the ever popular ‘Country Kitchen’. This design has been given a retro twist to bring it back into fashion again. Fresh, bright shades should be used in this colour scheme to ensure clean lines and a classic finish. Colours to consider for the room include Jet Stream, Botanic and Sail White. You can incorporate all three colours into your kitchen by using simple patterns like vertical stripes. Use the green and blue shades together against a white background for an almost vintage feel country kitchen.

Traditional country kitchens always have various pots, pans and delft on display. Choose wooden shelving painted brilliant white above your kitchen cabinets to get the desired effect. Hanging enamel kitchen utensils such as colanders, teapots and tools will give your kitchen that busy, homely feel without too much clutter. Why not check out your local car boot sale or antique store for country feel accessories at very low prices.

If your kitchen appliances are outdated it may be worth thinking about replacing them altogether. If you have not factored this cost into your budget then there are plenty of clever ways that you can hide them. Many people fit their kitchen machines behind cabinet doors which is a cost effective way of keeping your dishwasher out of sight! If the layout of your kitchen means that you are tight for space, consider an area for your appliance in an island unit.

Happy Decorating,

Neville

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