In Pursuit of Curb Appeal

For your professional kitchen remodeling project, done by companies like Precision Builders, you might've decided on a neutral color scheme that would prove timeless and match any accents you decide to add further down the line. But you realize there's just something missing: a small but important pop of bolder color.

There are different ways to subtly incorporate that color. But the method – and the color – depend on the type of neutrals you used and any adjoining rooms.

Warm-Toned Neutrals: Coral or Teal Pop

Is your kitchen going to have a variety of warm neutrals such as khaki, ivory or a brown-toned gray? Then you also need to go with a warm accent colors. For truly bold additions, go with a striking coral or teal.

Where can you add these bold colors? If your walls are a darker neutral, then you can afford to go bigger with your color pop. Remove the door off one cabinet and paint the entire interior in coral or teal. Display white and clear dishwasher in that cabinet, leaving the door off so the color can truly shine.

If your walls are a light neutral, you can incorporate small accents of pop color all around the room to add more interest. This can include knick knacks, kitchen towels, art work frames or even the canisters you use for flour and sugar storage.

Cool-Toned Neutrals: Lavender or Sea Green Pop

The cool-toned neutral family is dominated by grays that are also joined by gray-hued browns and blacks.  Using a cool-toned palette means the room is likely a bit darker overall than a warmer-toned room. So you want to incorporate a lot of color pops in a cool-toned bright such as a red with blue undertones or a sea green.

These colors might not seem bright in the same way as coral or teal but they will provide a harmonious brightening for your cooler, darker kitchen. Consider using one of these colors as an accent wall if you are using a muted neutral on the other walls. Or you can paint the exterior cabinet doors in this brighter color.

Curveball: Mismatched Adjoining Room

If there's an adjoining room to your kitchen, where both rooms have clear and nearly constant views of each other, you might run into some trouble if one room is very warm and the other is cool toned. In these cases, you might want to incorporate some mid-toned shades into both rooms to create some harmony.

What colors are mid-toned? Look for shades of dusty rose, sky blue, deep green or cream that don't lean too far towards warm or cool tones. You can then use accents of those colors between the two adjoining rooms.