Interior Design Q&A: Styling a Small Condo

You just purchased your dream condo (or perhaps a stepping-stone version of the same) – now how do you make it inviting and livable?

Q.

I just bought a condo. I want to paint the kitchen cabinets and walls. I have black appliances with a stainless steel fridge. My tile has a grey(ish) blue and a subtle pink in it. The area is pretty small. Would it be better to paint the cabinets darker or lighter than the wall behind them? I have a few colors in mind…grey, blue, light cream. I have no idea where to start??? The rest of the house is painted in a light cream color. I want my kitchen to look fun (if that makes sense). Some sort of bright color maybe?

A.

In a small area you generally want to choose lighter colors, as they often make the room appear larger. One option might be to paint the walls a lighter, more neutral color to brighten up the space (especially against the dark appliances) and then choose a bright “fun” color for the cabinets. Don’t limit yourself to one color – many people use several colors for their cabinets. Try dividing them into areas or removing a few of the doors and painting the insides of the cabinets the bright color. If you have a variation of blue and pink in your tiles you’ll need to decide how prominent those colors are. If you use a shade of blue or pink it may bring out the color in the tile. If you don’t use those shades and the tile color is very dull, you may be able to disguise those colors completely. Use your imagination and have fun with your kitchen; you can always change the paint color!!! Please call for a consultation. Good luck and thank you for the question.

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(Picture By Allkayloh (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)