How do you choose your kitchen colors? Color is a very emotional element because it can influence your mood. It can also influence the way you experience your kitchen space. Choosing the right kitchen color can be difficult if you do not understand basic color principles but I will give you a few tips to help unlock your decorative potential.

• Light, cool and neutral colors will give your kitchen a sense of space as they make the walls appear to recede. Whites and creams can denote cleanliness and freshness.
• Dark kitchen colors make the walls appear to advance, making the room appear smaller.
• Natural light is an important element to consider when you are choosing kitchen colors because it renders color accurately.
• Artificial lighting renders color inaccurately. For instance incandescent lighting will give a yellowish cast, fluorescent lighting will give a green cast and tungsten light will give a blue cast.
• Depending in which hemisphere you live, a room facing north will benefit from a cooler color and a south facing kitchen will benefit from a warmer color. In the northern hemisphere this should be reversed.
• The color grey, when used as a background, can give a kitchen subtle sophistication. It will enhance any bright color set against it.
• Color trends change therefore it may be advisable to choose neutral colored kitchen cabinets and countertops and use paint and accessories to add color to your kitchen. (These can be changed more easily)

Plane
A two dimensional shape is an example of a plane. Take the walls (vertical plane) and the floor (horizontal plane) of your kitchen for instance, these structures are good examples of planes.

These planes provide the platform to add other elements (or building blocks) to form your design.

Volume
Any three dimensional shape is a volumetric form. Take your fridge for example. It is a 3 dimensional rectangular form (and a large one at that). It also has visual mass. It is one of the hardest things to conceal in any kitchen design. Different 3D shapes also have differing visual mass.

Space is simply the area in which all of the various forms (point, line, shape etc) occupy. Think of your kitchen as the space that is occupied by the differing forms (rectangle = cabinet), (line = benchtop) etc.

The size of the space can be manipulated by careful placement of objects. If you wanted the shape of the space to be apparently larger than it is, it is important that the form (visual size) of the object is minimised and blends in to the surrounding space. (see below)

On the other hand, the use of contrasting objects or shapes will make the space seem smaller. (see below)

Shape (or form) in its simplest terms is a closed line. Shapes can be grouped into three basic categories. Natural, Geometric and Non Objective shapes.

Natural Shapes
Natural shapes take their cue from nature. Examples of natural shapes are leaves, flowers, petals, a drop of water etc. Natural shapes do not appear predominantly in kitchen structures. However, natural shapes appear a lot more in secondary design items. For example, a picture tile or decorative scroll work on handles or doors.Non Objective Shapes
A non objective shape can be symbolic i.e a font or text. This form has limited use in kitchen design.

Geometric Shapes
A geometric shape is any form that relates to a square, circle or triangle. Geometric shapes can be two dimensional (e.g square) or three dimensional (e.g cube).

Square - A square is a regular and stable shape.

Rectangular - Similiar to square but has a greater perception of stability

Triangle - A triangle is the most stable of all shapes (when its base is at the bottom of a space)

Circle - a circular shape (or curve) is sensuous, stable and keeps the eye moving through a particular space.

Texture
Texture relates to the physical properties of a particular form and it is often what the material is made from. Texture is a tactile (can be felt) and visual phenomenon.

Smooth textures appear to be formal while textured surfaces appear to be more casual. Smooth surfaces will reflect light at the same angle of incidence. Textured surfaces scatter reflected light, creating shadows and making the surface appear darker.
Texture plays a very big part in kitchen design. A kitchen is a preparation area for food so hygiene is of major importance to the consumer. Benchtops that are smooth are very easy to clean and cannot harbour germs. Therefore, any area that needs to be cleaned easily will most always have a smooth texture.

Heavily textured objects appear in the kitchen in the form of tiles (wall and floor), stone tops, timber doors and window coverings.