Home Decorating: Kitchen Paint to Complement Red

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

I need some advice on what color to paint the kitchen walls. The front room walls that lead into the kitchen are deep red. The stairway and foyer are both white and separate the kitchen and front room. The kitchen now is a deep fern green with cherry wood cabinets with white trim.

What color can I paint kitchen and foyer so that it will not clash with red?

Signed,

I'm really stuck on this

Dear I'm really stuck on this,

The deep fern green in the kitchen is probably too strong a color for the deep red in the living room.

There are several different options to help decide on paint color using the color wheel to create harmonious color combinations. The basic color schemes are monochromatic, complementary, analogous, or neutral, which are explained below.

Basic Color Theory

1. Monochromatic: same color, but different shades. Red is a bold color, and having red kitchen, even if a very light shade may be too much.

2. Complementary color: on the color wheel, the complement or opposite color of red is green. However, you do not need to have the same deep opposite shade. You could paint your kitchen a light soft shade of green. This will also brighten up the kitchen.

3. Analogous color: on the color wheel, see if there is an analogous color to red that you like. For example, next to red would be yellow. Perhaps a soft yellow color would work well.

4. Neutral color: a soft beige or tan color goes with everything.