Choosing the right color palette for your kitchen might seem like a daunting task. However, if you visualize the atmosphere that you want to create whilst keeping the style in mind, you will be able to select the right ones. Since you spend a sizable amount of time in this room, its feel should be fresh and invigorating. If you also use it as a dining room where you entertain your guests, it should be painted in colors that are soothing and inviting. Given below are some painting ideas. For a Modern Kitchen People usually associate a modern and minimal décor with a black-and-white color scheme. However, this look can be achieved using other colors as well. Bold and vivid hues like eggplant, orange, red, and olive green, work very well. However, they should be used strategically. For example, if you have an open-plan kitchen, you can paint the walls in dual tones. First, divide a wall into three equal portions, horizontally. Paint the lower two-thirds in a dramatic color--like crimson-red in a matte-finish. Paint the upper one-third wall as well as the ceiling in another color, like light-orange. This gives a contemporary look to the room. For a Cottage-style Kitchen A cottage-style kitchen should project a rustic and relaxed atmosphere, which is best achieved by using warm and bright paint colors. Bright-orange, sunny-yellow, lime-green, and tomato-red are some options. Choose colors that match the cabinets and backsplash. Cooler tones like pale-eggshell blue and pale-green on the cabinets match very well with warm-toned walls and backsplashes. The best way to complement it is to use bistro-style tables, red-and-white-patterned checkered window treatments, and colorful area rugs. For a Mediterranean-style Kitchen Neutral colors interspersed with bright ones like terracotta, sea-blue, teal, and tan, work best for this type of kitchen. White is a dominant color used in Mediterranean themes. However, a completely white color palette can make the room look stark and bare. Hence, you can paint the cabinets and shelves in dark-brown or terracotta. These colors contrast well with white, and make the space seem airy and appear larger. You can use shades of sea-green, coral, chocolate, beige, and yellow on the walls. Along with this, you can use curved wooden furniture, clay tiles for the backsplash, and patterned window treatments to complete the Mediterranean look. For a Small Kitchen Small kitchens can be painted in the most trendy hues, and still look very attractive and appear larger than they are. Choose light colors like steel-blue and slate-gray. You can also paint it in pristine white, with cabinets and shelves of the same color. To make an all white or light hued space look more interesting, add small bursts of colors like celery-green, dusky-rose, and lavender. These pastel colors will make the space look livelier and airy. Use these colors as accents by applying them on crown moldings, rugs, backsplash, and cabinet trimmings. Always use paint colors that complement the style of your kitchen. Also ensure that the other components of the decor--like the backsplash, shelves, window treatments, and cabinets, all go well with the paint scheme.