Dr Dulux: How to Decorate an Open-Plan Kitchen

Q: 'I'm looking to give my dining area a colour update, but it's an open plan space which joins onto the kitchen which has light grey units and grey worktop. I'm struggling to decide what colour to go for. Any ideas?' Tessa, Devon

A: Choosing colours for an open-plan scheme is a big commitment – it’s almost like having to decorate two rooms at once! But no need to panic – I’ve got a great tool that was made for this type of decorating quandary, and it’s called the Dulux Visualizer app. This clever gadget will help you pick a colour from the elements of your room by suggesting schemes based upon what’s already there. Then, you can play around with virtually painting the walls in real-time until you find a shade you’re happy with. Oh, and it’s free. And if you're still not sure about you colour after you've decorated your space, our Let's Colour Guarantee means you can swap it for another colour absolutely free – so no sweat.

There’s a few ways you could approach your kitchen/dining space, but for an elegant and tonal look, I’d suggest going a few tones darker on your dining room walls in a similar shade of grey.

Try Deep Fossil so that your space feels like two distinct areas, yet still mirror each other, creating an element of balance and symmetry. Then you can add a few accent colours to bring the space together – teal blues work especially well with grey. Give wooden chairs and picture frames a lick of Pretty Peacock Made by Me paint for a coherent and sophisticated scheme. That should wow your dinner party guests…

Why not see it for yourself. Download the Visualizer app and find out what the ultimate colour palette looks like in your home, in an instant.