It’s that time of year again: the days are longer, the sun is making an appearance and the warm air is creeping into our homes. When it comes to keeping the interior of your household in tune with the summer months, there’s no better time to update the colour scheme of your kitchen to give it a new lease of life. Here are some of the most popular shades and top design trends of this summer:

Be creative

When it comes to infusing colour into your kitchen, don’t just limit yourself to the walls. Cabinets, furniture worktops can be a great way of creating interesting schemes and transforming the whole look and feel of the room. I’ve just bought the most beautiful dining table, chairs and bench from Oak Furniture Superstore for my dining area. The bench is a great quirky feature to the kitchen.

Enamel lamp shade from Iconic Lights.

Remember that choosing a new colour scheme for your kitchen doesn’t always have to break the bank. Updating a worn-out, dull worktop or adding a fresh lick of paint to your existing cabinets is a great way of creating a new, fresh style without the hassle of having to remodel the whole the kitchen.

If you want to fit in with the latest fashion trends, merging two colours together can add a contemporary twist to any kitchen. As a general rule of thumb, pairing one bright colour with a neutral shade will create the ideal stylish combo. Using strong accent colours or patterned wallpaper to create a feature wall can also help you to make a real style statement this summer.

Bright colours

There’s no better time to experiment with bright colours than during the summer. Warm, cheerful colours such as yellows, oranges and limes instantly evoke the feeling of summer and act as a natural mood-booster. Vibrant colours work best with large, modern kitchens and will prevent the room from looking bland.

However, if your walls are bright, cabinets and worktops should be kept neutral to achieve maximum visual impact. Try to use bright shades in moderation, as too much colour can make the room feel overbearing or claustrophobic. Using natural materials such as wood can bring a certain warmth to the room and compliment bright colours in an elegant way.

Cool hues

On a hot summers day, there’s nothing more inviting than a cooling room. Immersing the kitchen in blues and greens can have a serene, calming effect on even the busiest of households.

Cool colours work well with traditional, country-style kitchens, and painting your cabinets duck egg blue with light, wooden worktops will create a quaint, sophisticated look.

Alternatively, if you’re feeling particularly creative, you may want to try out a fun nautical theme with navy blues and whites, reminiscent of holidays spent on the beach. Whatever theme you chose, using cool colours in the kitchen is sure to induce a feeling of tranquility.

Neutral shades

If you want to give your kitchen a crisp, fresh look for the summer, natural tones are a great option. White walls act as a perfect natural backdrop for the kitchen, allowing you to be a little more experimental with the furnishing while the rest of the room drops into the background. Adding accents of colours against a palate of soft hues and pastel colours will work with any style, both contemporary and traditional.

Great for small kitchens, neutral colours such as mushroom and grey can open up any room and make it feel light, airy and give it a vintage, shabby-chic look that is bang on trend. Better yet, with neutral, timeless styles, you can rest assure that your kitchen will look great for years to come.