Wow, you've got a lot of stuff in that kitchen! Have you got a rudimentary plan you could show?? What colours are you using in the rest of the property and specifically near the kitchen?

Thank you for your very quick reply.

We have a very long narrow hallway, again with minimal light and ideally I would like to paint or wallpaper in a dramatic deep blue with white trim. As all the rooms are now linked by internal windows and glazed doors, I am looking at a "whole" decoration solution with a colour palette to carry through the flat. Bedroom is east facing and sitting room is west facing. Kitchen in the middle. So dark hall and lightish living spaces.

And yes, I do have a lot of stuff which still has to be sorted. It has been difficult downsizing from six bedroom Victorian semi to one bedroom Victorian flat. 70% has gone! I have an eclectic approach to collecting and decorating with family pieces and stuff from our travels. However the kitchen needs to be a streamlined and calm work space. I have a layout plan which I am now happy about but I am still not 100% sure about the colour.

I will scan and post a design plan later.

Thankfully you and i see eye to eye on decorating a whole property and not just one room at a time. Ours is very much in that style, and only the furnishings, curtains, accessories change the look. Our own house is full of stuff that we've had for years, and we just up-cycle as we go, changing the colours of Chest of Drawers and dressers that we've had for years. I love the sound of the blue with the white, I wish i could do the same here, but we have a victorian cottage with low ceilings and we'd be a little hemmed in height wise for that scheme. Blue is so restful, so i'm seeing a white kitchen to match paintwork maybe with a reclaimed wooden worktop for a bit of style! Can't wait to see the plan !

Thank you for your advice. We have discounted wooden worktops as we would like to add a large natural wood plate rack and possible a freestanding g set of shelves. Your encouragement is very much appreciated. I still have to scan the plans.

Hi. Are you going for a painted kitchen? If so I would keep things light so the units aren't imposing. A pure white can look grey without any light so I'd look at warm whites http://www.littlegreene.com/paint/colour/white-paint/warm-white-paint Slaked lime and whitening are my favourites but they're all good colours. You could also consider a mirror splashback to add light and make the space feel bigger. Also choose shiny surfaces as they will reflect light ie glossy floor, chrome kettle, chrome/nickel cup handles etc. Pick up the blue for accessories or a grassy green would also look nice

Thank you. I attach a couple of photos of the proposed layout of the kitchen. Unfortunately it was saved with blue walls which is not probably what we will go for in the kitchen. Currently we have chosen chalk white kitchen units so we have pretty much a blank canvas to work with.

Dear Minnie, I love the whitening colour and I think this would be a great colour. I also like the slaked lime which is a bit like the chalk white cabinets I am still to decide on.

since the ceiling is high had you considered putting the bold blue on the ceiling instead?

Hi, it is a Wren Kitchens I am working with and, overnight, we have come to the same conclusion, dark bottom and light wall cabinets. It was all beginning to look a bit clinical. I am off to have another play with Wren's design tool.

Good news then. I was trying to imagine where Minnie was going with the chalky white walls and your cabinets and it was just too much white! I love playing with the design tool it's fabulous, you can just see it before your eyes before you buy it and it just makes the whole thing more real.

I was thinking along these lines by deVol kitchens (I've just picked on the first image but they quite often use this palette). Colour can be added for accessories and floor etc. interest can be added by adding herbs and using lots of different textures ie wood, marble, metals, glass etc. I also loved Jonathans idea of painting the ceiling blue, as the room is small but ceilings are high it would really "correct" the rooms proportions. Are you going for a wood or wood effect flooring as in pic? If so I'd lay them horizantally as it will help the room feel wider

That is an excellent tip and we will certainly lay the floors horizontally. I am so appreciate of all the advice and feel I am getting there with the colour. I may go for China blue base units with chalk white on top. I had China blue on the walls of my first and very large kitchen forty years ago, and it is a colour which I have incorporated over the years. It is such a great colour, soft, yet strong, and I think I would still be able to have a darkish hall, as long as I keep to the basic three colour maximum and get a good tonal match.

Top is China blue, bottom is Atlantic blue which looks darker and less blue in this picture but it certainly has a wow factor. Not sure about the floor now.

The China blue looks a lovely colour and shouldn't close the room in.

I love the other colour but such a dark colour is likely to make it feel smaller with just the base units painted. Another option with light cabinets, have you thought about a blue encaustic tiled floor? I've just saved this image as the kitchen is a similar size

That is a lovely idea. I hadn't thought of a patterned floor. It would bring light and life to the kitchen.

I m loving all the advice. Thank you all.

Well please let us know what you decide and post pics when it's done. Would love to see the hall too!

Will do, but we are a way off yet. The kitchen will go in in May.

victorian tilesLove those blues, much better than the white. You can get some beautiful 'mock' Minton tiles now. I gave another lady a link to them for her Victorian Hallway. The blend of blues should go beautifully with the light and dark, which i love. The darker ones at the bottom, keep the height in the room and the lighter ones above make it wider and airier. Fabulous. Can't wait to see the pics. I personally like these best, as they also have a touch of warmth and you were going to put in a wooden plate rack if i remember, so will pick up on the warm wood tone, blending the wood colour into the kitchen seemlessly. These are my favourites as they are quite 'Mintonesque' ! Victorian Tiles

There are a miriad of others to choose from, but the above fit with everything in my opinion, both the light and dark blue and the wood. Here are some others:-

I do ask all my ladies, as i'm still building my profile on Houzz, if you have time to leave me a little review, i'd be really grateful. Kind regards, and good luck ! x

Thank you for all your advice. I don't have to make a f al decision on the colour for a few weeks yet. Have also come to the conclusion that the doors are also too clinical and as I have an ecelectic collection of pottery and China,. Think I should go with a more traditional with modern handles. I feel it is beginning to come together. I will post when my decision is made, thank you again.