A Case Study in Color: Henrybuilt’s VP of Design Tackles Working with Bold Hues
Henrybuilt’s boldest use of color yet surfaced with this modern family home near Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles. From the start, the owners wanted a bright yellow kitchen, but Julianna Morais, Henrybuilt’s Vice President of Design, was cautious. “I had a neighbor growing up that had a mustard yellow, 70s-era kitchen, and I had a hard time in the beginning because I could not stop thinking of that mustard yellow,” she confesses. What followed was the realization that this would be a very different sunshine-inspired shade. Below, are a few guidelines, according to Morais, for mitigating the risks of working with color—a rising trend among Henrybuilt’s clients.
Find Balance: Morais and the owners looked at several oaks from the Henrybuilt collection to figure out a complementary tone that would frame all of the cabinetry and kitchen features. “Oak really warmed up the yellow in a nice way and made the hue feel more human and less pop,” says Morais.
Embrace the Trend Factor—or Don’t: “The kind of trendiness that color can take on can be a negative,” explains Morais. “We all think of the avocado-hued kitchen our grandmothers had, right?” Morais recommends asking yourself whether your color choice will feel like a trend, and if it does, whether you’re OK with that.
Know Your Motives: It’s important to recognize what you are trying to achieve through your use of color and whether there are other ways to introduce color that are as impactful but perhaps less risky. “Someone might say they want a purple kitchen, but when you discover more about what they’re after it ends up being dark walnuts that have that undertone,” says Morais.
Make a Statement: One advantage of working with color is the opportunity to take a mundane space and inject it with character, whether that involves the whole kitchen or simply a spot of color. “More often what we’ll do is have a flash of color, like a niche with a red panel in it or a set of shelves with blue backing. Color can shift a kitchen away from being overly serious, wood-y, overwhelming or dark,” says Morais.
Self-Soothe with Hues: Different colors have unique associations. “There are all these studies of color theory. People talk about where you should or shouldn’t have blue or red, for example,” says Morais. “Yellow,” she adds, “is linked to joy and happiness.” In this case, the owners were combating darkness that shrouds some of the rooms due to their wish to have as much square footage as possible on a compact site. “The idea of bringing the sunshine inside was a welcome one,” Morais notes.
Find Balance: Morais and the owners looked at several oaks from the Henrybuilt collection to figure out a complementary tone that would frame all of the cabinetry and kitchen features. “Oak really warmed up the yellow in a nice way and made the hue feel more human and less pop,” says Morais.
Embrace the Trend Factor—or Don’t: “The kind of trendiness that color can take on can be a negative,” explains Morais. “We all think of the avocado-hued kitchen our grandmothers had, right?” Morais recommends asking yourself whether your color choice will feel like a trend, and if it does, whether you’re OK with that.
Know Your Motives: It’s important to recognize what you are trying to achieve through your use of color and whether there are other ways to introduce color that are as impactful but perhaps less risky. “Someone might say they want a purple kitchen, but when you discover more about what they’re after it ends up being dark walnuts that have that undertone,” says Morais.
Make a Statement: One advantage of working with color is the opportunity to take a mundane space and inject it with character, whether that involves the whole kitchen or simply a spot of color. “More often what we’ll do is have a flash of color, like a niche with a red panel in it or a set of shelves with blue backing. Color can shift a kitchen away from being overly serious, wood-y, overwhelming or dark,” says Morais.
Self-Soothe with Hues: Different colors have unique associations. “There are all these studies of color theory. People talk about where you should or shouldn’t have blue or red, for example,” says Morais. “Yellow,” she adds, “is linked to joy and happiness.” In this case, the owners were combating darkness that shrouds some of the rooms due to their wish to have as much square footage as possible on a compact site. “The idea of bringing the sunshine inside was a welcome one,” Morais notes.
