It’s a fact well known that colour and paint has the potential to completely transform how a room looks and feels, but this is a sentiment usually reserved for rooms other than the kitchen. However, paint can be so powerful in small kitchens in particular, and the new trend of colour capping is our favourite technique yet.
Colour drenching became a big trend in 2023 and has continued to be a clever way of enhancing the sense of space in a kitchen by taking the same paint shade onto ceilings, doors and skirting boards. Colour capping is a fresh take on this trend where you graduate the colour up to the ceiling, using tonal shades to differentiate the top part of the wall.
The effect is a small kitchen that looks significantly larger than it really is – tempting, right? Here’s how you can replicate it in your own home.
How to use colour capping in a small kitchen
Paint is one of the handiest methods for redecorating a kitchen, particularly when full renovations are expensive and require serious budgeting. Painting the walls, however, is far less permanent than cabinetry, so you can afford to be a little more daring with your choices.
Colour drenching was an effective way of using paint boldly, but it was a design choice often avoided for small spaces. While it is useful for drawing a room inwards for a cosy feel, it doesn’t always make a space feel larger. Colour capping, on the other hand, will have this effect in a small kitchen.
‘Colour capping, where wall colour is extended up onto the ceiling in a tonal wash, is fast becoming a go-to design trick for those looking to add subtle polish to their scheme,’ explains Helen Shaw, director of marketing (International), Benjamin Moore.
‘Rather than treating the ceiling as a forgotten ‘fifth wall’, colour capping pulls it into the overall design, creating a space that feels more cohesive and considered.’
It draws the eye to the highest point of the room, adding light to the ceiling to expand it, rather than drawing it inwards.
So what colours should you choose when colour capping in a small kitchen?
‘The key to achieving the look is to stay within the same tonal family,’ advises Helen. ‘If your walls are a soft cream or warm grey, choose a slightly richer hue from the same spectrum for the ceiling.’
‘The result is a smooth flow of colour that feels modern yet timeless – a finish that both flatters the architecture and makes even the most compact kitchen feel more expansive.’
Richard Davonport, managing director at Davonport, agrees. ‘By keeping the base cabinetry in a darker or bolder tone and ‘capping’ the room with lighter shades of the same tonal palette on wall units, shelving or paintwork, you create balance while drawing the eye upwards. This layered approach makes the kitchen feel more curated, while still practical and easy to live with.’
Tonal variations of cream, linen and beige will work well in a small kitchen to keep the look light and airy, while still adding just the right amount of interest.
Alternatively, opt for soft sage and pastel blue shades that calm the look while adding colour. This looks especially great next to neutral cabinetry and offsets a simple kitchen scheme.
Farrow & Ball Estate ‘Green Smoke’
Sitting somewhere between green and blue, Green Smoke has an antique touch popular in homes in the 19th Century. It pairs beautifully with paler tones like Farrow & Ball’s Eddy or Vert de Terre. Use this as the darkest shade in your tonal scheme.
Green has been a big kitchen trend for a while now and the many different shades make it the perfect choice for creating a tonal look. This is the perfect bright shade to use as the base for your colour capping look.
Masonry (Tinted) Clerkenwell 5L
In need of a neutral? Finish off your trio with this creamy shade. This Mylands shade will brighten up the darkest and smallest kitchens.
‘Another way to achieve colour capping is by running your cabinetry and walls in the same shade, then shifting the ceiling into a lighter or darker tonal variation,’ says Richard.
‘This creates a cocooning feel and emphasises the architecture of the space. It’s a particularly effective technique for period homes with high ceilings, or for anyone wanting to add drama without relying on pattern.’ If you’re looking for a way to decorate a small Victorian terraced house kitchen in particular, this could be the perfect solution.
‘Carrying the same colour across cabinetry and walls helps blur boundaries and makes the space feel larger, while using a softer or brighter version of that tone on the ceiling prevents it from feeling closed in,’ Richard concludes.
It might seem like an out-there idea at first, but colour capping is a subtle paint idea that will transform a small kitchen with minimal effort. Will you be trading colour drenching in for this new trend?
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