Cool Spaces: Cooking up a color-happy kitchen

Kitchens in traditional and vintage homes often are dressed in conservative garb: neutral hues, stainless steel, white-on-white or beige-on-beige.

Historically, however, kitchens were actually pretty peppy, according to Deborah Baldwin, editor of This Old House magazine.

Pastel greens, blues, creams and peaches reigned until the early 1930s, when casual, built-in eating areas were painted Kelly green, red and even black, she said.

We have readers who are introducing brightly colored cabinets and appliances in tomato, pumpkin and daisy, she said.

At this springs Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York, manufacturers were showing lots of vibrantly hued kitchen equipment.

Bertazzonis Arancio range came in orange, burgundy and yellow. Big Chill displayed a wall full of paint-box hues including jadite (a milky green), cherry and pink.

AGAs Signature line of beefy, professional-grade ranges comes in intriguing colors like aubergine, duck-egg blue, heather, pistachio, claret and British racing green. (Go to http://www.bertazzoni.com; http://www.bigchill.com; http://www.aga-ranges.com.)

Fans of metallics might go for Blue Stars dramatic collection of ranges, wall ovens and hoods in copper, gold and a chocolatey ginger, as well as several hundred other colors and finishes. (Go to http://www.bluestarcooking.com.)

Kitchens of any vintage can look great with colorful walls. Pumpkin, cobalt and deep Prussian blue enhance all kinds of woods, whether youre working with 19th-Century pine, Craftsman-era oak or midcentury walnut.

Or consider the ceiling. In a small galley kitchen, bold color on the ceiling creates a jewel box effect.

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Cool Spaces: Cooking up a color-happy kitchen