From youth groups and rotary clubs to church congregations and village hubs, no two community centres (or churches) are the same – and the same should go for your kitchen.

That’s where a pop of colour can help your kitchen embody what matters to your community, from joyful ‘rainbow’ designs to highly reflective hues that help hard-of-sight visitors navigate the space more easily.

Whatever matters most to you – form, function or fun – if you are looking to install a new kitchen in your community centre, read on for our best colour tips for a durable yet welcoming semi-commercial kitchen.

1. Consider the light in your room

If you want an ‘objective’ way to decide on your kitchen’s colour scheme, then following a few interior design fundamentals to do with light should put you on the right track. For example:

• You can ‘expand’ a small space by bouncing light off lighter surfaces (with Steelplan finishes such as ‘Milk’, ‘Oyster’ and ‘Buttermilk’)
• If you have a lot of natural light, you can add ‘warmth’ to muted darker colours such as browns (‘Cappuccino’ and ‘Caramel ’)
• If you rely on artificial light, consider a yellow or orange (‘Lemon’ or ‘Tangerine’) to reflect it and keep the space from feeling oppressive.

You can potentially grab the colour and put those colours as little squares / or put the colour chart at the bottom!

Remember, trends may change, but the way colours interact with light won’t – so this advice will last you as long as a Steelplan Kitchen.

2. Consider accessibility requirements

Did you know that colours that contrast with their surroundings are preferred for accessibility reasons?

In architecture, every colour has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV), which simply measures how much light a coloured surface reflects. If these surfaces (e.g. a wall and a unit) are the same colour (or too similar) it’s more difficult for people with visual impairments to navigate the space.

That doesn’t mean you can’t install white units in a white room (though that would look very institutional), but you will need to be considerate of your visitors’ disabilities. Steelplan builds accessibility and ease of movement into its kitchen designs and can always advise on accessible colour schemes for your kitchen.

Here’s an example of a convent that chose a dark ‘Yorkshire Blue’ colour to help elderly residents navigate the kitchen. You can read about a semi-commercial kitchen installation in a convent here.

3. Consider your psychology

Colours influence our mood, often without us knowing.

If you are considering a more vibrant colour, such as red (‘Strawberry’), yellow (‘Lemon’) or orange (‘Tangerine’), consider that they will be ideal for a youthful, vibrant space as they are associated with energy.

However, if you are looking to cultivate a more calm, serene atmosphere, choose a cooler shade of bluey-green (such as ‘sage’ or ‘mint’).

4. Consider your theme

It might be the most obvious tip of all, but don’t let an opportunity to ‘theme’ your kitchen go to waste.

For example, if your community centre has an environmental or ‘outdoor learning’ programme, then mix greens and turquoises (‘Lime’, ‘Mint’ and ‘Sage’) for a lush, rainforest-inspired kitchen.

If your community centre or church hall welcomes young people for a supervised time in the kitchen, a rainbow of colours will spark energy, curiosity and joy.

Bonus Tip: Don’t be limited with your new semi-commercial kitchen

Has this article got you thinking? You can see our list of 18 most popular colours  below – but did you know that you can choose from over 1,000 RAL colours, too (for a small additional charge)? If you have a corporate colour scheme, we can work with you to get the tones and hues of your kitchen exactly right.

Best of all, thanks to Steelplan’s polyester powder-coating – not a vinyl wrap – the possibilities to mix and match your perfect colour scheme are nearly endless.

So, rather than choosing a cold, bland stainless steel kitchen, or choosing from a very limited scope of colours at your kitchen supplier, let us build your kitchen with the colours that represent your community.

If you are looking to install a new kitchen, Steelplan’s semi-commercial powder-coated mild steel kitchens are durable, welcoming and aesthetically striking – and they will last your community for years to come.

You can see exactly what a new semi-commercial kitchen will look like in your space by using our free design and consultation service to receive a 3D mock-up of a hard-wearing but welcoming kitchen space in your community hub.

Get in touch with our team here or by calling 0208 954 0090