Except for in the bathroom no other interior room surface takes more abuse that the kitchen wall. Moisture, oily vapors, hand grabbing and foot kicking all take place in the food preparation area so the walls take a serious beating. Because of this both renovators and homeowners are being very selective with their choices for finishing kitchen walls.

Painting the Kitchen

Easy Change: The easiest and cheapest renovation you can make in a kitchen is to paint the walls and ceiling. Just changing the color a shade will create a new atmosphere even though you haven't done anything to the cabinets or appliances. Just the fact that "something" has changed will bring out a fresh look. And unless you have a commercial kitchen which takes a beating from moisture, oil and utensils latex paint is recommended as it is easy to use and cleans up with water.

Finish: Most professional painters suggest an "eggshell" finish for the paint as is has a slight sheen and not an overwhelming gloss which might clash with cabinets or a granite countertop. This finish is easy to clean in kitchens where there isn't a lot of traffic.However, if your kitchen is crawling with people you might want a semi-gloss for walls because you might be cleaning them more often. For the moldings and trim a semi-gloss in a matching color will take the abuse from pets and feet. Some painters use an oil-based paint for the trim just for this reason.

Color: Many homeowners don't realize that colors dry in different tones depending on the shade. A rule-of-thumb is that light colors will dry lighter and dark colors will dry darker so, for the latter, always go a color lighter than the paint chip. If you want a classic-looking, country kitchen medium yellows and peaches work well while light colors work well in contemporary styling. Unless your cabinets and countertops are very light a dark wall would make the kitchen look closed-in.

Faux: Another way to make the kitchen come alive is with a faux finish. Because the kitchen is a conglomeration of shapes and pre-existing colors (cabinets and countertops) bringing in a subtle faux finish for the walls is not a cluttering of the mix. Faux can be textured to compliment the already-exiting styles. Start with a base color that brings the styles together and add a glaze that will bring out the colors in the countertop, cabinets and backsplash. You might even want the faux for the backsplash.

Wallcoverings

Wallpaper: If you have ever been into an older home (60 or 70 years old) the chances are that many of the walls have at least two or three layers of wallpaper. Although quaint, a wallpapered home seems too busy and closed in and many renovators take it off in favor of paint. It has made a comeback but is not used the primary design feature for household walls.

In a kitchen setting wall coverings work extremely well. Because they also come with printed artistic designs and images you can formulate the theme of your kitchen just by hanging wallpaper. There are virtually hundreds of thousands of designs out there and a few companies can formulate a paper from your own photos or design ideas.

And don't worry about the greasy air, moisture or handling because most wallpapers are coted with vinyl or other finishes which are entirely scrubbable. The glues which adhere them to the walls have also come a long way since the flour paste of the early 1900's. As well, when it comes to change the wall the coverings easily come off with special removing solutions.

Paneling: One of the most maligned materials is wallboard. This is because it has the stigma of being tacky and very "1970's." It also is seen as the preferred wall of cheap mobile homes in a trailer park. However, paneling is very popular in Europe and Asia where the board is made of everything from rice husks to sawdust. A vinyl coating is adhered to the finished board and, like wallpaper, the design ideas are almost endless. By carefully choosing the right wallboard your kitchen can take on a completely new look without the hassle of wallpapering.

Tile: A favorite for backsplashes and flooring tile is now taking over the entire kitchen from above the cabinets to the walls. Homeowners like the easy-cleaning qualities and the permanence of tile and the different ways it can tie in the whole kitchen. This is because tile can be installed in different pattern concerns within the same kitchen. Or you can keep the pattern and change the color. This is accomplished by keeping the same color motif for the larger tile while changing out a few of the trim pieces. Or you can repeat a motif throughout the whole kitchen.

For more information on kitchen wallcoverings: