Red will really close in your small kitchen. Why not do just fun accents in red?

Paint the walls white and add framed vintage poster for that extra splash of red.

I agree with Leelee. Red is a really demanding color. Incorporate red in your decor better. Use a rule of 3 where the accent color is incorporated in 3 areas:
Leave the wall color as is and add a collage wall that has red in it.
Get a red toaster and display it on a counter?
Get red towels?

I personally would not to red walls in the kitchen, or any other room for that matter. One wall , half a wall, or accents would be just right

I agree red is an overpowering color, but that doesn't mean you can't go with a red accent wall. The persimmon color above is a very nice red and would warm up your kitchen nicely.

I love red in a kitchen, while I was renovating my little cottage I came across a red that was perfect, not too bright, not too orange, and not too stark, it is called Brazilian nut from Lowe's, my mom loved it soo much she painted her kitchen that color and eventually two other accent walls in the house I will try to find a photo or go take one today. The color is soft and warm, natural and earthy.

Red is a hue that will sop up light, whether it is natural, ambient or task. You will have to take that into consideration and make adjustments to lighting fixtures. Also, the extreme contrast of white with a red background will shrink the perceived size of the room. My recommendation would be to use red in the accents, not the wall. A neutral will look blah when you first paint it but once you fully decorate the room, it will bring everything into balance.

Pomegranate by Sherwin Williams - it's not too dark and not too bright - it's just right. Maybe paint one wall and add red to the others via pictures - but if you like red - go for it, you only live once. God created color for us to enjoy!

Stay clear of the red! It will suck the life out of the little room. Paint the walls white and add pops of red with decor. Red is difficult to get on the wall and difficult to cover when you are sick of it. Always stay neutral in big items and use color in small items so you can change it when you are sick of it without having to do work or spend a lot of money.

I think it all depends on your space. From the photo you posted it seems like you have very neutral colors and the cabinets get lost. The wall that is pictures could be an accent as others suggested if you are afraid of red closing up the room. The accent wall and red accessories would look great if the space is small or closed off from the rest of the house. In my opinion if your kitchen is open or you get lots of light - paint it red! In the end it's just paint :)

Heres a photo of my old kitchen- color is Morrocan Red by Behr

This photo was at night so it looks even darker than it is. I loved the color and didn't think it made the room small. I felt it made my wood cabinets seem brighter.

I just painted above my cupboards with Behr's Tomato. I absolutely love it! It leans toward orange. Only issue is 4 coats for depth.

I have a couple of orange accent walls in my L shaped dining room and love how it makes the dark dank gray winter days in the Pacific Northwest seem less oppressive. I noticed how much it helped my mood the first winter I had more color in my house.

And the one thing I've learned since we started renovating our house is that if you don't like it, you can always repaint. And I have several times, but it's been worth it getting the colors right. You don't always know what will look right or what you'll like until you try something.

Wish I could remember the red we used in the connecting kitchen/dining room (without digging thru paint cans in the garage). We bought about 6-8 little jars ($3.00 ea?) of varying reds and painted swaths on all the walls. Remember, sunlight, artificial light, and time of day will dramatically change the color. Several times I thought we found the perfect red, only to find it looked orange or purplish. The red we finally got was PERFECT! We used a color found at Lowe's, but had it color-matched at Ganahl Lumber, using their kitchen/bath formula. It cost about $50 per gallon at the time, but we only needed to coat twice to cover the dark green under it. This was about 8 years ago. Still looks great and we get many compliments on the richness of it...deep coloring without being dark. Good luck!

Go for it! I did a pretty bold color (Fresno by Benjamin Moore - it's an orangey/coral) and I absolutely love it. Makes me smile everytime I walk in. I don't have a particular red to recommend, but I love the one Peggy posted (first comment). (I'll pop in a picture of my wall color too...)

I think red is fun! Why not do your walls in red?! The white cabinets will help brighten things up.

I know the cabinets here are brown but there's enough white to get the idea how this would look for you. This is by Glidden, Candy Red. I think a bright red would look best to brighten things up. If it's a dark deep red it might be too dark with the black floor.

An idea to do just one wall with a door accent.

Excuse the horrible black floor but at work right now there's only Paint on the computer! But if you only live once....

Have fun and enjoy your new adventure! Post pictures when you're done! Keep in mind, with reds... they will look pink at first. You'll need more than one coat and you could tint your primer to help out. Good luck!

Choosing neutral colors for walls will be a safer idea since repainting the space in which you're living is a real chore. Color can always be added elsewhere with accessories, including in the kitchen: a trivet collection on the wall or colorful cookie jars or canisters. Your space will look a lot less cluttered with one wall color per room -- unless the second color is for a different material such as with wainscoting or wallpaper.

That said, almost any color would work with white cabinets but the shade of the color -- if too dark and/or too bold -- could have a jarring visual effect rather than a relaxing comfortable one.

The darker more muted red color suggested by arizona710 is a far better choice than the bold bright jarring red ones.

If you want red in your kitchen, you could consider countertops with both some red and some gray in them and then use the gray shade in the countertop for the walls and add accessories that are red to get more of that bolder color.

You could also get some red in the room without too much red by using the horizontal trim tapes intended for the top of walls with wallpaper without using the wallpaper itself.

If you're considering two colors in your room, test them together on a similar surface first. Keep some scraps of sheetrock and plywood and boards from the construction site for this purpose. Paint two separate pieces with those colors and try them side by side. Two different shades of the same color could work. Two different colors of the same shade could work. Two starkly different colors and shades could be easily be visually jarring rather comfortable and welcoming.

I agree with using red as pops of color -- definitely not on the walls. It will close it in. I would use an airy color, with a grey undertone.

Only you can know what's right for your house, don't be afraid to try something bold! You can get small samples and try them in your space before you paint the whole thing. I like Valspar Scarlet Sun. Remember you can always repaint if you hate it.

I painted our kitchen Benjamin Moore Burnt Russet, a deep red/brown. Paired it with Benjamin Moore Louisburg Green for the trim and pantry door - a warm neutral green that really pops against the reddish walls. Also carried this combination around the corner onto one accent wall in the dining room, which flows into the kitchen. Probably not traditional, but I like it!

go with the red-make a splash- i just painted my accent wall chartreuse and we only go around once! after all its only paint not tile!

I think those who don't really like red would ever consider painting any room in that color. If you like red, you'll be very comfortable with it. It will make you happy. It's a strong, bold color. I've used red in several rooms in different houses over the years and I've always loved it. I first used it when my designer suggested it on the ceiling of my living/dining room. It was a lacquer and back then it was difficult to find a true red. We ended up using an industrial paint used for fire hydrants and other such applications. The red color I currently use is BM Exotic Red. I think it's a rich, true red with no orange or gray undertones. I have it in the kitchen but with dark cabinets. Go for it.

In case you don't like the red walls after you paint--you will most likely need 3 or 4 coats to cover it. Think about that before proceeding.

mothomwal, I strongly considered BM Raisin Torte for my kitchen - it is a beautiful color. In the end decided to go with Burnt Russet instead, but I think I would have been happy with either.

I also have a small, galley kitchen. I used red brick paneling on the walls and painted the cabinets a light gray. I have natural burlap curtains that let in the light yet provide privacy. I also have some red accessories, but not too many. I say go with what you think you'll like.

Years ago, when we added a top floor to our previous home, we painted and decorated with a neutral grey. I never loved it because grey is not a color that I love. Eventually I painted the upstairs with butter yellows with touches of warm red and, because reds etc. are colours which make me happy, the upstairs quite simply warmed my heart. Paint what you love.

I would go for a reddish orange for the kitchen wall, as a deep red can take over the space.

It might be a bit late, but next time give me a call and I could be of assistance!

Pomegranate red by Sherwin Williams is a wonderful kind of cherry red but not real bright - its inviting and my favorite of the reds:)