During this crazy year, folks everywhere have undergone home projects to not only stay busy but since we’re spending so much time at home, we want it to look and feel its best. If you’re craving a change, a simple and non-committal way to create it is to use some good old-fashioned paint. A change of colour is a great way to breathe some fresh air into any room in your home but especially the kitchen. We tend to spend the most time in the kitchen and it really does make all the difference. We had a chance to chat with the founders of Digby Paints, which is Canada’s first online paint store that delivers everything you need right to your door. Founders Jill and Emily created the brand back in 2019 and they serve customers across Ontario with plans to expand this year.
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Keep reading to find out how Digby Paints got started and what on-trend paint colours you need to know about for your kitchen!
WE: What led you both to the launch of Digby?
Emily: We saw the opportunity within the paint industry as it is a mature industry, ripe for disruption. Paint can have a big impact on a space, but the process of purchasing paint was terrible. Who wants to spend their weekend at a big box store, under horrible fluorescent lighting, overwhelmed by the choices around colour, finish, and quality? The entire process was so frustrating and overwhelming.
We wanted to modernize the paint shopping experience – to simplify the way people buy paint. Our experience, Jill’s in paint and retail and Emily’s in digital marketing and customer experience, was a perfect combination for us to create this new experience. For our customers, that means no more wandering around the store trying to find someone to help you or killing time while you wait for them to mix your paint, or making multiple trips to the store after you realize you forgot something. It’s a better way to buy paint and get consistently great results.
WE: What makes Digby different from other paint brands out there?
Emily: I think one of the biggest things that makes Digby different from other paint brands is our focus on creating customer-centric solutions.
We wanted to make the process of buying paint inviting, approachable and helpful. From our easy-to-navigate website to our helpful customer service, and fun instructional components (wall paint for walls, trim paint for trim, accent and trim colour suggestions, and DIY painting instructions), we developed an intentional customer experience. Even our colour names were chosen to evoke a feeling of an experience like Stargazing (an almost black charcoal) or Summer Playlist (a grey teal white), which are two popular hues.
WanderEater: What are some on-trend kitchen paint colours for 2021 that folks should know about?
Jill: We are seeing kitchens becoming more colourful after years of neutral colour palettes. Beautiful saturated shades of blues, greens, greys and black are popular. Within the Digby palette, we have some great bold colours to achieve this type of look. From Night Market, a blackened navy blue, to Road Trip, a lovely grey teal, The Hammer, a blackened mineral green, City View, a dark cool grey, or After Midnight a pure black.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we are also seeing pastels, like pinks, yellows, soft greens and blues starting to appear. Some of our top colours for this are Rose All Day, a pale coral, Full Moon Party a white cream, Summer Playlist, a white grey-teal, or Morning Meditation, a periwinkle blue. These colours can be used to update an existing kitchen on the walls or as a feature on cabinets. All of the colours are being accented with gold and black metals in hardware and lighting.
White is always appropriate for the kitchen and there are hundreds of whites so there is always a white that works in a kitchen. When looking for the right white, it is important to select the right undertone to compliment the colours in your decor. Snow Angel, our brightest white, pairs nicely with just about any shade when you want a crisp fresh white. Plant Based or Savasana have warmer undertones and look great with more muted colour palettes and also pair well with natural woods.
WE: If a more classic/timeless kitchen is the goal, what colours should be considered?
Jill: For a classic, timeless kitchen a base colour palette of up to three shades of a neutral is best. For example white with dark grey and black (our Snow Angel, City View and After Midnight could create this look) is a good classic colour palette for a minimalist, transitional or traditional kitchen. This colour palette offers a great backdrop for the addition of accent colours over time, like yellow now, red in a few years and back to silver after that.
A warmer classic palette would be a soft off-white, greige and espresso brown (create this look with our Savasana, Chalet Getaway and Garage Band). This palette would be nice with natural wood textures, gold, greens and deep reds as accents. The most important part of creating a colour palette is to start with a core colour or colours and layer in interesting accents if you want to keep the look fresh and classic.
WE: What are each of your fave paint colours at the moment?
Jill: As a colour person, I am really into white right now. I love deep shades of navy like Night Market, charcoal-like Stargazing and deep teal of Jazzquarium for features like doors and cabinetry.
Emily: Most of my house is painted Chalet Getaway at the moment I love how it creates a great backdrop to help other decor pop, but I also currently have a small obsession with The Hammer, named for our hometown of Hamilton, which is a blackened mineral green that I can’t get enough of.
Featured Image: Digby Paints
