What colour should i paint my kitchen cabinets
7 Best Kitchen Cabinets Paint Colors for a Happier Kitchen
Kitchen
Expert Interview
Interior Design
Tips & Techniques
Alyssa Longobucco
updated Sep 7, 2022
“If you hate it, you can always repaint.” That’s what people say about painting and it’s true. But if you’re painting your kitchen cabinets, that’s a lot of work. What if you go through all those steps to paint your cabinets and you end up really disliking the color? What if you wished you had picked a more white white than a cream white?
Save yourself the trouble and read this story before you even pick up a paint brush. We asked seven interior designers to share their favorite kitchen cabinet paint colors. And these aren’t just any kitchen cabinet paint colors, either — these are the colors that will really shine, hold up well over time, and add a bit of happiness to the kitchen.
1. White and dark gray
“It’s important to keep in mind how much natural light your space gets before deciding on paint colors. White and a rich, dark gray are my favorite colors to use in a kitchen. We recently used Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White on upper cabinets and Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe on lower cabinets in a kitchen project and it turned out so well. The dark gray really grounded the design, and the satin brass hardware that we used really popped against it, while white on the upper cabinets and walls kept the space feeling light and bright. For both, we used a matte finish that was still wipeable for a more modern take. Both of these shades also work well with stainless steel appliances and Carrara marble.” — Elizabeth Lawson, Elizabeth Lawson Design
2. Crisp white
“Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace is a nice clean, crisp white that works really well in any kitchen. It allows other design elements to stand out as a focal point, such as the blue stove in the above kitchen, or a warm wood island. We’ve used it in many homes and it always ends up looking great.
” — Renee DiSanto, Park and Oak
3. Understated gray
“When it comes to kitchens, I never tire of bright, white spaces. It’s a classic look that stands the test of time and allows your furniture (and food!) to be the hero of the room. That being said, I love adding a subtle contrast to strong white walls with Farrow and Ball’s Cornforth White in their Estate Eggshell finish for the cabinetry. It’s a wispy shade that reads like a cloud-gray and adds the perfect amount of depth to a space.” — Crystal Palecek, Crystal Palecek Interiors
4. Vibrant blue
“If we are going for a bit of a bold contrast, we tend to gravitate towards darker blues. In the kitchen above, Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy gives the space a lot of depth and warmth. The blue is timeless, but makes a statement, which is one of our favorite design combos!” — Megan Papworth, E.
Interiors
5. White and dark gray
“To add a splash of sophistication to bright white kitchens (my favorites are Farrow and Ball’s All White and Benjamin Moore Decorators White — both are bright and welcoming), I like to add a dark gray, like Benjamin Moore Gray to the cabinets. It’s the perfect combination. These colors go with all finishes (stainless steel, brass, bronze, black, etc.) and complement both a natural stone (such as marble) and a quartz counter.” — Claire Zinnecker, Claire Zinnecker Design
6. A slightly off-white white
“We love using Benjamin Moore’s White Heron for kitchens. It’s a beautiful, bright white without any weird undertones. The color feels light and airy — we love the way it works with Carrara and Calcatta marbles, as well as colored countertops and tiles, because it’s such a neutral and versatile hue. On cabinets and trim, we usually use a satin finish unless we want a higher gloss or a hand-painted look — then we switch to semi-gloss.
” — Amy Storm, DesignStorms Interior Designs
7. Greige
“Generally when a paint color goes wrong, it’s because the wrong undertone was selected. Gray isn’t just gray — there are blue-grays, green-grays, purple-grays, etc. Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore is the perfect greige (a mix of beige and grey). Often times, we are dealing with existing tile that has a lot of gold and I’ve found that Balboa Mist can really help tone it down for a more cool, neutral affect. It’s literally the perfect shade to complement so many things.” — Leyla Bowden Jaworski, Design Shop Interiors
Have you painted your kitchen cabinets recently? What color did you use? Or maybe you’re currently eyeing something specific? Tell us in the comments!
What Color Should I Paint My Kitchen Cabinets?
By now you have probably realized that one of the most popular ways to dramatically change your kitchen (and in many ways your home) for a reasonable price is by painting your kitchen cabinets.
It was only about 10 years ago that maple and oak stained cabinets were the most popular choice but painting cabinets has quickly become the norm.
We refinish a lot of kitchen cabinets (and bath cabinets, etc) in the Cleveland, OH area and one of the most common questions we get is what color to choose. Here are some of our favorite examples (all from our own work) along with an explanation to help you decide what is best for your home. Please remember, when choosing any paint color that all of the other colors in the room affect what looks best. One color may look great in someone else’s kitchen but not in yours.
White Kitchen Cabinets
White is still the most popular color as it has been for at least five years or so. One of the reasons white is such a popular color is because it makes all of the other colors in the kitchen pop (such as the walls and counters). White painted cabinets can make a smaller kitchen appear larger just like painting the walls a lighter color can do.
We love to use White Dove (OC-17) from Benjamin Moore for when painting kitchen cabinets white. Below are three examples of kitchen that we recently painted white using White Dove.
The kitchen above is in Avon Lake and we helped their kitchen go from a dark brown (almost black) stained cabinet to a bright white. This really transformed the space and made the entire kitchen look bigger. The kitchen below was a very similar ‘before and after’ but in a different style of kitchen.
Above is a galley-style kitchen that we painted white in Ohio City. Below you can see a “before” picture showing how dark the cabinets were.
Here is a kitchen we painted white in Westlake. This is a large kitchen but painting the cabinets white made for a much more modern look.
Below is a “before” picture.
Finally, one more kitchen that we recently painted white (we have a lot to choose from since white is so popular). This one is in Avon and the transformation was awesome because of the recently re-finished hardwood floors as well as the new countertops.
You can see that we used a gray / sage green color on the island as an accent piece. The best part…. no more golden oak!!
Off-White / Cream Painted Cabinets
The second most popular cabinet color is an off-white or cream. In many homes a bright white color on the kitchen cabinets can be too bright. This is often the case if the rest of the trim in the house is off-white or if the counters or flooring in the kitchen are on the warm side of the color spectrum. For example, if your counters have a lot of brown or yellow tones then an off-white color can be a great compliment.
It may be hard to tell in the picture below, but this is an example of an off-white color. We painted this kitchen in Brecksville with the color Bauhaus Buff (SW 7552) from Sherwin Williams.
The color works well (and even looks brighter) in this kitchen because of the other colors. Because the walls are a green shade and the backsplash has a lot of brown tones, this off-white color compliments them well.
Here is a before picture of this kitchen:
Painting Kitchen Cabinets Gray
Gray is the most popular color family for a wall color, but is it the best color for your kitchen cabinets? It is definitely a popular choice but it is probably a little more ‘trendy’ than white and off-white. As with any color it really depends on the rest of your decorating as well as the floors and counter tops. Light gray and dark gray are both popular for cabinets. A dark gray can be especially sharp on just a portion of the cabinets such as painting the island or just the lower cabinets that color.
Below is a kitchen in Avon Lake that we painted the cabinets in a light gray color. Our interior designer helped this home owner select the color “Bone Black CW-715” from Benjamin Moore. We also painted the thin piece of wood near the top in black to give it an accent piece. This really tied in well with the black counters.
Here is a ‘before’ photo of the kitchen we painted gray…
Blue Painted Kitchen Cabinets
If you already have a lot of gray and white in your kitchen, a great option to paint your cabinets could be a dark navy blue.
This may be best used on only some of the cabinets instead of all of them but can be a fun accent and focal point. This is definitely not for everyone and is more likely to not be as popular in 5 years or so but right now it is a fairly popular option.
We love the way this kitchen in Avon turned out with this bright blue island. It really provides a great focal point and works really well with the white counters and backsplash. The blue and white also look really sharp with these dark brown floors.
Here is a kitchen in Lakewood were you can see what a navy blue looks like on the bottom section of cabinets with white on the top. You can see that the rest of the colors in the kitchen are in the gray and white family (cooler colors) so the blue provides a great contrast. It also works well with the stainless steel appliances.
Green Colors for Kitchen Cabinets
One final color option to show is a shade of green. Similar to navy blue, this is a more trendy option that only works in certain homes.
This color can work in homes with more warm tones such as shades of beige or “greige”. It also probably works best with a slightly creamy off-white instead of a stark white.
Here is an example of a kitchen in Lakewood that we painted the cabinets with an off-white and a green shade. The bottom cabinets are painted with Sherwin Williams’ color Cascade Green (SW 0066). You can see that the walls were also painted with a “greige” color (a warm gray-taupe combination). Please note, the customer was having a back splash installed. We didn’t just ‘miss a spot’. haha!
Here is the ‘before’ picture of these Lakewood cabinets…
Hopefully this article helps you to plan your kitchen cabinet painting project. There are a lot of great options available and the best one for you really depends on your personal taste and the other colors in your kitchen. If you live in the Cleveland area, we would love the opportunity to speak with you about painting your kitchen cabinets.
You can learn more about our process on our Cabinet Painting page.
How to choose the right color for the walls in the kitchen
In case of insufficient light and especially the lack of sunlight, choose warm, calm shades for the walls - yellow, orange, light brown and beige.
If a lot of sunlight enters the room, it is better not to paint the walls in saturated colors, as they will become even brighter when illuminated and may change color.
Green color is popular now. It is believed that the green color has a good effect on digestion. For the kitchen, it is advisable to choose pistachio or soft salad shades. nine0007
Also popular pastel colors, yellow gloss, red copper. The universal color is white, it can be used in any style, from classic to modern.
Consider the color and design of the kitchen furniture.
For example, white kitchen furniture goes well with red, green, burgundy, peach, yellow, blue walls.
Classic brown furniture looks good against peach, beige or white walls. nine0007
Furniture is one of the most significant elements of the interior, so you often have to choose the shade of the walls just for it, and not for other interior details. If the furniture needs to stand out, then regardless of its color, the walls should not be bright and do not contain catchy ornaments. The more unusual and original the furniture looks, the more restrained the walls should be - calm shades, without flashy patterns.
If your kitchen set has a very light and calm shade, and the kitchen is large enough, you can choose a brighter and more saturated color for the walls. nine0007
Solid color furniture needs to contrast with the walls - walls can be bright, patterned and large decorative elements.
If pieces of furniture should not attract attention (furniture is old, in poor condition or simply ugly), then emphasis should be placed on juicy and expressive walls - catchy patterns and shades that delight the eye.
If the room is small and the number is furniture is also not enough, then you can paint the walls in calm, restrained colors, and decorate one side with a bright large picture.
In general, it is recommended to stick to the colors closest in tone. Soft, warm colors of the walls look equally harmonious with both light-colored furniture and darker tones.
Look at the design of furniture . If it is chosen in a romantic and rustic style, then it is better to leave the walls light - pale green, beige tones, with bright contrasting stripes of brick shades. nine0007
For an interior in a classic style, more solid and juicy shades are suitable - cold pink, strictly blue, beige.
For modern style furniture with its metallic sheen and subdued brightness, it is better to choose a solid, conservative and calm wall finish.
There are several "forbidden" colors for kitchen walls: is black and all dark shades of brown.
They oppress and make the room cramped, evoke associations with dirt. * To understand how comfortable you will live with the chosen wall color, hang sheets of white paper, old wallpaper or cardboard on the walls. Apply paint spots on them and leave for a few days, during which, looking at these colors, you can understand which color suits you best. nine0007
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What color to choose for the kitchen
beautiful and cozy.
1) Canary Yellow
Place a bowl full of juicy, ripe lemons on the table and see how your kitchen transforms! It will immediately be filled with warm light, it will become bright and hospitable. This is what your kitchen will look like if the cabinets radiate this color and energy! Yellow cabinets will bring that light and warmth to even the darkest and smallest spaces. nine0098 Yellow has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, promotes the emergence of new ideas, gives a charge of vivacity and joy!
2) Scandinavian Grey. 4) Blue Black Combination of dark blue, almost black base cabinets with a marble top that has elements of sophistication in gray and white. This color is perfect for larger kitchens that require stylish design elements. 5) Cedar Green This color is reminiscent of grassy fields and will give your kitchen a fresh and open look. ) A shade of sky blue gives the kitchen freshness and coolness, fill it with air and transparent light. If your kitchen is on the sunny side, this color option is perfect for you. nine0007 Golden handles and lights make for a dream space for hosting upscale cocktail parties. Pair your turquoise cabinets with intricate wall paneling for a vibrant vibe that will grab everyone's attention when they spend time in your kitchen.
Gray cabinets on gray walls and a white backsplash make the room interesting and original, but do not overload the interior. With the right presentation, such interiors look expensive and luxurious. nine0007
Choose a deep, intense, somewhat reminiscent of burgundy, red.
For brave and determined people who enjoy life and enjoy it!
This color will give your kitchen warmth, vitality and joyful emotions. And your guests and relatives will eat with a double appetite. nine0007
Wealth and discreet luxury dominate this magnificent interior!
It is the color of life, harmony and balance. Such pastel green will decorate your kitchen, you will feel calm and comfortable in it. The combination with natural wood creates a beautiful interior for your kitchen.
Such a kitchen is timeless, as is white. It is always relevant both by itself and in various combinations and shades. This is a clean, fresh environment, which is pleasant to stay in for a long time. nine0007 
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