Isn’t it amazing how a simple thing like kitchen cabinet paint can make or break the overall look of your home? They’re not just storage spaces for your plates and glasses, they’re the silent heroes of interior design, adding character and style to your kitchen.
So what’s the best kitchen cabinet paint color? Think of them as the cherry on top of your favorite sundae. On their own, they may not seem like much but the right paint color can take your kitchen cabinets from “meh” to “wow,” creating a kitchen that’s not just a cooking area, but a space that looks like it was done by an interior designer!
In this blog post we’re diving headfirst into the most popular kitchen cabinet paint color families used for kitchen cabinetry – all from our beloved Sherwin Williams of course, because we just absolutely love their paint colors.
So, here’s the tea on the best colors of paint for kitchen cabinets.
The Best Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
Shades of White
Alabaster (sw 7008)
Extra White (sw 7006)
sw 7006 Extra White, although used mostly for trim and ceilings, it’s also a great choice for kitchen cabinets. If you are looking for a “white white” or just a “plain white” then this is your color. sw 7006 Extra White is popular because it’s a bright white that doesn’t have any undertones and it’s used as the base color that makes 99% of other Sherwin Williams white colors.
Snowbound (sw 7004)
sw 7004 Snowbound is a super popular white from Sherwin Williams that’s used pretty much everywhere in the home. As a cabinet paint color it’s the perfect complement to gray kitchen walls. If you are someone who loves neutrals and loves white and gray color combinations. sw 7004 Snowbound may be a perfect fit for you.
Shades of Gray
High Sierra (sw 9588)
Repose Gray (sw 7015)
Pussywillow (sw 7643)
Shades of Blue
Salty Dog (sw 9177)
Most often used as an accent wall paint color and cabinet paint color sw 9177 Salty Dog is in the same realm of those beautiful deep blues on kitchen cabinets that we see all over social media. For all of those blue lovers, it’s a navy blue color that pairs great with colors like Sherwin Williamssw 7005 Pure White and sw 7071 Gray Screen.
Naval (sw 6244)
Indigo Batik (sw 7602)
Characterized as a dark, saturated denim blue, sw 7602 Indigo Batik is a cabinet paint color that is a bit softer than its cousins, Naval and Salty Dog. If you’re a fan of blue kitchen cabinets but don’t want a super dominant color then this may be the best color for you.
Bonus Colors
Flur de Sel (sw 7666)
Urbane Bronze (sw 7048)
sw 7048 urbane bronze was crowned the Sherwin Williams color of the year in 2021. It’s a beautiful deep brownish gray that just screams ‘class and sophistication’. Pair it with some tan or beige decor pieces and you’ve got yourself a kitchen that feels like a warm hug from Mother Nature.
Retreat (sw 6207)
Copen Blue (sw 0068)
sw 0068 Copen Blue is a soft blue we absolutely love. It’s a lesser known color to use on cabinets but it when used on kitchen cabinets it makes your kitchen almost feel like summertime on the beachfront.
Sea Salt (sw 6204)
Should I Match or Contrast My Cabinet Paint with My Kitchen Walls?
Choosing a paint color for your kitchen cabinets is like picking out the perfect outfit for a special event. Do you go bold or do you stay safe? Each has its charm and challenges and just like in any good debate, there are two sides to this paint color story. Do we match our kitchen cabinets with the walls or do we make them stand out?
Pros and Cons of Contrasting Cabinet Paint and Wall Colors
Pro's
Make your kitchen cabinets stand out
Imagine walking into a party wearing a neon green dress while everyone else is in black and white. You’d be the center of attention, wouldn’t you? That’s exactly what contrasting cabinet paint colors do for your kitchen cabinets. They turn them into the star of your kitchen show, the main attraction that everyone can’t help but notice.
Painting kitchen cabinets a paint color that contrasts with the walls is a design choice that’s become very popular over the years, and people are using lots of different colors to achieve a beautiful contrast.
Open Up A World of Possibilities
Contrasting paint colors has been huge among homeowners and interior designers alike. The reason lies in their ability to breathe life into your kitchen, to add a dash of personality that speaks volumes about your unique style. Contrasting colors open up a world of different possibilities for the use of accent colors.
Choosing a darker color for your cabinets, for instance, can make a bold statement, in a good way. But the beauty of a contrasting cabinet paint color doesn’t stop there, you can mix and match however you like, creating a color scheme that fits your personal taste and complements your overall kitchen décor, like your countertops and stainless steel appliances.
Con's
Choosing The Wrong Color Can Be A Disaster
We’ve all seen those kitchen cabinet paint transformations that made us say “yikes!” While it’s great to experiment with paint colors, choosing the wrong cabinet paint color can be a disaster. Here’s the thing, your cabinet paint color is not just a color; it’s the mood-setter for your kitchen. It can make your kitchen feel inviting, or it can turn it into the diy project from hell.
That’s why it’s essential to use all available resources to choose the perfect color combo. From online tools and color charts, to consulting a professional designer, make sure you do your homework before going wild with contrasting colors.
So, consider your kitchen’s existing décor, the amount of natural light it gets, and your personal style before deciding on a cabinet paint color.
Pros and Cons of Complementing Cabinet and Wall Colors
Pro's
Great For Subtlety
It’s like wearing a well-tailored suit. Everything fits together perfectly, creating a sense of cohesion and tranquility. Your cabinets blend seamlessly with their surroundings and when your cabinets blend seamlessly with their surroundings, it creates a calming, streamlined look. It’s like a gentle lullaby for your eyes. No loud, bold colors jostling for attention here. Just a calm, neutral scene.
It's A Safe Bet
When your kitchen cabinets and walls are in sync, everything else just falls into place. It just makes life so much easier. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the rainbow of paint swatches matching/complementing your kitchen cabinet paint color with your kitchen walls takes a lot of the stress out of choosing a paint color because it really narrows your options.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about waking up one day, looking at your kitchen, and thinking, “OMG, what was I thinking when I painted those kitchen cabinets navy blue?”
Cons
The thing with matching your cabinet paint color and wall color is that it can sometimes make your kitchen look a bit, bland. This is especially true if you choose muted or neutral paint colors for both your cabinet and wall. While this may work well for some, it can leave others craving for a bit of color pop in their kitchen.
However, there are ways to still achieve a cohesive look without having a bland kitchen.
But if you’re a fan of the minimalist, less-is-more aesthetic, then neutral cabinet paint colors might be just your cup of tea. And that’s perfectly fine! After all, your kitchen should reflect your personality. But if you’re aiming for a kitchen that has character and charm, then you might want to reconsider using a cabinet color that is similar to your wall color.
Creating a balance between Cabinet Colors and Wall Colors
When you look at pictures of kitchen cabinet colors from social media or just the internet in general you’ve probably noticed that every kitchen scene looks perfect. White kitchen cabinets with brass accents of cabinet hardware, cream colored cabinets used with wood flooring or blue kitchen cabinets with bright white decor accents all over the kitchen.
The cabinet colors just look great and it seems like they were made for each other and if you’re like me, then you’ve probably wondered to yourself “How the heck do I achieve that in my kitchen?” Creating that balance between your kitchen cabinets and walls can be challenging at times but it’s actually easier than you might think. Here’s how you can do it.
Be Bold or Be Subtle
First things first, you’ve got to figure out if you want your kitchen cabinets to be the lead singer or the backup vocalist in your kitchen. Are they going to be the focal point of your kitchen by using maybe stark white paint colors , or are they going to be more subtle and blend in by maybe using a pale gray or a warm white on top of white walls?
If you want your kitchen cabinets to stand out, then you’ll want your cabinet paint color to contrast with your wall color. Being either lighter or darker than the color on the wall. This is where you can really let your personality shine.
If you’re feeling daring, go for bold and darker colors like navy blue, or different shades of medium gray. If you prefer a more neutral look, go for a softer contrasting color like a warm white, off white. A light gray like repose gray/mindful gray can also be used as a contrasting color and really look great in a modern kitchen.
On the other hand, if you’re more of a ‘blend into the background’ type, then you’ll want to pick cabinet colors that are in the same color family as your walls. This creates a subtle, cohesive look that’s as comforting as a bowl of mom’s homemade soup on a cold day. Think about a soft warm gray, stark white kitchen cabinets with off white walls, cozy beiges, and earthy tans. Using a neutral color works wonderfully for this look. It’s simple, it’s cozy, and it just feels right.
How To Choose the Right Shade of White or Gray for your kitchen Cabinets
Grays and whites are super diverse neutral cabinet colors that can fit into just about any kitchen scenario. But there are really 3 main factors that need to be considered when trying to pick the ideal white or gray paint color for your kitchen cabinets.
1.) Your Kitchen Lighting
2.) The colors Undertones
3.) Do you want to Accent or complement your kitchen cabinets
Your Kitchen Lighting
You know how sometimes you put on a shirt thinking it’s one color, but then you step outside and bam – it’s a completely different color? That’s what lighting can do to your kitchen cabinets. Your kitchen lighting has the biggest influence on how your chosen shade of white or gray will appear.
Lighting has different temperatures, swinging from the bluish white to a warm amber like a summer sunset. This spectrum can dramatically influence your cabinet paint color, turning your cool gray into a warm gray that has warm undertones that you didn’t expect, or it could turn your crisp white into a cozy creamy white.
Pay attention to lighting temperature
When choosing a white or gray for your kitchen cabinets as a paint color, you’ll want to pay close attention to your lighting temperature and its brightness.
A Little Pro Tip: to see the “true color” of your cabinets, try using lights that have a temperature of 4,000 – 5,000 lumens. This is like the Goldilocks zone for your whites and grays – not too harsh, not too soft, but just right!
Undertones
Most whites and all grays are like chameleons? They appear simple at first glance, but they actually have hidden colors that can show up in different lighting conditions. These are called undertones, and depending on the shade of white or gray, they can range from reddish, green, brown, pinkish, yellow, and more. It’s like finding an extra color in your paint color.
The best way to find out which gray or white will work best as a cabinet paint color for your kitchen cabinets is to consider these sneaky undertones. It’s like matchmaking for your kitchen – you want the undertones in your paint color to harmonize with your walls.
Think of it this way: if your wall paint color has a cool blue undertone, a gray with a similar cool undertone will fit right in. But, if your walls are warm and cozy with a reddish or cream undertone, a warm white might be your perfect match. It’s all about finding complementary tones that bring out the best in each other.
Pro Tip
When checking for undertones, try to do so in lighting that’s either the same or very similar to your kitchen’s lighting. That way, you can avoid a dramatic color change that often happens when you see a color in the paint store vs. in your home.
Accent or Complement
Accent color
Complementary color
If you’re all about harmony and prefer a complementary look, finding a cabinet paint color that’s a shade lighter than your walls usually does the trick. There is something about a subtle shade difference that just feels right. Sometimes neutral color schemes are the best choice for those of us that aren’t looking to make a bold statement with our color choices.
What About Bold and Unique Colors?
How do you choose the right bold paint color for your kitchen cabinets? Well, that’s where a little bit of color theory comes into play. You’ve got to consider the overall theme of your kitchen, the colors of your walls, countertops, and appliances, and how your chosen color will fit into that palette.
Don’t worry, though, you don’t have to go at it alone. There are tons of resources out there for inspiration. Check out social media, Pinterest boards, google etc. And remember, planning is key. So, before you take the plunge, try out different color swatches or use virtual tools to visualize your new kitchen.
Maintaining balance and cohesion with bold choices
Imagine that you’ve just painted your kitchen cabinets a vibrant shade of red, inspired by a family vacation to Spain. Now, every time you walk into your kitchen, it feels like you’ve been transported to a cozy tapas bar in Barcelona. Sounds great, right? But here’s the catch – if the rest of your kitchen doesn’t complement your bold cabinet color, you might feel more like you’re in a fast-food joint than a Spanish paradise.
So, how do we avoid that? By planning around your bold choice. Think of your cabinet color as the star of the show. Like any good star, it needs a supporting cast that helps it shine without stealing the spotlight. That’s where accents come in.
Cute hand towels from Amazon or Target or a vintage rug. These pieces can add splashes of color that complement your kitchen cabinets, bringing harmony to your kitchen color scheme. Other decor pieces, like dish rags, wall art, or even small appliances, can also contribute to this balance.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the perfect paint color for your kitchen cabinets is more than just a design decision; it’s an opportunity to infuse your personality into the heart of your home. It’s about creating a space that tells your story, from those Sunday family dinners to late-night snack raids. It’s about carving out a space that’s uniquely you.
So, whether you’re dreaming of a bold, fiery color to match your sizzling culinary skills or a calming color to reflect your love for tranquility, remember – there are no wrong choices. Just like there’s no wrong way to be you.
So, go ahead. Roll up your sleeves, unleash your creativity, and bring your dream kitchen to life.
