HomeThe Best Paint ColoursBenjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams: Paint Ideas6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets White

6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets White

Posted on August 23, 2021 by KylieMawdsley

Should you REALLY paint your kitchen cabinets white? We’ll see!

Picking the right white for your kitchen cabinets can be DARN tricky. Why? Because it’s not just about what you want; it’s about what your kitchen needs and kitchens can be pretty finicky.

Kitchen island painted benjamin moore cloud white, before and after some time. View to open dining room. Kylie M INteriors E-design and online paint color expert

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I have MANY Online Color Consulting clients who are desperate for a white kitchen, either a brand-new one or via painting their existing cabinets. However, they don’t always have the finishes to SUPPORT a white kitchen. Maybe they have a particular beige tile flooring or black appliances* that they don’t plan on changing. Maybe the rest of their home has wood trim and doors or other finishes that won’t suit a fresher look in the kitchen. Whatever it is, I often have to break it to them that white would not be their kitchen’s best friend. And nothing breaks bad news better than a glass of wine and a slightly manic Ginger, right?

Kitchen cabinets painted Benjamin Moore White Dove, Edgecomb Gray, white quartz. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, diy blogger

It’s important to look closely at a) if your kitchen and home can visually support white cabinets, and if it CAN, then b) choosing the white that suits the rest of your finishes and furnishings and not just choosing the white that suits your fancy.

You need to choose a cabinet color that actually suits your HOME, not just your personal tastes.

However, there’s a hierarchy to consider when coordinating your ‘hopefully’ white kitchen cabinets with your kitchen.

 

COORDINATING YOUR KITCHEN PALETTE: WHAT MATTERS THE MOST

Again, I’d love to say that YOU matter the most, and while you’re always at the top of my mind, when doing a consult, I’m leaning in and listening to your HOME and its needs first. In particular, when finding the best cabinet colors, I focus on these surfaces (in this order)…

1. THE BACKSPLASH

That’s right; the backsplash matters the MOST when choosing your cabinet color.

Why?

Your cabinets and backsplash are on the same VERTICAL sightline, meaning your eyes connect them first. While there are exceptions, for sure, the majority of kitchens need the backsplash and cabinet coordination to be BANG-ON before even considering these next surfaces.

What if you don’t have a backsplash?

Granite countertop similar to Giallo Ornamental, Santa Cecelia, beige tile floor, off-white painted beige cabinets. Kylie M ONine paint color consulting

In this case, the countertop is next. Even though it’s horizontal, because the paint color on the walls is (presumably) easier to change, and the countertop is the most EXPENSIVE to update, it matters the most.

 

2. THE COUNTERTOP

Coming in a hot second place is the countertop. The counters are horizontal; the cabinets are vertical. This means there’s a degree of forgiveness regarding their coordination. I mean, sure, if your backsplash and counter are perfectly coordinated, then by all means, consider BOTH. However, in doing over a decade of Online Color Consulting, I’ve discovered that this isn’t always the case (like 50% of the time).

Some kitchens have the same product on the backsplash and the countertop – either quartz, granite, or marble (I’ve even had a few requests for laminate countertop backsplashes)…

Kitchen cabinets painted Benjamin Moore Natural Cream, brown quartz countertops, oak floor.

In this case, it’s much easier as you have one less surface to worry about!

3. THE FLOOR

In my IDEAL world, you have a wood floor, as it’s usually a HECK of a lot easier to coordinate with than tile or vinyl (unless they’ve been well-chosen). When it comes to wood, linoleum, or LVT/LVP, it can’t always be coordinated if the floor doesn’t work with the backsplash and countertop. In this case, there are three choices…

  1. Paint the cabinets a color that the backsplash and countertop agree on, even if it’s not SUPER hot with the floor (at least the floor is horizontal, not vertical).
  2. Paint the upper cabinets a color that suits the backsplash (and hopefully the countertop), and the lower cabinets an accent color that works with the floor, and HOPEFULLY, accents the countertop – this is always medium to dark paint color.
  3. Save your sheckles until you can change the flooring to coordinate with the other finishes.

While this kitchen wasn’t hard to coordinate with, it’s a great example of colored lowers/base cabinets and white wall cabinets…

Benjamin Moore best medium blue gray paint color, Britannia Blue. White upper cabinets, blue lower cabinets and painted kitchen island, chevron tile backsplash ,white oak, offwhite quartz. Kylie M

Benjamin Moore White Dove, Benjamin Moore Brittania Blue

4. THE WALL COLOR

Why is the wall color not as important as the backsplash and countertop? Because MOST of the time, it’s the least expensive to change if it just doesn’t work. The exception is when an open concept space, including the kitchen, is painted this color, and repainting is simply NOT an option due to cost.

If the wall color is the RIGHT color for your space, it should look great with the backsplash and countertop – making it a great option for the cabinets. HOWEVER, if the wall color isn’t quite right, it won’t always agree on a cabinet color that the backsplash and countertop love, too. In this case, I’ve advised many clients to hang tight until they can either change their backsplash or countertop OR change their wall color – then we can get a cabinet color that actually works.

Cabinets painted Sherwin Williams Pure White, walls Benjamin Moore warm gray Classic Gray, Vadar White Aura quartz, wood floor, Serena Lily rattan stools, blue accents. subway tile

Sherwin Williams Pure White cabinets with Benjamin Moore Classic Gray on the walls

If you have white walls, you might consider using this same shade of white on your cabinets, AS LONG AS it’s the right white for the backsplash, countertop, and flooring. If it doesn’t work on the cabinets, it’s probably the wrong choice for the walls. Pick the RIGHT white for your cabinets, based on this suggested hierarchy, and then change the walls and trim to match.

Kitchen remodel, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace painted white cabinets, Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray painted island, warm gray greige trim and board and batten. Wood flooor. Marble backsplash. Kylie M online paint color expert with Truley Home

Now, to help save at least a BIT of your sanity, I’ve got some great tips to help you decide not just if white is right for your home but which type of white you should be looking for!

 

Best white paint colours for kitchen cabinets, should you paint. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, ft Benjamin and Sherwin Williams

 

1. WHICH ‘TYPE’ OF WHITE SUITS YOUR KITCHEN?

In the ideal world, the surfaces in your kitchen are all well-coordinated and will suit a particular white (and if they don’t, as mentioned above, you may have a bigger project in the near future). For this question, look at your backsplash FIRST, and figure out which TYPE of white it has in it (we’ll get into what to do if you don’t have any white shortly).

Does your backsplash contain a clean, crisp white or a warm white/off-white/cream?

 

CLEAN WHITE BACKSPLASH

If you have a relatively simple, bright white in your backsplash, sometimes found in marble or subway tile, you’ll want to look at simple white paint colors for your cabinets, in other words, ones with little to no color/tint. You’ll want the whites to flow so that they are the same TYPE of white. Bring paint samples home. Do they seem a bit more yellow/blue/pink than the white in your countertop, or do they blend in with the existing white?

The best white for kitchen cabinets with marble. Sherwin Williams High Reflective White. Kylie M INteriors Edesign, online paint colour consultant

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

From there, make sure this white makes sense with your countertop, then your flooring, and, LASTLY, your walls.

By the way, if you have white subway tile, chances are it’s a reasonably bright white and not soft and warm like Benjamin Moore White Dove, or even Sherwin Williams Pure White.

 

WARM WHITE, OFF-WHITE, OR CREAM BACKSPLASH

If you have an off-white or warm white in your backsplash, either as a solid color or a mixed tile (travertine tends to have an off-white beige), then you can TRY warm white paint colors for your cabinets. It’s also important that the undertones suit each other’s warmth.

  • If the white or off-white in your backsplash is warm with a touch of yellow – your cabinet’s white should follow suit.
  • If the color in your backsplash is warm with a touch of orange or red (beige), there’s a good chance it’s an OFF-WHITE, not a white, which means you may have to head into the warm off-white range or the off-white beige world (there aren’t great whites with orange/pink undertones and NO white-beiges exist).

Again, if your kitchen is well-coordinated, the color that works with your backsplash should also work with your countertop, flooring, and lastly, your wall color.

While many try to squeeze this next early 2000s granite countertop into a white palette, it will only DATE the look of the countertop. Instead, a soft off-white is a MUCH better approach (as shown)…

Sherwin Williams painted off white cabinets with granite countertop. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint colour consulting (1)

Are Off-White or Light Depth Painted Cabinets the Best For YOUR Kitchen?

Formica Soapstone Sequoia greige laminate countertop in kitchen with cloud white cabinets. Kylie M E-design

See more of this project HERE

Are you not quite sure WHICH type of white you have in your countertop? Read this – The 5 Types of White Paint Colors (but finish this first).

 

BACKSPLASHES & COUNTERTOPS WITH NO WHITE IN THEM

If neither your countertops nor backsplash have white or off-white, what DO they have going on?

  • What color family are they in? Blue, green, etc.?
  • Are they warm or cool?
  • Shades of gray, brown, or a bit more colorful?
  • Do you see any UNDERTONES?

You need to consider these things before choosing your cabinet’s best white. Let’s explore a few main color groups to get you on the right path…

 

GRAY BACKSPLASH, COUNTERTOPS, & WHITE CABINETS

Of course, here is where anal Kylie comes out and says you MUST consider whether you’re dealing with WARM gray or COOL gray. From there, you need to discover your finishes’ undertones. Cool shades of gray often prefer true or cool whites, whereas warm grays often prefer true or warm whites (are you exhausted yet? Wine helps). And don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to some GREAT white paint colors shortly!

Painted warm gray light greige cabinets, Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist, marble glass chevron herringbone backsplash tile, granite countertop

What if your gray backsplash isn’t well-coordinated with your countertop? 

THREE SLAPS WITH A WET NOODLE! Just joking (kind of). I see this all the time. Homeowners who wanted to update their (most often) 2000s granite countertops and chose a subway tile or mixed tile that’s too cool-toned or gray for their counters.

In this case, there isn’t always a fix – some finishes don’t agree, and SOMETHING has to give – either you change the backsplash or countertop, OR you settle on a color that doesn’t agree with one or the other (you really should humor the backsplash first.)

I recently did an Online Color Consult with a client who has a GORGEOUS home and wants a white kitchen, and it was DARN hard to give it to her.

AND, because she wants to keep the backsplash AND it’s on the same vertical sightline as the cabinets (meaning it connects quicker with the cabinets than the horizontal countertops), we have to humor the backsplash BEFORE the countertop.

white subway tile and granite countertops

So, while I suggested the best white for the situation and what she was asking for, I STRONGLY SUGGESTED a few other solutions that would ‘bridge the gap’ a bit more. In her case, the backsplash needs to change – there is NO color these surfaces agree on.

As a happy medium, she could explore a medium-toned taupe that suits her countertop, and then restain her tile grout to match it. And while it might not be the white kitchen she had in mind, it would look better in the long run. And let’s be honest, in the ideal world she would get a new backsplash (or countertop), but in the REAL world, sometimes we have to work with what we’ve got!

And this is NOT an anomaly – I see this ALL the time. White subway tile is SUPER popular. But just like choosing the best shade of white for your cabinets, you also have to choose the best white SUBWAY TILE for your countertop, and often, the default ‘white subway tile’ is used when something else might be a bit better.

Love the home you have, not the one you WISH you had.

Luckily, these countertop and backsplash palettes DEFINITELY agree on what they love…

See more of this beauty HERE

White kitchen, gray glaze, gray stools, coffered ceilings, granite and marble countertop, dark wood island. Kylie M INteriors E-design, online consultant

 

GREIGE BACKSPLASH & COUNTERTOPS & WHITE CABINETS

First, you need to know what greige IS to recognize it in your finishes. Greige is a warm color between gray and beige, with a GREEN undertone (whereas taupe has a purple undertone).

Finishes with shades of greige tend to suit a slightly softer white, not TERRIBLY warm or creamy, but not a stark white or a cold one. And, of course, there are exceptions based on personal style/specific color; I’m just here to get you on the right path!

Kylie M Interiors Edesign, cloud white kitchen cabinets, granite countertop, glass subway tile backsplash. south facing. online consulting

However, not all greiges can handle white cabinets – it depends on the LIGHT colors they’re blended with. If your backsplash and countertop have NO white, white could be a stretch for the cabinets. However, if, like the above countertop, you have a bit of softness, some whites can be accommodated.

If not, you might need to embrace the off-white world of paint colors, particularly those with creamy-tan backdrops.

A countertop and backsplash palette like this next one doesn’t suit white cabinets, but look at how GORGEOUS it looks with a warm gray-greige!

Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray cabinet warm gray greige taupe colour. White greige quartz countertop and backsplash tile. Kylie M

Some might see this countertop and say, ‘But, Kylie, I see white in that countertop!‘ Compare it to the little piece of white paper and see how NOT white it really is!

And remember, as shown above and below, there’s a WHOLE WORLD of great paint colors that might suit your kitchen even better than white…

Kitchen island before paint with Kylie M Interiors edesign

Wood kitchen island painted Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze with granite countertop. Gold hardware, Kylie M INteriors Edesign, orange wood flooring

 

BROWN, NEUTRAL, OR EARTH-TONED BACKSPLASH & COUNTERTOP

If your countertop is on the warmer, earth-toned side, you’ll want to match that with your whites and choose soft, warm whites or even off-whites (examples coming up shortly).

Remember, this advice is for when your countertop and backsplash don’t have ANY white in them. 

Maple kitchen cabinets before after painted off-white. BEnjamin Moore White Down. Kylie M Interiors E-design, online paint color consultant and expert

See more of this makeover HERE! 

Again, the challenge is when a countertop has warm earth tones, but the backsplash has been updated with a WHITE subway tile or a gray tile that isn’t warm enough. In this case, either update the backsplash to match the countertop (or vice versa) OR choose a color that one of your surfaces doesn’t love!

In this next kitchen, while the white cabinets are pretty bright and white for the terra cotta tile floor, they suit the backsplash and countertop my clients chose. This shows that sometimes there’s a happy medium if you can let a few things go and embrace the home you have…

Kitchen with saltillo tile terra COTTA floors, the best colours for white painted cabinets and walls, Zellige tile backsplash, dark gray quartz countertop, Kylie M INteriors Edesign

 

COLORED BACKSPLASHES, COUNTERTOPS & WHITE CABINETS (BLUE, GREEN)

If you have NO white in sight and a cool color dominant in your backsplash (first) and countertop, you’ll want to choose a true or slightly cool white that suits that particular color/undertone (the odd cool colored countertop suits a warm white).

Paint colour and backsplash ideas to update uba tuba green granite countertops. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online diy advice blogger

If you have a dominant WARM colored backsplash or countertop, which is rare (i.e., yellow/orange/red), you may want to pick a warm white or off-white that picks up on that particular color/undertone – NO warm countertop will prefer a cool white over a warm one. Examples of warm and cool whites are coming up shortly!

One warm white that often suits a WIDE range of warm colors is Benjamin Moore Simply White.

Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray, white kitchen cabinets and buffet, teal accent stools and home decor. Kylie M Interiors and Alair Homes Nanaimo

Remember, this advice section is for when your countertop and backsplash don’t have ANY white in them.

And please don’t be overwhelmed; these are ALL things that I consider when I do my Online Paint Color Consultations, so if you’re struggling, you know who to holler at (well, you know who to email – I never answer my phone). I also have a super-effective SEARCH FUNCTION on my blog and 500+ articles to learn from!

 

This next kitchen is an example of a client hoping for white cabinets. But as far as the backsplash, countertop, and flooring are concerned, it’s a HARD no…

kitchen cabinets and countertop BEFORE IMAGE

Instead, I suggested saving her money by keeping the cabinets as-is. Once she’s ready to remodel the kitchen (in a few years), she could create a nicely balanced palette from scratch. In the meantime, a more suitable paint color on the walls and updated light fixtures would make a HUGE difference to this space, giving it a fresher face.

 

2. WHAT’S YOUR TRIM COLOR & DOES IT MATTER?

Many of my clients hope to keep their current trim color when painting their cabinets (the less painting, the better, am I right?). However, it can be a HOT mess once you start mixing whites, and I’m a HUGE believer (understatement) in having whites consistent in a room, which means it’s BEST if your trim matches the cabinets. So, you have two choices…

  1. See whether your existing trim color is the best color for your cabinets. Assuming the trim color was chosen to suit the countertop and backsplash, it should also work for the cabinets. This is the IDEAL situation.
  2. HOWEVER, I’ve found that not enough attention is given to trim, and it’s OFTEN the wrong color for the room and its finishes. In this case, you may want to choose your new cabinet color and then paint the trim this color as well.

Sherwin Williams Collonade Gray in north facing kitchen with Alabaster cabinets, Summerhill quartz. Gibraltar Cliffs feature wall. Kylie M INteriors Edesign

Why does matching your cabinets and trims matter?

Your trim and cabinets should be the SAME white because one white can EASILY make another white look dingy/yellow/green/cool/etc…in comparison. This might not seem like a big deal, but if you’re even REMOTELY sensitive to these things, it’s friggin’ horrendous.

White Walls, Trims, Doors & Ceilings – Do They REALLY Need to Be the Same?

The best white and gray paint colors for kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanity. Benjamin or Sherwin. Edesign, Kylie M Interiors Online colour consulting. Home Decorating and diy ideas blogger

Click HERE or on the above image to see available packages

 

3. DOES YOUR WHOLE HOME EVEN SUIT A WHITE KITCHEN?

This is a big one (that’s what she said…). Does the rest of your home SUIT a white kitchen? Can your KITCHEN support white cabinets? (FUN QUIZ HERE!)

Best paint colours to go with dark wood trim, doors and floor. Kylie M INteriors Ediesng, similar to BM White Dove or Dove Wing. Client before photo

Not every home suits a white kitchen for various reasons, including furnishings, existing hard finishes, and SO much more, which we’re getting into next…

 

4. DO YOU HAVE A WHOLE LOTTA WOOD FINISHES AROUND?

White cabinets can be tricky if you have a home with a lot of wood trim/doors/built-ins. You DON’T want the kitchen to be the only white thing in the area; it needs something else (other than the ceiling) to support it visually…something like trim, home decor, and furniture pieces. It’s SLIGHTLY easier to pull off an off-white/cream kitchen with wood trim, but a ‘white’ kitchen might not make sense on a large scale.

HOme office red cherry wood before edesign (1)

If you have a lot of WOOD in your home, you’ll have to work hard to make a white kitchen feel at home! 

If you stand in the rooms that are ATTACHED to your kitchen, would they all flow if your cabinets were white? Do you have enough white in your other rooms (i.e., trim/built-ins/decor) to support a white kitchen?

The Best Paint Colors for Wood Trim

 

5. WHAT’S YOUR WINDOW COLOR?

If there’s one interior finish that’s often forgotten, it’s the window color. While white windows are pretty easy to please (with few considerations), and black has a few points to ponder, when it comes to white cabinets and beige (tan, almond) windows, they must be coordinated carefully. 

This leads to the next question…

 

DO YOUR CABINETS & TRIM NEED TO MATCH YOUR WINDOW COLOR?

I’ll touch briefly on white and black, as they’re easy, but first, let’s spend a little time with BEIGE.

BEIGE WINDOWS & WHITE TRIMS & CABINETS

If your kitchen has no windows, this isn’t as much of a problem, as there should be enough visual separation. However, white cabinets can be iffy if it has beige, tan, or almond windows. There ARE exceptions depending on the countertop/backsplash you choose, but it’s a tough sell if you don’t coordinate carefully. Beige or tan windows can look dingy against white cabinets (or cool gray ones), and the overall approach could appear poorly coordinated.

The reason trim matters is that your cabinets and trim should be the same color. This means that if your window has trim around it (it isn’t a drywall return, like the one shown below), this color connection REALLY matters.

Revere Pewter painted kitchen cabinets, Cambria Brittanica Warm quartz countertops, polished nickel hardware, stainless. Kylie M Edesign, diy blogger

A FEW CONSIDERATIONS RE: BEIGE WINDOWS, & TRIMS, & CABINETS

  • How CLOSE are your windows to your cabinets?
  • Do your windows have trim around them, or are they just drywall?
  • Will your cabinets be a bright or cool white or a WARM one? Warm whites coordinate better with beige or almond windows.
  • Does your backsplash or countertop incorporate some of your beige or tan window color, which can help visually support your windows?

THIS BLOG POST IS BEING MASSIVELY UPDATED FROM HERE – NO JUDGY JUDGY

BLACK APPLIANCES & WHITE CABINETS

This one is picking up on that little * that you might’ve noticed way earlier. Some people don’t mind the look of white cabinets/black appliances. Personally (and decoratively), I find it WAY too high contrast for a kitchen, unless PARTICULAR things are in place (which I’ve covered in this blog post).

Budget friendly kitchen with painted cabinet in Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray, white subway tile, black countertops, red toned wood floor. Kylie M INteriors E-decor

A two-tone kitchen is a GREAT example of a happy medium with black appliances

BEIGE APPLIANCES

Beige appliances are a SUPER tough sell with white cabinets and it’s basically a hard-no. I would rather you spend your money on new white/black/stainless appliances so that down the road, you can paint the cabinets whatever color you (and your home) want.

EXTERIOR FLOW

If you stand outside and then walk in, would a white kitchen feel WEIRD compared to your exterior? Maybe you could consider a WARM white, but not a cool/crisp white? This is often the case with exteriors that have earth tones/warmer colors on them vs grays and cool tones. And again, window color can play a BIG part.

This is the exterior of our new home. Does it look like a ‘white kitchen’ kinda house to you? HECK no.

Exterior of our new house

Don’t worry, our exterior will look DRASTICALLY different come Springtime when we get some fresh paint on it!

The Best Cool or True Whites for Cabinets

Painted maple, cherry wood kitchen cabinets in Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, Amherst Gray, green granite. Black appliances. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

How to choose the best paint colour for a 2 storey room or tall wall with vaulted ceilings. Sherwin Williams Dovetail and Repose Gray, white kitchen by Kylie M Interiors

White shaker style cabinets, white quartz countertops, Coventry Gray island and Stonington Gray walls

And while I could go into morbid detail about these colors, you could also read these…

The Best Warm Whites & Off-Whites (creams) for Cabinets 

Wood maple kitchen cabinets painted Benjamin Moore White Down. Kylie M E-design, online virtual paint consulting. Granite countertop, backsplash, glass cabinets, wood flooring

Benjamin Moore White Down (see more of this project HERE)

Alabaster, White kitchen, Alabaster, Island Sherwin Iron Ore, Viatera Aria, Sandbar. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online virtual paint color consulting. Kitchen remodel

Sherwin Williams Alabaster

SAMPLING CABINET PAINT COLORS WITH SAMPLIZE 

Samplize is BY FAR the easiest and most affordable way to sample paint colors, however, they come in an eggshell finish. It’s important to note that cabinets are almost ALWAYS painted in a satin finish. This slightly enhanced sheen can slightly lift and brighten colors.

Here are just a few reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…

  • samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in approx. 1 business day, depending on location and country
  • at $6.99, they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling
  • if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room

Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE 

Paint colour review of tool Samplize, peel and stick samples. Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Farrow and Ball, Home Depot. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint color consulting

CHECK OUT SAMPLIZE HERE

READ MORE

The Pros & Cons of Off-White & Light Depth Painted Cabinets

The 4 Best Sherwin Williams White Paint Colors

Benjamin Moore 8 Best White Paint Colors

The 3 Best White Paint Colors for a North-Facing Room

Benjamin Moore 3 Best Warm White Paint Colors

 

Not sure which white is best for your kitchen or bathroom cabinets?

Check out my E-Design services – I’d love to help! 

edesign, virtual paint colour consulting. Kylie M Interiors Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams color expert. marketing (29)

Chat soon,

Kylie M Interiors, decorating blog, e-design, online colour consulting expert. signature

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2018, UPDATED IN 2021



Comments

  1. Hi Kylie, I’m thinking you’ll be revising your ‘black appliances” recommendation, especially as the up and coming color trend is black and white (goodbye grey)! I’m beginning to see more and more white/black and less grey….

    I agree though that there are way more considerations for color than what the current trend is, as you point out homes with lots of wood wouldn’t play well with an all-white kitchen. I’m also a big fan of decorating with colors YOU like and not being a slave to the current trend.

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      Author

      I know, isn’t it funny! I have seen more kitchens with the black appliances/white cabinets, but without putting key things in place (ie: dark countertops) I just find it too graphic (personally AND decoratively). Things are always a-changin’ and I agree that gray is slowly (slooowly) fading…

  2. Congratulations on your new house. Can’t wait to see what you do with it.
    I totally agree with the white teaching above. It’s easy to make mistakes with white….and not every home needs white!

  3. This such a great post and very helpful. Helped me deicde between Extra White and Pure White. My counterops looks very similar to the ones pictured with the subway tile backsplash. It is so hard, I have a counter top with warm whites and going with SW Pure White but want a cool color (mint, cool blue) on the walls so bad. I hope those undertones don’t clash!

  4. Hi Kylie-
    I’m new to your site, but you are amazing with sharing your knowledge and your time. I am a fellow designer and see a kindred spirit in you. Great reading and I’ve learned new things about color and paint!
    Good luck with your new house and thank you for your generosity! Best, Jenine Beck

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      Author
  5. Hi Kylie,
    So I took your suggestion of picking a countertop first. I really like the look of MSI Quartz in Ash Gray. Are you familiar with that shade of quartz? I am wondering what shade of white would be best for the cabinets. Thank you! I really appreciate your website.

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      Author
  6. Hi Kylie,

    Great article! I’m am redoing a bathroom and have a lot of whites going on. I’m doing a Florentine Carrara porcelain tile and a Quartz countertop in Arctic White. Both are very crisp. Floor is gray/brown oak plank tile. The Carrara has both the brown and the gray in it although very subtle. And then there is the free standing tub and sinks which are more a traditional white. Ugh!!! Can you offer any advice? I’m refacing cabinets and am confused on which way to go.

    Thanks

  7. My wife and I have been planning some upgrades to our home now that we’ve been earning more money. It really helped when you suggested keeping the same tone of white for the entire kitchen from the flooring to the countertops because we’re very pleased with the white hardwood flooring we have in the kitchen and wanted to make adjustments elsewhere instead, like the cabinets for example. I’ll be sure to remember your tips when looking for a remodeling contractor who can help us out with the rest of the fixtures. Thank you!

  8. You’ve been a great help to me over the years, Kylie.

    My walls throughout the entire living area are SW Kilim Beige (trying to match an ugly fireplace at the time). My husband says that is not changing. I also have nice wood windows and trim and darker wood floors. We are updating the kitchen and can paint the cabinets with new countertops and backsplash. Would Dover White work for the cabinets? (I don’t have Benjamin Moore available in our little town). I need a serious off-white/cream as white will be too stark.

    1. I also have dark wood floors and killem beige walls! What white did you choose for cabinets? Did you go with quartz or grant countertop?

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