Coordinate Wall & Cabinet Paint Colors Like a Pro (Using LRV)

When coordinating wall and cabinet colors for our kitchens, it’s easy to focus on shades that catch our eye and appeal to our tastes. However, if that’s all we focus on, we risk choosing colors that clash once they’re applied. This is where LRV becomes one of your most important color-pickin’ tools (other than me). 

Of course, you need to mind your undertones, too, but LRV is one of the first considerations when coordinating colors. This is especially true when you want the right difference in contrast between your walls and cabinets.

In this blog post, we’ll look at how to use LRV to create great color pairings. And we’re doing this before you even start thinking about actual colors! 

Ahhhh, LRV (Light Reflectance Value), the lovely little tool that makes your paint-pickin’ life SO MUCH EASIER! 

If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I’ve got a lady boner for LRV. If you’re new here, you might be surprised by that last sentence. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Or you won’t (also, that’s as bad as it gets). 

I’ve gone into the details of LRV extensively here…

• The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Colors Using LRV
• LRV & Paint Colors: Common Questions – Answered

However, that’s not the focus of this blog post. This blog post assumes you know the meat n’ potatoes – you’re ready to do some serious color coordinating. If you don’t know much about LRV, keep reading, then check those blog posts out (I’ll link them at the end, too).

I started this blog post excited to coordinate cabinets, walls, trims, accent walls, and adjoining rooms – the full meal deal. However, as I got drinking typing (both, to be honest), I realized that cabinet-wall combos take up a whole blog post by themselves! So, we’ll save those other topics for another day/blog post (you may have to remind me, I do get distracted #adhdforthewin). 

Please note, this blog post isn’t about the ACTUAL color combos (they’re endless, although I’ll still show you a few beauties), this is about how to FIND your best combo using LRV.

HOW TO COORDINATE YOUR WALL & CABINET COLORS USING LRV

Creating a well-balanced color combo between walls and cabinets starts with two things:

1. Deciding on the look you want. Do you like high contrast, low contrast, colors, or neutrals? Make sure your tastes align with the needs of your kitchen’s finishes.
2. Determining how much you care (or don’t at all) about what’s in style for kitchen design.

If you’re not worried about what’s in style, you’ll still get a LOT from this blog post. Who knows, what you love MIGHT HAPPEN to be in style! 

This advice applies whether you’re updating an older kitchen or designing a new one! 

To make your learning journey a bit easier, I’ve broken this blog post up into sections…

• WHITE CABINET COLORS (LRV 82-94)
• OFF-WHITE COLORS (LRV 73-81)
  
• LIGHT CABINET COLORS (LRV 55-72)
• LIGHT-MEDIUM TO MEDIUM (LRV 20-55)
• DARKER CABINET COLORS (LRV 2-19)

From there, you can pick the section that suits your needs. If you have wood cabinets, go to SEARCH and type in ‘WOOD’ – have fun! 

All the photos in my blog are from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, and friends— because real homes deserve to be celebrated (dirty laundry and all!) While not magazine-perfect, they’re packed with ideas and proven color choices to help you create a home you’ll love.

WALL & CABINET COMBINATIONS: LRV CHEAT SHEET

If you want a quick guide to how much difference there should be between your colors’ LRVs, here’s a quick cheat sheet…just joking. Girlfriend loves to talk, ain’t nothin’ quick about it. 

LOW-CONTRAST PALETTE

Regardless of whether your cabinets are off-white, light, or darker, aim for a difference of 20 LRV points or less for a low-contrast look. Keep in mind that the contrast can seem higher when using totally different colors (vs. tone-on-tone). 

The kitchen of my talented Online Color client, Jenna Christian

Also note that by the time you’re under 15 points (color-dependent), you might consider using the same color on your walls and cabinets (with some exceptions). 

IF YOU HAVE WHITE CABINETS: A low-contrast palette can be as minimal as 5 points, but any lower, and I would match my walls and cabinets – don’t complicate things.

MEDIUM-CONTRAST PALETTE

If you want to see more contrast between your walls and cabinets, aim for colors that are approximately 30-40 LRV points apart. The lower you go, the lower the contrast will be, but going over 40 will create more contrast. 

HIGH-CONTRAST PALETTE

For a high-contrast kitchen palette (walls and cabinets), choose colors that differ by 45+ LRV points (with a good degree of give-and-take). 

It’s important to note that perception plays a huge part in how you combine your colors. What I see as medium-contrast, you might see as way too high or too low! 

However, there’s so much more that goes into coordinating your wall and cabinet colors, so keep on reading! 

WHAT WALL COLOR (LRV) GOES WITH WHITE KITCHEN CABINETS

If the question were, ‘What wall color goes best with white cabinets?‘, my answer would be ‘The color that coordinates with your backsplash and countertop – your white cabinets should be the least of your concerns!

Cabinets, walls, trims,& ceiling: Benjamin Moore White Dove LRV 83.16

That’s why this is about getting the right CONTRAST between your cabinets and walls. However, I’ve included helpful links to colors along the way (thank me later). 

You know this color cowgirl isn’t about the ‘high-style’ world – I’m talking about the everyday home and everyday homeowner. REAL HOMES, REAL PEOPLE, REAL BUDGETS – Real life, baby. 

WHITE CABINET COLORS (LRVs 82-94) & THEIR BEST WALL COLORS: 

1. MATCH: Match your cabinets and your walls – same color, different sheen (as shown above). While some whites mix and match well, there aren’t many great combinations, and it’s easy to go wrong. If you’re choosing white cabinets and are nervous, it’s best to use the SAME WHITE on your walls and trims, too. 
2. SLIGHT TONE-ON-TONE: If you don’t want white walls, the average white kitchen cabinet loves the soft, subtle contrast offered by warm, off-white wall colors, including these gorgeous, flexible warm off-whites (LRV 73-81). And if all else fails, you know where to find me. 
3. STANDARD: For a more noticeable contrast, light wall colors (55-72) look great with white cabinets and are definitely popular (and reasonably timeless). Check out light greiges and taupes, as well as beiges and tans. If you struggle to find a good combination in the off-white world, the light range might be just what your cabinets need. 

Expanding on #3: If you’re unsure what you want, start at 20 and see how you feel.

Because we’re talking about the BEST, most popular pairings, we’re not going darker or higher contrast (but I have blog posts for those colors, too – use my SEARCH! 

Benjamin Moore Classic Gray walls (LRV 73.67) & Sherwin Williams Pure White cabinets (LRV 84) – that’s a loooow contrast combo. 

Remember, even if the LRV spread is perfect, you still need to make sure their UNDERTONES go together! The right LRV combination doesn’t guarantee success, it’s just the starting place. 

THE BEST WALL COLORS (LRV) WITH OFF-WHITE CABINETS 

Trends come and go, and right now, off-white and light-depth cabinets are having a moment. Of those, cream cabinets are mildly popular (even though most cream cabinets make me twitch), but warm, off-white, and light neutral cabinet colors are hitting the scene hard. 

Cabinet color: Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White LRV 73

Let’s look at the different ways you can coordinate wall and white cabinet colors (LRVs 82-94)…

1. MATCH: Match your cabinets and your walls – same color, different sheen.
2. LIGHTEN OR DARKEN: Try getting your favorite cabinet color darkened by 50-75% for the walls OR your chosen wall color lightened by 50-75% for the cabinets. This is hit-or-miss depending on the color, as the undertones can shift slightly (or more), so sample and compare carefully*. Adjustments of 50% or 75% typically shift the LRV by about 6-12 points, depending on the chosen percentage. It’s not as drastic as you might think at 50%, but more noticeable at 75%. 
3. 20 LRV POINTS: If your cabinet color is in the low to mid 70s, choose a coordinating wall color that is approx. 20 LRV points (give or take five or so) lighter or darker than your cabinet color (going darker is less popular). If your cabinet color is closer to 80, consider #1 or maybe #2. If you have less than 20 LRV points between your cabinet and wall color, you might have a harder time coordinating undertones (I see it happen ALL THE TIME in my Online Color Consulting work – I’m hired to fix these hot mess combos!). 

The Best Off-White & Light Cabinet Colors

*While I’m ride-or-die for Samplize Peel & Stick when choosing wall colors and cabinet color coordination, when I’m a) tweaking colors (not twerking, that’s my other blog), or b) finalizing my color choice, I always get the color made in the EXACT line of paint and EXACT sheen that I’ll be using on my cabinets. This provides the most accurate representation, as the end product may appear slightly different. 

THE BEST WALL COLORS WITH LIGHT-DEPTH CABINETS 

Light-depth cabinet colors (LRVs 55-72) can be darn tricky. While white cabinets leave the doors wide open to a range of wall color pairings, light-depth cabinets easily fight with colors that are too similar in depth. 

This is why you should mix and match carefully when you coordinate walls with light cabinet colors…

1. MATCH: Some choose to match their walls and cabinets, but more so at the higher end of this range than at the lower end. You definitely can at the lower end (hey, it’s your home!), but it’s just not as common because it can visually weigh a space down. 
2. LIGHTEN: For a low-contrast, tone-on-tone palette, try using your cabinet color lightened by 50-75% for your walls. This is hit-or-miss, as the undertones can shift slightly or significantly. Sample and compare carefully. This usually shifts the LRV by about 6-12 points. Again, more popular at the higher end of this range.
3. 20 LRV POINTS: For a bit more contrast (while still being on the low side), choose a coordinating wall color that’s 20 LRV points lighter (give or take 5 or so) than your cabinet color. This should give you a range of beautiful white paint colors (LRV 82-94) and varying shades of warm off-white (73-81), keeping in mind off-white walls only work if your cabinet’s LRV is lower (we need that spread!). If you have fewer than 20 LRV points between your colors, you have an even greater risk of competing and clashing undertones. If you want A LOT less than a 20-point difference in LRV, refer back to #1 and #2. 

The greater the difference in LRV, the greater the contrast will be. If you want MORE contrast, spread that LRV! 

In this next kitchen, you’ll see Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray (LRV 60) on the cabinets and Sherwin Williams Snowbound (LRV 83) on the walls…

However, I’d like you to examine two important details in the above photo…

1. Check out the wall space just to the right of center. Notice how it compares to the cabinets on its left. This shows us a greater contrast between the cabinets and the wall in a lower-light area of the kitchen. 
2. Now, look at that wall and compare it to the cabinets on the right. Crazy, eh?

If your kitchen gets a lot of natural light, you might notice less of a difference between your two colors – and this is a 23-point spread!  

The Best Paint Colors to Update Cream Cabinets & Trims

Just remember: if you’re creating a color palette with two different color types, e.g., beige and gray, green and cream, greige and tan, the WARMER color should be the LIGHTER of the two. And that’s a topic unto itself (come back to this link later, it’s worth it). 

THE BEST WALL COLORS WITH LIGHT-MEDIUM & MEDIUM DEPTH CABINETS 

Once you dive into the light-medium and medium-depth ranges, it becomes much easier to find coordinating wall colors within the white, off-white, and light color spectrum. 

Why?

As shown previously, the higher the LRV of your cabinet color, the harder it is to create a noticeable contrast with light-toned walls (unless you choose a much darker shade, which isn’t in style). Of course, you can paint your walls white, but not everyone wants white walls, and not EVERY kitchen suits them! 

Now, working with cabinet colors that have an LRV between 20 and 54, we have plenty of room to move. 

Starting in the middle of the light-medium range, Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige (below) has an LRV of 46…

Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige: IMAGES, Info, & More

My client wanted white walls and Sherwin Williams Cold Foam with its LRV of 84 hit the spot, giving us a NOTICEABLE 38 point difference. However, even if she wanted a color in the popular warm off-white or light range (55-81), we could’ve played around, as long as we were 20 (give or take 5) points higher than Balanced Beige’s LRV (going lower would look too heavy). 

Listen, I know this can seem complicated. If you have a question about LRV differences, please leave a comment. In the meantime, focus on your cabinet paint color’s LRV and work out from there depending on the degree of contrast you want! 

This next painted cabinet update includes Benjamin Moore Pashmina cabinets, LRV 44.2, and Benjamin Moore Wind’s Breath walls, LRV 69.59. This puts the spread at approx. 25 points – gorgeous. 

LET’S LOOK AT SOME OPTIONS…

If you’ve chosen a light-medium to medium-depth cabinet color (LRV 20-54), here are some options for your walls…

1. If your cabinet color falls within the light-medium range (40-55), consider pairing it with a popular shade of white (82-94) or a warm off-white paint color for a bit lower contrast (74-81). Of course, if you choose a color that’s considerably low (LRV 40), you can explore some light paint colors, too, with the goal of getting a good 20+ LRV points between. 
2. If you choose a medium-depth cabinet color (20-40), you can almost do anything you want. The most popular choice would be a warm off-white (73-81), a neutral paint color, or a similar color from the light range (55-73).
3. BE CAREFUL GOING DARKER: Very few people are painting their walls a shade darker than their cabinets in this range. Of course, you can fill yer colorful lil’ boots with whatever you love, but if you care about trends, this ain’t it. 

These next kitchen cabinets are painted the super popular shade of green, Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog (LRV 30)…

Although I don’t remember the wall color, it’s likely in the soft white range (early to mid-80s), creating a higher contrast look.

The 20 Best Green-Gray Paint Colors

THE BEST WALL COLORS WITH DARK PAINTED CABINETS 

If you’re dabbling in the dark end, I’m with you – I LOVE me some moody hues! And like the others, there’s no shortage of options in any LRV. 

But what’s the best LRV combo for the average kitchen?

There’s nothing to say you can’t create a gorgeous kitchen color palette like this next one; in fact, I’ll love you forever and ever if you do (if you don’t, I’ll still love you, just not for as long).

However…

These tips and ideas are about the most POPULAR, in-style combinations.

So, without further ado, let’s get you some hues to coordinate with dark painted cabinets (LRVs under 20)…

1. BRIGHT & LIGHT: Regardless of the LRV of your cabinet color, bright, warm shades of white (82-94) and warm neutral off-white wall colors (73-81) are in style. 
2. MORE CONTRAST: If you want more contrast, light-depth paint colors (55-73) are suitable, especially if you have good natural light. 
3. DARKER? Can you paint your walls a light-medium or darker color? You bet your cute little booty you can; however, these shades aren’t the most popular with darker cabinet colors. If this is your approach, consider color-drenching. 

When it comes to darker cabinet colors, we’re usually less concerned about the LRV spread…

This is more about how MUCH contrast you want to see and what suits your room! 

Now, there’s something to be said for the color-drenched look. Color-drenching is where the cabinets, walls, trims (and sometimes the ceiling) are painted the same color, just in different sheens.

If you’re going down that path, you don’t need this blog post – you only need one color (if you need help picking it, holler at me)! 

LET’S CHECK OUT A FEW DARKER CABINET COMBOS…

These gorgeous 1990s kitchen cabinets were painted and updated with Sherwin Williams Pewter Green (LRV 12)…

Ideas to Update Older Granite Countertops

The wall color is Sherwin Williams Egret White (LRV 70). With Pewter Green’s LRV of 12, you’ve got a high-contrast, 58-point LRV difference.

These laundry room cabinets are painted Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black (2), and the walls are Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White (94)…

This is the most extreme LRV spread, from top to bottom, 2-94!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

In case you had any lingering questions or concerns…

HOW DO I CHOOSE MY WALL & CABINET COLORS?

Many people overlook the rest of their kitchen when trying to coordinate wall and cabinet colors. There’s actually a hierarchy when determining your best cabinet color, in particular…

1. BACKSPLASH: Your backsplash matters the most (with some rare exceptions), as it’s on the same vertical sightline as your cabinets. Yes, your walls are vertical, too, but it’s probably a lot easier and more affordable to change your wall paint color than your backsplash.
2. COUNTERTOP: The countertop comes in second place. Because it’s horizontal, there’s a bit more visual forgiveness. This is extremely important, as in older homes (especially kitchens from the 1990s and the 2000s with Tuscan trends), countertops and backsplashes were not always well coordinated, and not everyone has the budget to replace/update one or the other! 
3. FLOORING: There’s the odd case where the flooring is more important, but it’s not common. Of course, we want to humor the flooring, but a) if you have wood flooring, even if it has a strong stain color, the other two finishes are more important, and b) if it’s tile, there’s a 75/25 chance (not in favor) that it doesn’t coordinate perfectly with the countertop and/or backsplash. In this case, if you can’t replace it, we must prioritize which finishes we need to coordinate with. 

The 8 Best Black Paint Colors

By the way, if you’re starting from scratch, it’s best to choose your COUNTERTOP first and work out from there. There are likely only a handful of countertops that you’ll fall in love with. Narrow it down to three or so, and see what colors complement them. 

Choosing your cabinet and wall paint colors before your countertop is back asswards. 

SHOULD YOUR CABINET & WALL COLOR MATCH?

No, they don’t have to, but it can depend on the look you’re going for…

• If you’re considering paint colors that differ by fewer than 15 LRV points, you might want to use the same color on your cabinets and walls (not including white cabinets).
• It was super trendy to have white cabinets (LRVs 82-94) and matching white walls; however, this trend has shifted. 

Sherwin Williams Pure White: IMAGES, Info, & More

• Off-white walls (LRVs 73-81) and off-white cabinets can be gorgeous when painted the same color, especially one of the trendy, warm off-whites. Two different off-whites can easily fight with each other (refer to previous info for matching off-white cabinets/wall colors). 

In an older kitchen with tricky finishes, sometimes simple is best – Sherwin Williams Moderate White

• Once you get darker than the above ranges (LRV lower than 70 or so), it can look a bit heavy to match the cabinets and walls. I suppose if you want a moodier vibe, that’s cool, but be careful.
• Unless you want a color-drenched look, which is popular with colors that are between 5 and 50 (give or take).

SHOULD WALLS BE LIGHTER OR DARKER THAN THE CABINETS?

It depends on the depth of your cabinets and the look you want. These tips are based on what’s currently in style for kitchen color palettes…

WHITE CABINETS: Walls should be the same depth or darker.

OFF-WHITE CABINETS: Walls can be white (LRVs 82-94), the same color as the cabinets, or in the light range (LRVs 55-73).

LIGHT CABINETS: Walls should be white (LRVs 82-94), off-white (LRVs 73-81), or the same color as the cabinets.

LIGHT-MEDIUM DEPTH CABINETS OR DARKER: Walls should be lighter than the cabinets, and could be white (82-94), off-white (73-81), or maaaaybe a light depth (55-73). Why maybe? If you have light-medium cabinets at the mid-to-higher end (45-55) and you choose a light-depth wall color at 55, you won’t get much play. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m OBBBSESSED with this next kitchen palette. While it might not be trendy to paint the walls this dark right now, you do you, boo…

Walls: Benjamin Moore Pashmina | Cabinets & trims: Sherwin Williams Cotton

WHAT LRV DIFFERENCE SHOULD BE BETWEEN WALLS & CABINETS?

While a lot comes down to personal preferences, along with surrounding finishes, start by looking at colors that are approximately 20-25 LRV points apart. See how that looks. If you want more contrast, raise the difference. For less contrast, go lower! 

At the end of the day, it’s your home and YOU have to be happy – choose colors that look good and that you LOVE! And if you don’t know what to do – there’s a cute lil’ Ginger who can help. (My kitchen walls are much darker than my cabinets, just so you know. I like to be trendy, but not at the cost of my personal tastes). 

QUICK SUMMARY (TL;DR)

• When coordinating wall and cabinet paint colors, decide on the contrast you want and the LRVs you should aim for. Do this BEFORE finalizing your colors. 
• For a low-contrast look, aim for 15-20 LRV points between your two colors. For medium-contrast, look at colors with a 30-40 LRV difference. For high contrast, colors with a difference of 45+ points will contrast more. 
• While the TYPE of color you choose also plays a part in contrast, that can come later. 

READ MORE

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Colors Using LRV

LRV & Paint Colors: Common Questions – Answered by Kylie M.

The Best Off-White & Light-Depth Cabinet Colors

Get the best paint color advice with Kylie M’s Online Paint Color Consulting!

Updated with fresh, relevant content for 2026