How to Choose the Best Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color
Painting Cabinets? These Tips & Ideas Have You Covered
When updating a kitchen to be more trendy or timeless (as you can’t always have both), painting your wood cabinets is one of the best bang-for-buck ideas. But, unless you have pro-skills and the patience of a saint, it ain’t for the faint of heart.
So, I’m sharing some tips and tricks for getting it right the first time, and they all revolve around one secret weapon (other than me). But first…
What makes me an expert?
- I’ve consulted on hundreds (if not thousands) of cabinet projects via my Online Paint Color Consulting
- I’ve painted dozens of furniture and cabinet pieces myself (because I am a glutton for punishment).
- With over 550 articles on paint colors and the best update ideas (30+ articles just on cabinets), along with a thriving YouTube channel, I am the go-to color and home update expert.
And keep in mind that there are so many exceptions and other considerations (i.e., flooring/exposure/style/etc…), and I can only hit so many things on my wee lil’ blog – I’M ONLY ONE WOMAN!
I’ve tried to cover the meat n’ potatoes (with a little gravy) to get you on the right path. And if you need advice from there, I offer online color consulting services and am more than happy to help!
Before we start, I know this might hurt, but guess what?
It’s not about what you WANT – it’s about what your kitchen NEEDS.
If you and your kitchen want the same thing, then hells bells, we’re on a roll! However, every week, I find myself talking clients off the ‘white cabinet cliff‘ and into colors more suited to their kitchen and its specific needs.
Sherwin Williams Alabaster: IMAGES, Info, & More
Your kitchen needs to be able to visually support the color of the cabinets – and not every kitchen can support bright white, green, or whatever cabinet color is on-trend. More often than not, I’ve discovered that kitchens prefer soft white, off-white, or even cream.
But how do you figure out what the right color is?
You keep on readin’.
YOUR KITCHEN’S SECRET WEAPON
When choosing your best kitchen cabinet paint color, it’s important you know who the boss is, and it ain’t Tony Danza, and it ain’t you.
Your backsplash is the secret to choosing your best cabinet color – it calls the color-shots.
When choosing a cabinet color, most people refer to their countertop and its needs. And sure, it’s important, but the backsplash is more important.
A backsplash like this tells you EVERYTHING you need to know for your cabinet color!
Why?
The backsplash and cabinets are on the same vertical sightline, which means they’re more visually connected than the cabinets and countertops (which are horizontal).
Of course, if you don’t have a backsplash OR if you have a slab backsplash (where the countertop is also on the backsplash for a seamless look), your countertop is next in line to the throne.
- BACKSPLASH – with only a few exceptions, it’s the head honcho.
- COUNTERTOP – pops in to #1 if you don’t have a backsplash.
- FLOORING – if you have wood, believe it or not, it’s probably the least of your concerns. If it’s tile, it still plays third fiddle to the backsplash and countertop.
- YOU – that’s right, honey boo-boo, you’re in 4th place.
- WALL COLOR – of all the finishes in your kitchen, it’s the easiest and least expensive to replace (if needed), which is why it’s in last place.
Going into STEP 1 (below), if you don’t have a backsplash, substitute the word ‘countertop’ for backsplash. For example, because this next kitchen doesn’t have a tile backsplash, the countertop was the boss for its color facelift…
While I (personally) prefer black (or polished nickel) knobs on doors and smaller handles on drawers, this kitchen looks SO much more updated!
STEP 1: WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BACKSPLASH?
Now that you know where to look first, here are some questions to consider for choosing your best cabinet color.
- What is your backsplash’s main neutral color? White, cream, beige, gray, greige, gray? If it’s a blend, which are the most obvious neutrals?
- If you have a travertine tile backsplash, you might think its color is cream. Guess what? It’s not; it’s in the BEIGE family!
- If your backsplash is an actual color (eg, blue/green), you’ll usually defer to your grout or your countertop.
White cabinets would be way too stark for this next kitchen. Because the backsplash has warm gray-greige tile and dark grout, a soft warm gray-greige is the perfect shade…
However, if the grout in the above kitchen were a soft warm white (like the countertop), warm white cabinets could look gorgeous!
IF YOU HAVE A WHITE BACKSPLASH & WANT WHITE CABINETS
If you have a white tile backsplash, it’s important to determine which TYPE of white it is. Most ‘in-stock’ white tiles can be pretty stark and clean. The softer, warmer white subway tiles are more often a speciality order (but not always).
How do you know what type of white it is?
Grab a few samples of your favorite brand’s whitest whites…
SHERWIN WILLIAMS: High Reflective White | BENJAMIN MOORE: Chantilly Lace – BM doesn’t have a really white white, so we use Chantilly Lace as the next best thing.
- If your tile is cooler than your paint sample, you might explore cool white paint colors for your cabinets.
- If your tile more or less matches your paint sample, check out the WHITEST WHITE paint colors for your cabinets to find the one that best connects.
- However, if your backsplash tile seems warmer than your paint sample, explore Benjamin Moore’s WARM WHITE paint colors or Sherwin Williams warm whites for your cabinets.
The Ultimate Guide to White Paint Colors
If you have a white backsplash and DON’T want white cabinets, apply the tips below, but substitute ‘countertop’ for ‘backsplash’, as your countertop will be the boss.
IF YOU HAVE MOSTLY WARM TONES IN YOUR BACKSPLASH
Check out warm colors for your cabinets. This includes…
- Warm white paint colors and popular shades of off-white. Not every kitchen can handle the brightness of white cabinets, so those off-whites might come in handy.
- If you have beige tile, you might need off-white beige for your cabinets (not all beige-inspired kitchens can handle white cabinets).
- Some warm backsplash and countertop combos can handle greige paint colors or taupe cabinets, especially those finishes with a warm gray-greige-taupe in them. These colors are most often light-medium depth or darker.
- Some warmer-toned backsplashes love darker, warm colors, including various shades of brown (not in-style, but you do you) and moody shades of greige and taupe.
This next backsplash and countertop combination doesn’t suit white cabinets – they’d look much too stark.
Depending on the exact tones in your backsplash (and considering the countertop’s needs), you might be able to explore a few cooler shades, too (which is really a whole different blog post). However, if your particular countertop and backsplash are giving you a hard time (as well as your wall color/flooring), you might need to hire someone local (or me).
IF YOUR BACKSPLASH IS MOSTLY COOL-TONED (& NOT WHITE)
If your backsplash is a cool shade of green, blue, or gray, you might have some room to play!
- Depending on the exact color, you might be able to humor one of the popular shades of white. In choosing this, your countertop could come into play, as well as your grout color!
- Or, you might look at cool paint colors, including green-gray paint colors (assuming your backsplash caters to green) or blue-gray paint colors, if your backsplash leans blue.
- You can also lean into more COLOR with a less neutral approach to medium shade of blue, classic shades of darker navy blue, and medium to dark greens.
- Some warm grays, greige, and taupes can humor backsplashes with mixed colors/neutrals, depending on the countertop/backsplash combo.
I can only hit SO many birds with one stone, which is why this info is a bit more general.
And yes, getting a photo of this bathroom without being in it was hard! Not that I’ve ever been camera-shy…
The Best Paint Colors With Marble
IF YOUR BACKSPLASH & COUNTERS ARE A MIX OF WARM & COOL TONES
If your backsplash (or counter) has a range of tints, tones, and colors, this can give you a bit of flexibility to venture into warm OR cool colors.
The backsplash in this next kitchen has a range of warm colors and a dark green-gray (but no actual ‘white’). White would be too stark for the backsplash, countertop, and flooring, whereas a soft, off-white beige was the perfect choice…
Backsplash Ideas to Update Your 2000s Kitchen
And when it comes down to it – SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE until you hit the right spot (it’s my motto with wine and men as well – just joking on one of those, Tim).
IF YOU WANT TO PAINT YOUR CABINETS A COLOR (NOT A NEUTRAL)
There are two ways to go about this…
- Find a color in the countertop or backsplash that directly complements/accents it. Don’t pull a color ‘out of nowhere just because you love it’; make sure it makes sense!
- If your countertops and backsplash are white (or maybe they have minor veining or detail), you can often explore a range of colors, as long as they aren’t too colorful (a bit of a gray backdrop is nice, as shown below).
In this next beautiful blue-hued kitchen, notice how well the cabinet color taps into the backsplash and its needs…
Alternatively, if my client had wanted white cabinets, I would worry about them, combined with the countertop and cool-toned backsplash, which is overwhelming for the flooring, which has warm tones. No white for this kitchen! If they wanted green, that would also be a no, as the backsplash color is too bossy for a color outside its comfort zone.
The Best Almost Fool-Proof White Cabinet Paint Colors
On the other hand, if your surfaces are easy to please (like this laundry room below) and don’t make many demands, have fun!
The green is a contrast/complement to the subtle gray-violet veining in the quartz countertop.
The Best Medium to Dark Green Paint Colors
STEP 2. CONSIDER YOUR COUNTERTOPS
Once you’ve narrowed down the color candidates based on the needs of your backsplash, look at your countertop to ensure everything still jibes. If your finishes are well-coordinated, you should be good to go!
For this next kitchen, the warm-toned backsplash and countertop called for cream cabinets, as white would be too stark…
How to Update Cream Cabinets & Trim
However, in my Online Color Consulting, at least 50% of the time (if not much more), the backsplash and countertop aren’t that well-coordinated – especially in homes from the early to mid-2000s.
Just remember, some kitchens were originally DESIGNED around wood cabinets and won’t always suit a cabinet paint color.
How to Update Wood Cabinets WITHOUT a Drop of Paint!
When surfaces aren’t well-coordinated, they often have different needs. This means that potentially, what looks AWESOME with your backsplash could be a huge miss with your counters. Here are a few considerations…
1. Save your money until you can change your backsplash and/or update your countertop to suit each other.
2. Paint your cabinets the color that best suits the backsplash; again, it calls the shots based on being vertical with the cabinets. Sure, your color might not be 100% with your countertop, but it might look better than it currently does…and sometimes that has to be good enough.
3. Paint your upper cabinets a color that suits the backsplash, and paint your lower cabinets a color (darker than the uppers) that suits the countertop. Not every mismatched kitchen can pull this off, but maybe yours can – it’s worth sampling!
While the backsplash and countertops are well-coordinated in this next kitchen, it shows how pretty a two-color cabinet palette can look…
Cathedral Kitchen Cabinet Update – Before & Afters
FUN FACT: If you think you have gray flecks in your older granite countertop, many (most) times, this isn’t gray, it’s TAUPE (warmer than gray).
STEP 3. SAMPLE YOUR CABINET COLORS THE RIGHT WAY
I always start with Samplize Peel & Stick paint samples to narrow down my options.
Once I’m down to two or so, I’ll buy that paint in the EXACT line and sheen of paint that I’ll be using. This way, I can apply two coats to a sample area to see how it settles in (the sheen of cabinet paint can make it look a bit different than expected).
WHERE TO PLACE YOUR PAINT SAMPLES
When sampling paint colors for kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanity, you might think the best spot to put your sample is right ON your cabinet. Nope, the top, most important spot is…
- With the backsplash, directly beside it AND on it, as if it doesn’t look good here, it won’t look good anywhere.
- Directly underneath the lip of the countertop, the open edge of the sample should meet up with the countertop (shown below).
- Lastly, on the lower portion of your upper cabinets (don’t forget the white paper surround!)
Samples should always be 100% vertical – light reflects differently off angled or horizontal surfaces.
SHOULD YOUR CABINETS BE LIGHTER OR DARKER THAN YOUR WALL COLOR?
There is no rule; however, there are some general guidelines to consider…
- If you have warm, creamy-toned cabinets, it can look off if the walls are white. I don’t make the rules, it’s just how it looks. White walls often expose the yellow/cream in these types of cabinet colors. However, if your cabinets are more passive neutral (warm gray/greige/tan/etc), it can be easier to mix and match with white walls.
- Consider the difference in LRV between your cabinets and walls. To see a subtle difference, aim for approx. 20 LRV points (give or take). The lower the difference, the more likely it is that you should use the same color and let the change in sheen do the work for you.
There are ALWAYS exceptions; I’m just here to cover the most common queries.
WHAT’S THE BEST, MOST POPULAR CABINET COLOR?
Well, as far as COLORS go, blue and green are at the top of the list. However, for the most timeless look, white is the best cabinet color.
MISC. CABINET COLOR TIPS & IDEAS
- If you have a white backsplash and want white cabinets, just as with white walls and trims, these two whites must be exactly the same. If you choose a brighter white for your cabinets, your backsplash could look yellow-dingy in comparison. On the other hand, if your backsplash is a bright white and you choose a soft white for your cabinets, your cabinets could look dirty and off-tint.
- If you’re updating your backsplash and painting your cabinets, check out the top tile trends.
- GE Cafe White appliances can be tricky to coordinate and match cabinet colors. If you have them or are considering getting them, read this first. The same goes for GE Cafe Matte Black.
- You might think that having black or relatively solid-colored countertops guarantees you any white. While they can make life a bit easier, you still need to consult with your flooring, backsplash, and appliances (black appliances tips / white appliances tips). And sadly, I can’t cover all of these things in one blog post, so I refer to as many links as I can to help you along.
- If you’re wondering if your cabinets should be lighter or darker than your wall color, there’s no real rule for how much lighter/darker your cabinets should be other than it’s ideal to have 20+ LRV points between your wall and cabinet color (learn about LRV).
- If you can’t decide whether to have white or non-white cabinets, white is the MOST timeless cabinet color that never truly goes out of style. While it’s not the best color for every kitchen and won’t suit every person, it has the most mass appeal and flexibility. Learn about timeless home finishes here.
MY FAVORITE CABINET PAINTS
In my world, there is one CLEAR fave for cabinet paint…
Benjamin Moore Advance in pearl finish. And no, I don’t get paid to say that; I pay myself in wine and personal high-fives – that’s it. Seriously, this is a glorious paint and gives a close-to-factory finish look (not including your painting skills, which I can’t account for). I tried the semi-gloss once to see what it was like, and if you like surfaces that show your reflection, then you’re golden, otherwise, stick with pearl/satin.
I also love Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane. And because it says ‘urethane,’ many people seem to think it’s oil paint, but it’s water-based and, anyway, NOBODY uses oil anymore – well, except 65-year-old painters, they love that stuff. I find the sheen of the Emerald Urethane to be JUST slightly lower than BM Advance, which is why I lean toward BM. I’ve heard of a few complaints regarding SW All Surface Enamel being a bit gummy, so I’ve stayed away.
These paints aren’t cheap, but if you’re looking to save money, you should look elsewhere, as when it comes to cabinets, you need them done right the FIRST time. GOOD prep, GOOD primer, and GOOD quality application products (oh, and sound advice from your favorite Ginger helps, too – wink wink).
I know you probably have questions, and while I try to cover as much as I can with my blog posts, if you need some one-on-one help…
READ MORE
Are Your Wood Kitchen Cabinets TRENDY Again?
Should You Paint Your Cabinets or Keep Them Stained: A QUESTIONNAIRE
The 5 Best White Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets
Before & After: Painted Kitchen Cabinet Projects
How to Update Your WOOD Kitchen Cabinets Without a Drop of Paint
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2019, updated in 2025
I have painted BM linen white cabinets that I would like to paint a brighter white. They are chipping a little now. Is it possible to paint them myself or do I need to hire someone to paint them? thanks!
Hi Magda! Well, it depends on a few things…
1. How excited you are to do prepwork. You’ll want to sand/feather those chips out, along with giving the cabinets a once over sand/clean/prime, it’s definitely a commitment
2. What type of cabinets you have. If they are smoother, ie: maple, it can be trickier to do a good DIY as it’s MUCH easier to see the flaws vs a grainy wood like oak.
If you feel TOTALLY confident in your prep/painting skills and commit to what is a pretty major project, then yes. Otherwise, I’d hire out. It’s such a major part and if it isn’t done right it will cost more to fix them!
~Kylie
Excellent article and very sound advice Kylie! Thanks for your straightforward advice and solid knowledge. And the humor too. 🙂
Great article! We are currently trying to pick cabinet colours for a house we just bought. Our countertops are a darker blue quartz and so is out back splash. Any tips? I’m trying to avoid white.
Ooo, that can be TOUGH. Some homes do best with wood cabinets in the end! I mean, without SEEING the cabinets, you could maaaaybe pick up some kind of gray with a blue undertone, ie: SW Tinsmith, but its hard to say!
I want to change my countertop and I have no backsplash also, I am keeping my existing cabinets. Where do I start first the backsplash or counter. Also what should I bring with me when I go to look for this. Thank you
Hi Diane, I would DEFINITELY start with the countertop first! Take your cabinet paint sample with you (or a drawer front) a sample of your flooring (or atleast a good photo of it 🙂 Once you’ve got your countertop picked you can coordinate the backsplash in!
I just picked orientalists white granite.. we have white cabinets ets (dove white) and the granite looks greenish…
Was supposed to be taupe black white gray… so picking a backsplash .. the architectural gray seems to go with counter tops, but it also enhances the green undertones.
I am panicking… building a house, for excto make a quick decision… help!
Useful practical information with photos to demonstrate your specific points is well appreciated! I have a 10 year old builder kitchen with warm busy counters and builder cool white cabinets. I have hesitated replacing the conflicting backsplash as it won’t completely solve the problem, but it will slightly improve the situation. Your point of keeping the elements in the same visual plane cohesive makes sense and I appreciate the way you explained it. Thanks!
Hi. Great information.
We have picked a white quartz with grey veins and decided to go with glossy white subway tiles, Benjamin Moore eagle rock cupboards and drawers.
This is for our basement… what do you think?
Hi Maha! EAgle Rock is beautiful. It’s a solid medium toned warm gray, so it has brown and purple in it. Now I can’t tell you it will suit your quartz as gray will have undertones of either blue, green, purple or a mix of those, so it will depend on what your quartz has! 🙂 I can say that a slightly safer bet would be SW Dovetail.
I have read this post 100,000 times and I am still at a loss at what color to paint my cabinets !:/ I am currently waiting for your suggestions for my dining room and have finally convinced the hubby that the dark kitchen and olive green walls (with even darker olive green trim,,,,ugh!!) has to go. We have a quote for all (cabinets, walls, trim and ceiling) but now its color-picking time, but unfortunately you are out of stock ….boo 🙁 Luckily, the contractors use Sherwin Williams paint so we are all good there, but the want to use semi-gloss… better stop that in its tracks!! Guess I’m off to the Sherwin Williams store. If I am not back in a week or so, call 911 🙂
Hi Kylie,
I recently painted my sunroom/living room SW Canvas Tan 50%. That room connects to our kitchen through a pennisula. I am wondering what shade of white I should paint the pennisula, and all of the cabinets. I am imagining something warm, but not yellow. I like the crisp clean look of white, but not stark white. Also wondering what shade of gray for our new quartz countertops that I want to purchase. Thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Heidi! You will definitely want to choose your countertop before the cabinet colour as the countertop will TOTALLY dictate your white options! That being said, Canvas Tan isn’t a colour that I’d normally put with a gray quartz, but that being said, I haven’t seen it 50% lighter and there are some gray quartz countertops that could humour a warmer wall colour like Canvas Tan. In the VERY near future I will be offering ‘countertop selection’ on my site, but it’s just not quite ready to launch yet!
Question to Kylie or maybe Sherwin Williams color consultant
I am trying to find info about Sherwin Williams trim and cabinets emerald utherane trim , is comes with two base colors, extra white and hi hide wide ( versus regular pant hi reflective white). I wanted my cabinets to be the lightest white.
How different is hi hide white form HRW?
Thank you!
Hi Kylie, great post. Quick question – what is the color of the kitchen cabinet in the 1st picture you’ve posted under Tip 2 – we like that color and want to test it out
Ahhhh, good choice Brijesh! That’s actually my own kitchen. While the manufacturer had to match it for me, it’s basically Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter approx. 25% darker :). A warm gray with a soft green undertone.
Hi Kylie – I stumbled upon your site a few weeks ago and I am so glad I did! Your articles are so comprehensive and I now have a better understanding of “undertones” in paint colors. Can you please tell me what the cabinet color is and name and colour of the granite and backsplash in the kitchen under tip #4. I love it! I was considering painting my cabinets BM Muslin and having Caroline Summer granite for my island with black backsplash. Going to do what you did and use laminate for the base cabinets. Do you think this would jibe? Living in Newfoundland, as you might imagine, my choices for granite are limited. Thanks so much! You are an inspiration!
Hi Kylie,
What is the cabinet paint color in the very first picture on this blog? It looks like a grayish backsplash with a warm granite countertop. I have both of these in my kitchen and I am trying to decide which color to paint my walls and (fugly) cream cabinets. Thank you!
That’s BM Cloud White 25% darker 🙂
Hello, I have to say, your articles are so informative, thank you.
I would like your opinion on something. We’re getting custom made cabinets for our kitchen/dining room which is one big room, We’re thinking of getting the cabinets in Nimbus BM but I don’t kbow what colour to do for the island. I got the idea from one of your articles to match NImbus with Urbane Bronze for the island and I am considering that but I’d love to know what other colour I can use for subtle harmony between cabinets and island rather than bold contrast. I see the monotone rooms and I love them. There’s .subtle contract rather than bold. Would you have any suggestions? My wood floor is a mix of warm grey and warm tan and black streaks engineered wood . The quartz countertop and backsplash will be white with some veining of black and a touch of beige (hardly noticeable) in there too. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Overall, I’d be careful for a few reasons. 1. gray isn’t trendy anymore – this doesn’t matter at ALL if you love it, it can affect resale value down the road 2. The depth and violet-hue of Nimbus will make it that bit trickier to coordinate wall colors with. Third, I would be less-inclined towards a more subtle main cabinet/island look, again, because we’d be leaning into that violet undertone and a color like Baltic Gray, which is that bit more moderate, coudl be too violet. I woudl rather see the cabinets ALL Nimbus if you want to stick with gray :).
Kylie, Thank you for all the useful information on selecting colors. I’ve confidently selected multiple paint colors for my kitchen cabinets but it’s falling apart at the execution stage.
I tried Ballet White first. My cabinet maker uses a lacquer spray and the color came back buttery yellow. None of the gray/dirty undertones were present.
Second attempt to go a little more griege with Natural Cream had similar results. Less yellow than Ballet White but decidedly still more yellow/ cream than sample and missing the gray and green undertones that give the color depth.
I’m at a loss and it feels like a game of whack a mole, trying and failing over and over again. My contractor has said lacquer could change paint color just a small percentage but it’s changing the tone so much that it’s no longer coordinating with countertops or backsplash (my Majestic Quartzite counters have both cool gray/blue and warm creamy tones with brown veins- the samples REALLY look yellow next to the gray/blue sections). The cabinet sample colors are way more “clean” than I’m looking for.
The paint store suggested going higher strength on the paint to counteract the effect of the lacquer. They said 5% but I think up to 25% may be needed to counteract the changes in tone.
I welcome any and all suggestions from you or anyone else that has experienced this. I can’t be the first.
Also wondering if this is an issue related to off whites only or if I can expect this for every paint selection for lacquered built ins.
Thank you!
Ughhh, lacquer paint – hardy, but yes, it shifts colors and it’s just so HARD to say what the end result will be! If it were me, I’d find a painter who doesn’t use lacquer, as there are many FAAABULOUS paints out there now, this way you can get the actual color you want. You might also check out BM Edgecomb Gray as it has more gray in its backdrop and can warm up on cabinets with lacquer – maybe it will land in the right spot.
LASTLY, if they’re using a lacquer paint, it’s likely NOT Benjamin Moore or Sherwin William’s ACTUAL paint, which means they color match. They always say they can create the same color, but they can’t – even the actual brands can have a challenge as you change from paint line to paint line – and that’s within their own brand!
Love your blog! This article is very helpful – thank you! What color are the cabinets painted in the two pictures right above step 1? It’s the kitchen with no backsplash, so the counter guides the color choice. Thanks!
If I’m going to use Sherwin Williams Urethane Trim Enamel, would you suggest Satin or Semigloss? You mentioned it has a lower sheen than BM Advance which is why I ask.
Oooo, i LOVE the satin finish, I have it on my board and batten!