The 5 Whites & Off-Whites I Would NEVER Paint My Cabinets & Trim

The 5 Wicked Whites of the West

When choosing the best white paint color for trims, doors, and cabinets, would you rather have a white with the flexibility of a 10-year-old gymnast or one as flexible as an 80-year-old armchair aficionado? Personally, I’d rather have a white in the form of wine – in ma belly.

Now, I know you’re shaking in your cute lil’ boots, hoping that your white or creamy-toned trim or cabinet color isn’t on the hit list—and it might be. I can imagine some of the comments I’ll get from readers who have ‘said whites’ and LOVE them. And I agree—some homes can pull off these whites and off-whites fantastically. Others? Not so much.

Now, you’re probably wondering what’s REALLY WRONG with choosing these colors for your cabinets or trim—what’s the big deal?

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

These colors set the stage for wall colors, finishes, furnishings, and accents. They’re the framework for your walls, windows, cabinets, and floors; they’re the starting point for any successful color scheme. If these colors are limiting, you’ll have a fraction of the choices you might have with a more flexible shade of white or even a flexible off-white.

Somebody chose too creamy of a white for these modern modern, updated finishes.

The colors I’m referring to pop up on cabinets and trims all the time, and they have too much yellow. I rarely come across whites that are too blue, green, or purple (only because they aren’t used very often)—it’s always the warm whites that throw things off-whack in a design plan.

If you love a Tuscan-style kitchen, cream cabinets can be beautiful! 

If you have one of these whites or creams and it looks good now, GREAT. However, if you want to change your decorative directions in the future, you could have a big problem. 

You see, many fantastic warm whites are flexible and also happen to be some of my favorite paint colors. They don’t even come CLOSE to being too cream or yellow; they’re just ‘subtle and warm.’ They suit warm colors, cool colors, and a wide range of neutrals as it relates to paint colors and finishes. Now the buggery colors that I’m going to reference are ALSO warm – they just aren’t as subtle about it. The stronger yellow in them reduces their flexibility and won’t let them accommodate nearly as many other colors and finishes.

However, if you WANT cream-yellow cabinets and aren’t worried about flexibility or resale, these colors might be right up your alley. 

So what ARE these white wonders, you ask? Let’s take a peek…

1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANTIQUE WHITE SW 6119

Antique White is number one on my hit list. While it’s a super popular color for cabinets and trims, 1. it’s not white (even though ‘white’ is in its name), and 2. it’s not at all flexible regarding finishes and coordinating wall colors.

On walls? It’s amazeballs. On cabinets and trims? It’s a hard no from this color cowgirl.

As for resale, it’s awfully warm and picks up the early 2000s, Tuscan-era vibe, which many buyers are trying to get away from and update.

With Antique White’s LRV of 72, not only is it not white, but it’s also on the dark end of the off-white range. The darker and creamier your cabinets and trim are, the more limiting your options will be for surrounding finishes.

Here’s a door and trim painted Antique White. Notice the depth and vibe of the surrounding Samplize Peel & Stick paint samples. Pretty? Sure, there’s not much of a range there (more colors can work, but many have similar vibes to these)…

My Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Antique White

Now, this next white is one I wouldn’t necessarily PICK for trim or cabinets, but if it’s already in place, it’s a bit easier to work around than most others, and that color is…

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS DOVER WHITE SW 6385

Dover White isn’t the WORST warm creamy white for cabinets and trims because it’s brighter than a few others on this page. This doesn’t mean I’d do it—I still wouldn’t—but it’s better than some.

This is because Dover White has a reasonable degree of yellow, which makes color coordination difficult. Also, try updating your original granite countertops—good luck. As shown in this next photo, even a moderately updated granite countertop can look off with the yellow in Dover White…

While each finish is pretty on its own, Dover White prefers a countertop with a more noticeable cream-yellow OR a black countertop.

My Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Dover White

3. BENJAMIN MOORE NAVAJO WHITE OC 95

At the beginning of any Online Color Consult, I ask, ‘Do you need a trim color suggestion, or do you have an existing trim color that you’d like me to work with?‘ When Navajo White or the previously mentioned Antique White are noted, I make a mad dash for the wine cabinet and grab the nearest funnel, anticipating the glory of explaining why these colors are hard to work around and probably won’t be easy to update.

I’m not even sure why Navajo White is an option for trim or cabinets, as it isn’t white. Don’t get me wrong—it’s an awesome shade of cream for walls, but when it comes to other surfaces, it’s not so hot.

The Best Paint Colors to Update Cream Painted Cabinets & Trim

In the above home office, look at the color of the small window trim vs. the crown molding – that’s the difference between Navajo White and a more flexible white. When we buy a home, we rarely walk into a perfect slate; in this case, the owners didn’t want to repaint ANY of the trim in their recently purchased home. So, it was about finding a happy medium between what worked best for both trims AND the homeowner – and I think we did it! However, if all the trim were a flexible white, our options would’ve opened up CONSIDERABLY.

Whites or creams with too much yellow will be harder to coordinate in the short AND long term. 

My Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Navajo White

4. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CREAMY SW 7012

Oh, I’ll be burned at the stake like a wicked little Ginger witch, but seriously, please don’t choose Creamy for your trim or cabinets. If you already have it and it’s working for you, then kudos. However, if you’re choosing trim/cabinet colors from scratch, you may want to look elsewhere for your perfect shade of white.

Why?

Creamy has too much yellow. If you dream of longterm flexibility, this color won’t give you any. If you’re considering RESALE and want a trim color that suits a wide range of tastes, this isn’t it.

The one thing going for it is its LRV. Creamy’s LRV is 81, close to the white range. Being this bit brighter than others on this page makes it a bit more flexible, but its yellow still holds it back from being a top shade.

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In the photo of the stairwell below, you’ll see Creamy on the walls and Benjamin Moore Cloud White on the trim—right where they belong! Of course, everything washes out with sunlight, so you’ll want to see the contrast where the baseboard/wall meets to see the shift.

Creamy colors like these are best suited for WALLS – not trims, doors, and definitely not cabinets. 

Are there exceptions? Heck yes! The odd granite/backsplash combo begs for warm yellow-based colors like this—that actually need them to look their best. However, they’re few and far between.

How to Update Older Granite Countertops

Certain styles also lean considerably warmer (e.g. those who love more rich beige or cream walls), in which case creamy whites can be gorgeous on trims, doors, and cabinets.

Paint Colour Review: Sherwin Williams Creamy

Click HERE or on the above image to see available packages.

5. BENJAMIN MOORE LINEN WHITE OC-146

Linen White is beautiful…if you want cream walls. However, if you’re looking for a warm shade of creamy white for your cabinets, trims, or doors, this could be a far cry from your home’s best choice.

Again, it comes down to the degree of yellow. Linen White has too much yellow to be flexible. Might you love it? YOU BET, in which case, you can fill your little creamy leather boots. However, many other shades will be better if you want flexibility and appeal for resale.

Is Linen White beautiful on these next kitchen cabinets? You bet your booty it is – it’s stunning with the honed black granite countertops. However, updating the surrounding finishes (even just the wall color) while keeping Linen White in place will be challenging.

Again, some kitchens or homes NEED creams or creamy whites. However, if you have the average home, you’re probably better off with a more flexible shade of white. 

Now, you probably want to know which whites I love, the warm but flexible whites. Well, that’s a blog post unto itself…

The 5 Best, Almost Fool-Proof White Paint Colors

The Best Creamy White & Off-White Paint Colors

How to Update Your 2000s Kitchen

Backsplash Ideas to Update 2000s Granite Countertops

How to Update Outdated Granite Countertops

Not sure which white is best for YOU and your home?

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

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2019, UPDATED IN 2024