Painting your kitchen cabinets is a great way to completely transform the look of your kitchen, without spending a fortune on remodeling. I love the clean, bright look of white kitchens, and white cabinets are still a popular choice today. However, there are many of you out there with little ones, who can’t stand the idea of dirty hands leaving marks all over white kitchen cabinets. So, what are some other options for kitchen cabinet paint colors that aren’t white?
I’ve rounded up some of the best, designer-favorite paint colors to help inspire you to create a kitchen design you’ll love! These colors are popular in the kitchen design world, and can also give your kitchen a classic look that will stand the test of time. From dark colors to lighter shades, read on to discover gorgeous paint colors that can give your home a more modern look and breathe new life into your kitchen cabinetry.
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GRAY
Gray is a great choice for a kitchen cabinets paint color because of its neutral nature. Light gray cabinets keep things bright and airy, while a darker gray can add beautiful contrast and drama. There are literally hundreds of shades of gray out there, but my recommendation is to go with a slightly warmer gray to avoid looking too blue or purple. Warm grays also work perfectly with wood flooring and brass hardware. Here are some examples of gorgeous gray kitchens.
Favorite Gray Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray | Sherwin-Williams Dorian Gray | Benjamin Moore Fieldstone | Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray | Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal | Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray | Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray
GREIGE & TAUPE
If gray feels too cold, but you’re not ready for a bolder color on your cabinets, then this might be the perfect color family for you. Greige is a paint color that sits somewhere between a gray and a beige, while taupe can mean different things to different people, but for this section, I’m including paint colors in the greige, taupe, and mushroom families. While these colors have slightly different characteristics, they are all warm neutrals that will give your kitchen a soft, elegant, refined vibe.
Favorite Greige/Taupe/Mushroom Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
Sherwin-Williams Balanced Beige
For more beautiful greige paint colors, check out my posts on the best Benjamin Moore Greiges and Sherwin-Williams Greiges.
BLUE
Blue is a classic color that is both serene and relaxing, which is why you see blue used frequently in bedrooms. But, have you thought about using blue for a kitchen cabinet paint color? Check out these beautiful kitchens, that feature shades of blue from pale to navy.
Favorite Blue Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Hale Navy | Farrow & Ball Hague Blue | Benjamin Moore Smokestack Gray | Benjamin Moore Wedgwood Gray | Benjamin Moore Polaris Blue | Benjamin Moore Wolf Gray | Benjamin Moore Smoke | Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace
Check out my post on the Best Blue-Gray Paint Colors for more ideas and inspo.
GREEN
Green has become a popular paint color for kitchens in recent years. When paired with brass accents and natural wood, green makes a sophisticated statement with a fresh pop of color. From dark forest green to silvery sage green, there is a unique green hue out there for everyone.
Favorite Green Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Backwoods | Benjamin Moore Salamander | Sherwin-Williams Hunt Club | Sherwin-Williams Pewter Green | Sherwin-Williams Halcyon Green | Sherwin-Williams Retreat | Sherwin-Williams Rosemary
BLACK
Black makes a bold, strong statement in a kitchen, and looks stunning with brass accents. To keep your kitchen from looking too dark and heavy overall, opt for a light color (like white) for the upper cabinets, walls and backsplash, and incorporate wood accents to soften the look (like white oak floating shelves).
Favorite Black Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black | Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart | Benjamin Moore Onyx | Sherwin-Williams Caviar | Farrow & Ball Off Black | Benjamin Moore Black Beauty | Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore | Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze
So many gorgeous kitchen cabinet paint colors out there to choose from! Painted cabinets continue to be a hot trend, and are the easiest and most inexpensive way to transform your kitchen. If white isn’t the “color” for you, any of these other colors are a great choice to help you create an updated kitchen that will look fresh and fabulous for years to come. Plus, it’s only paint, so have fun with it, and know that it can always be changed down the road.
How to Choose the Right Cabinet Color for Your Kitchen
Now that you have some great options for cabinet paint colors, it’s time to sample them in your kitchen for best results. This is a step you just can’t skip, and is the only way to be sure you’re choosing the ideal color and right shade for your unique lighting conditions. When it comes time to sample, I recommend Samplize to all of my clients. They offer convenient, affordable peel-and-stick paint samples that are much easier to use than traditional methods. Here are just a few reasons why I love Samplize…
- Samples arrive quickly (1-3 business days, or even overnight, depending on location)
- They’re more affordable than buying the samples paint/rollers/foam boards that are needing for traditional paint sampling
- You can move them around the room, and test them in a variety of lighting conditions
Love all these colors!
What is the best warm ivory?
Some great ivory paint colors for cabinets include SW Dover White, BM Navajo White and SW Antique White
SW Alabaster
Helpful information! Thank you!
I used to be a painter and worked with clients when choosing a color for their cabinets. A lot of people wanted white or some kind of off-white for their kitchen cabinets. There are so many other great colors to choose from to make your kitchen stand out but they are hard to sell. If any of my clients ask about color choices for their kitchen, I will recommend them to your post. Thank you!
Thank you for the article! The kitchen in blue and green looks pretty interesting. But as far as my opinion is concerned, I prefer light colors. I also love various bamboo kitchen accessories. For example, cutting boards, serving boards, and more. It looks nice and very practical.
This is BY FAR the best article I have found while trying to decide what color to choose for my cabinets. I have an appointment to get my cabinets refinished and my biggest fear is choosing the wrong color. I love how you linked your suggestions of paint colors for each. I’ll know exactly what color to tell to our cabinet guy. Greetings from Virgina Beach!
Awesome blog!! Love the gray cabinets!!
I love your suggestions Right Cabinet Color for Your Kitchen I have found while trying to decide what color to choose for my cabinets. Am already use gray color for cabinets. Thanks to your advice, my work has been very good.Helpful information!
Painting kitchen cabinets is a great way to fully transform the look of your kitchen. Thanks for sharing!!
When painting.cabinents do you have to sand first
It’s not always necessary to sand first, depending on the finish you already have on the cabinets. In some cases, a good primer can be enough. In most cases, however, I recommend using a deglosser, doing a light sand, and then using a good quality primer for best results.
These are all awesome cabinet painting color recommendations. As a local painter myself, I always root for either blue or green-colored cabinets for kitchens. They are vibrant yet neat and classy.
I have Saltillo tile in my kitchen and dining area my cabinets are currently white what color would you suggest for painting the cabinets?
All of these colors are beautiful, but I easily get over whelmed and do nothing! My kitchen is small and doesn’t get a lot of natural sunlight. I have replaced my countertops to the typical beige and black design. Any suggestions for my walls and cabinets would be so helpful!
What is a good Behr taupe color for bath cabinets?
My cabinets are of wormy maple. If I want to paint them should I fill all the holes first?
If you’re trying to modernize, and want the look of smooth painted cabinets, then yes…fill and sand all of the holes first. If you like the imperfection of the cabinets, and/or want more of a shabby chic or distressed look, you might be ok without filling in the holes.
Hello there,
Thanks for the detailed list of paint colors for kitchen cabinets. I am already working on repainting my kitchen and the list helps a lot. Our kitchen countertops are golden venetian which is complicating our cabinet color selection and also is pretty dark in there. Any suggestions that would help lighten in up and also go with golden granite?
If you want to brighten things up, then off-whites, light beiges, or warm, light greiges will probably be your best best to work with your countertops. Something like BM Edgecomb Gray can often work well with warmer granites.
These are really good tips thank you. I am looking to paint our cabinets a sage, but I am wanting to mix in another color on the doors. So the doors would be sage and another color, but I’m having a hard time visualizing another color with it. Any ideas?
You’ll probably have the best outcome by using a color adjacent to it on the color wheel. So, for sage green, that would be a soft yellow or blue. You could also go opposite on the color wheel to red, but use a pink or blush or pinky beige, rather than a bold red.
Hi Melissa, Loved this article. I’ve been thinking of painting my cabinet but get so overwhelmed with deciding what to do. I have walnut oak cabinets and I was thinking to keep the wood color and paint a green color (not dark but a medium color green). I can’t decide which to leave wood…..the top or bottom. I lean towards the darker color wood on the bottom but then I waiver on that decision. Needless to say, nothing has been done. May I ask if you could shed some light on my dilemma?? Thank you….
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I recommend the darker wood color on the base cabinets and the lighter color on the uppers. Having darker cabinets on the bottom will make the space feel more grounded, and the transition to a lighter upper will help bring the eye upward. If you have the lighter cabinets on top, it can make the kitchen feel a bit top heavy. Hope that helps!
YES! You have definitely helped my decision to leave the bottom cabinets as they are and not paint them. Now, on to selecting the green paint color…….
Thank you very much! Diane
Beautiful paint colors. I’d love to paint my cabinets in the kitchen. The green really caught my eye. The walls are a sage stripe with burgundy specks through out. What greens do you suggest. Plus help on greasy cabinets above the stove. What’s the best cleaner for that? Ty so much
These are some great color options for anyone to consider in their kitchen. It’s nice to see all these colorful kitchens when so many newer homes are going with different shades of white.
My wife and I personally decided on a lighter blue color to revitalized the kitchen in our older RV.
As a painting contractor, I’m excited to see many of these colors in kitchens. It’s definitely a trend from the past that is being revitalized!
My cabinets have a whit vinyl overlay- how can I paint over these?
WHITE vinyl -overlay
The color is white
I have dark counter tops that I don’t want to replace. not sure what color would look best for the cabinets. Was thinking of white. Any suggestions?