The 7 Best Paint Colors for a Kitchen With White Cabinets
We’ve sussed out the best paint colors to complement your white kitchen cabinets
Remodeling a kitchen involves a series of design choices as you create an overall vibe that only the right color scheme can achieve. Even if you’ve already zeroed in on the right cabinetry and countertops, that still leaves the lingering question: What color should I paint my kitchen with white cabinets? We’ve rounded up some fashionable paint color ideas to help ease the burden.
1. White
If you’re going for a clean, minimalist kitchen look with resale value in mind, you can never go wrong with painting the walls white. After all, if you list your house down the road, one home improvement project to do before selling is painting all your walls a neutral color. But what is the best white paint color for a kitchen with white cabinets?
Before picking the right white for your kitchen walls, decide if your kitchen will be cool or warm, and then use that as a road map for the rest of the space. If you’re undecided about whether you want a white with blue undertones or one with yellow undertones, choose a shade like Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, which is neither too bright nor too off-white. Thanks to its warmer tone and classic look, Sherwin-Williams Alabaster is another favorite among homeowners and designers alike.
White Paint Recommendations:
2. Gray
Like white wall colors, gray is always a safe choice for kitchen colors, particularly when working with white kitchen cabinets. The breadth and variety of grays to choose from can become overwhelming, and if you’re hiring a local interior designer, they’ll be able to help you pick the right wall color for your kitchen.
But if you’re doing a DIY kitchen paint job, you’ll want to decide if you’re going for a more subtle, cool gray like Benjamin Moore Gray Owl, a greige like Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, or a darker charcoal gray like Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn. The best gray paint color for your kitchen, after all, is the one that brings you joy. If you’re a minimalist at heart, the simple ash tones are super soothing.
Gray Paint Recommendations:
3. Periwinkle
If you want your kitchen to be on-trend, the Pantone Color of the Year is always a fun direction to take your walls. This year’s Veri Peri, a whimsical periwinkle with violet-red undertones, would make an accent wall or an island pop against white cabinets. Just know that if you sell your home down the road, you’ll likely need to take your walls back to white or gray, and painting from dark to light will require a bit more work with multiple coats.
Periwinkle Paint Recommendations:
4. Green
Jewel tones offer a sparkling contrast to white cabinetry, and rich greens like Sherwin-Williams’ Cape Verde have been trendy kitchen colors over the past few years. When going for a bold paint color like an emerald, our top home painting tip is to do a sample swatch on a wall and observe it at varying times of day to make sure you like it. In particular, darker colors can look almost black at night if your kitchen isn’t well-lit. If brighter colors are more your forte, consider a mint shade like Benjamin Moore Soft Green.
Green Paint Recommendations:
5. Orange
“The more neutral, the better” mindset no longer applies to kitchen colors, and many daring homeowners and DIY designers are opting for bright splashes of color that capitalize on the energy of the kitchen being the heart of the home. For a tighter, more compact kitchen with less visible wall space, incorporating a brilliant orange paint color like Farrow & Ball Dutch Orange can go far in brightening the atmosphere.
The extensive cabinetry taking up most of the available space on kitchen walls makes the room unique from others in a house; you have a much smaller wall space to work with. However, this limitation can be an advantage. Bold pops of color work well on kitchen walls with white cabinets and against neutral surroundings.
Orange Paint Recommendations:
6. Black
If you’re looking for paint colors for a modern home—where the kitchen is punctuated by moody soapstone countertops and gleaming new stainless steel appliances—a black paint like Benjamin Moore’s Onyx can be the finishing touch you need to achieve that polished city look. If black is too bold for your taste, but you still want an air of sophistication in your kitchen, an inky navy like Farrow & Ball’s Scotch Blue is a good substitute. Gloss black will highlight imperfections, so if you opt for black tones, choose a flat paint finish to eliminate the necessity of having a perfectly smooth wall.
Black Paint Recommendations:
7. Pink
Pink isn’t going out of style, nor is it just for vintage kitchens. Light shades of pink have become kitchen staples thanks to their versatile nature and the way they complement white cabinets, lighter stone, and other playful accents like an emerald green backsplash. Clare’s Pop is a punchy splash of coral, while Farrow & Ball Rangwali will lend your room more exotic rose tones.
Pink Paint Recommendations:
Paint Tips to Keep in Mind
If you tend to use a light-colored tile or lighter floor color—or if you’re painting the ceilings bright white—think about how the light and colors shine into a room (from your hedge, lawn, deck, brick-red mulch, etc.) could alter your paint color. Many homeowners neglect to consider reflections from the outside when picking paint colors, which will be especially noticeable down the road if you have a lot of white surfaces inside your kitchen.
If you’re still unsure of which color goes with your white kitchen cabinets, a professional painter in your area can give you recommendations to complement your space.