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Need color and undertone help....

12 years ago

What undertones would you say my maple cabinets have? It really looks orangey to me or is it pink?

I'm really struggling with paint color and trying to figure out the right direction to go. It seems like nothing I pick is right. I want to lighten up the walls and do cream moldings. The creamy white kitchen cabinets make me drool but I'm not sure I want to do that at this time so I'm trying to work with what I've got, but thinking maybe down the road I will paint the cabinets.

Comments (16)

  • 12 years ago

    Another view of cabinets/current paint color that I want to lighten up.

  • 12 years ago

    It looks peachy to me.

  • 12 years ago

    I'm really picking up a pinkish undertone. I don't care for the yellow walls or light fixtures with the cabinets. Especially since the backsplash is so pinky.

  • 12 years ago

    Yes, pink to me as well.

    What about a light subtle celery green?

  • 12 years ago

    First I want to thank you all for your feedback and the honesty because that is what is going to help me get the room I want.

    Pesky1, I'm glad you pointed out the sconce shade color because now that you say that, I see what you mean. The good thing is that one of them broke so I have to replace them anyway. First I want to get a new chandelier for the breakfast area and then find sconces to compliment so I'll keep that in mind.

    Thanks for the suggestion of celery. I do have throw pillows in that color on my sofa so I like the color though I was hoping for a light airy neutral for the walls--maybe a type of white with a little color. It gives me another possibility though.

    The other issue is that while I want the kitchen and family room to be the same neutral color, my cabinets are pinky, then my family room (which is open to the kitchen) furniture is a green beige. I wish I had known about undertones years ago!

    So do I try and find a type of white or neutral that will tie it all together (is that even possible), go with a celery that might work but it's not really what I envisioned, paint the cabinets (major work on perfectly good cabinets but could give the look I want). It all starts to boggle my mind. I'm looking at BM Winds Breath and Cedar Key, among many others. It's supposed to have a slight pink undertone but will probably look bad with the green sofa. I could eventually change the sofa though.

  • 12 years ago

    Anyone have opinions on Cedar Key or Cream Fleece (has some green in it)?

  • 12 years ago

    If I'm having trouble picking a color out of the blue, then I head to the fabric store. Take a door front or a small drawer with you if you don't have a cabinet sample, a tile sample, flooring if you have it, and take a cushion off the sofa and go look at decorator fabrics that would coordinate, and pick your paint colors from there...you may even want to make some pillows or valances or placemats out of the fabric you find to pull the rooms together. You can get swatches of fabrics to bring home and see how you like it and then head to the paint store, confident that you're going in the right direction.

  • 12 years ago

    Thank you Annie for that suggestion. Good idea!

  • 12 years ago

    Fresh bright white walls -- which would help your pantry doorway to blend into the whole area. Right now -- that very bright pantry doorway is the main focal point ....

    Yes -- if possible -- try to change the pendants to ones with white-toned glass ...

  • 12 years ago

    It's hard to say on monitors, but to be the cabinets look orange and the backsplash pink - so to me they appear to clash a bit themselves. Add in the yellow undertones paint and I think altogether it doesn't look quite right.

    What type of look are you going for?

    I would probably go for a warmer white with very slight pinkish undertones to tie into the backsplash.

  • 12 years ago

    Been doing more research, saw a similiar looking mix of colors on a Maria Killam post. Here it is if anyone is following this: http://www.mariakillam.com/2013/01/ask-maria-about-pink-beige-and-yellow-tone-floors.html

    It looks like the cabinets are similiar in color so I'm going to try the Manchester Tan that she suggests. I'm also going to get a sample of Cream Fleece and Natural Linen (another color that I saw her suggest for pink cabinets). So we'll see. Crossing my fingers one of those will work.

  • 12 years ago

    The cabinets are an orange pink. Salmon, if you will. Think of what goes well with that. Blues and greens look great with salmon pink.

    But then you have the pinky beige backsplash. And the counters and floors are an unknown. We need to be able to see them as well. And the living area since it's open to it. It has to be treated as one large room, which it is.

    I don't think you're going to get the kitchen to tie into the living room well though if the only thing you want to change is the paint color. Paint is a hero, but it can't carry the whole load. What other changes are you open to making? Backsplash? Counter color? Living room color? Furniture? Painting the cabinets?

  • 12 years ago

    Live Wire Oak--Ok, so the counters are tropical brown granite (and thanks for asking because that got me looking in another direction). I did see some painted creamy white cabinets that looked great with the tropic brown so I feel ok about them.

    We will be doing wood floors hopefully the beginning of next year. The granite will stay. Definitely want new light fixtures. I'd love a different backsplash but not sure I want to do the work of tearing this one out and putting one up (again). DH and I did that one. I guess that will depend on how much it bugs me once I do everything else. Hate the plain island and want to do something about that.

    You said blues/greens go well with salmon pink and I was just looking at the master bath. It has the same cabinets and we did Austere Gray, which is a light green color, and it looks fabulous with the cabinets. But I wouldn't want my family room/kitchen that color. Oh and yes, all one color for both rooms is what I'm going for.

    I think I'm liking the Manchester tan. It seems to tone the yellow down quite a bit. I may just go with that and do what Maria Killam suggested in the link above. (paint walls manchester tan, cabinets white down and I'll do the trim white down). That way I could work in stages and not have to do the cabinets right away but still have the color look decent with the current cabs.

    Here are some other pics.

    This was when I was looking for barstools:

    Family room--working on making slipcovers for the chairs so that's why they look that way.

    Other wall--thought about getting a large entertainment unit for that wall that is off white to look like a built in, or making some type of built in. Other option is tv over fireplace.

    This post was edited by tryingtodecorate on Mon, Jun 10, 13 at 15:43

  • 12 years ago

    I'm with teacats. Bright white walls would be stunning. White would also match the grout in the backsplash. I've seen similar cabinets and I haven't seen one paint color that I think looks good with them. But white is fresh and should be used as your accent color until you get your white cabs.

    I hope I made sense, I'm still on my first cup of coffee. :)

  • 12 years ago

    Well I got the BM and the White Down trim but I'm not 100% sold. I'll just slap some more up and see how I feel. I must really like painting! I'm entertaining the white idea because many of the rooms I like are white (or gray), just not bright white though. I feel like I need more moldings to pull it off. Does that matter? I feel like going white is such a bold move, LOL.

    This post was edited by tryingtodecorate on Tue, Jun 11, 13 at 11:58

  • 12 years ago

    Here is the latest room I'm in love with in a light paint color.

    [Contemporary Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by Oakton Interior Designers & Decorators Lauren Liess Interiors

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