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monciona

What wall color did you paint your kitchen with white cabinets?

monciona
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

It's time to select a paint color for the walls and I'm frozen with indecision. Our cabinets are white (Dynasty Omega in Pearl). Our countertops are marble-look Quartz (Zodiaq London Sky). Our backsplash is white subway tile. Wood floors will be stained a medium brown with slightly gray undertones. (I don't have a name or photo of the stain color since it hasn't been finalized yet.)

I tried looking for inspiration photos on Houzz but there were just too many results to wade through, and often the designers don't provide the name of the paint color anyway.

i think I'd prefer a light color. Possibly white, and then add color with decor accents like the bar stools, Roman shade, items in the glass-front cabinets, etc. But even choosing "white" paint means choosing from a ton of options.

I've also considered using a very light gray (Benjamin Moore Gray Owl lightened by 25% or 50%) or a light sea glass color (Sherwin Williams Sea Salt). But I'm open to more suggestions!

What paint did you use in your kitchen with white cabs & white countertop? Do you love or regret the paint color? Can you share photos? I'm hoping the Gardenwebbers will have just the inspiration I need. Thanks in advance!

Comments (42)

  • Nothing Left to Say
    7 years ago

    We painted our walks blue.


  • Fori
    7 years ago

    I did green, a nice clear celery green. My realtor made me repaint it when I sold it so it became green, a nice light sagey green.

  • arlandria
    7 years ago

    Also blue walls for me, though more of a robin's egg color. The brand was C2 and I think they called it Banff. My cabinets are white, backsplash is white subway tile with silver-gray grout, counters are black with sparkly bits of recycled glass (Eco by Cosentino), floor is dove gray Marmoleum. My one window has a silver-gray honeycomb shade. So the blue walls provide the contrast to all the neutrals. I love it but it sounds like you'd prefer something paler or more neutral. The light sea glass sounds nice. Whatever you choose, it's helpful to buy a sample of it, paint it on several sheets of poster board and tape them up on several walls with painter's tape. That gives you a good idea of what the room will look like before you commit to painting the walls, and also shows you how the paint looks under whatever lighting conditions your room has.

  • nosoccermom
    7 years ago

    I was going for SW Healing Aloe or Quiet Moments but it didn't work in my kitchen. So I ended up with BM Windham Cream.

    Another option is to get a gray that's from your quartz. (Love SW Agreeable Gray bu tit's perhaps too greige for you)

  • Rudebekia
    7 years ago

    I did Gray Owl on both the walls and ceiling. It reads very light gray with blue undertones. Very neutral and pretty. I have creamy cabinets, off white subway tile backsplash, soapstone countertops, red oak floor.

  • nhbaskets
    7 years ago

    We do not have a lot of painted wall space in our kitchen, but it is open to our living room. We went with BM Manchester Tan.

  • Stephanie S
    7 years ago

    SW Rice Grain. A griege that works with our wood trim too. Good luck!

  • cpartist
    7 years ago

    What is your favorite color. When you close your eyes and think of color, what color do you think of? That is where you should start.

  • amykath
    7 years ago

    This is from fortheloveofahouseblogspot.com She used Gray Owl by BM. Might help. I also love the manchester tan.


  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Valspar Antemeridian -- a soft green-blue, and the ceiling is Valspar Transparent.

    I originally painted the walls Oxygen White, which is in fact more blue and didn't look quite right with the cabinets and counter. Ben Moore Quiet Moments was another that I really liked, and I think I sampled Sea Salt too. Antemeridian had the balance of blue/green that I liked best.

    What colors generally are you attracted to? and do your cabinets and counter have warm or cool undertones? It is important to know and match that.

    Go to your paint stores and pick up the folders of "Whites and Neutrals" that every brand produces. You will see many whites that have just a hint of color -- often separated into warm and cool. That can give you a good idea of what you immediately like and dislike.

    Edited to add: My countertop is not white, but if I had gone with a white I still would have picked the blue/green walls. I like color.

  • jgeisert
    7 years ago

    I used Logia

  • Angela
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Thanks for starting this thread monciona. I also am looking for a wall color for my white kitchen with wood floors, so this is very helpful. I have sampled SW Sea Salt and a few other similar shades but am having a hard time making a final decision. It's great to see pictures here.

  • Patti
    7 years ago

    Benjamin Moore Glass Slipper

  • cpartist
    7 years ago

    The paint on our walls is Benjamin Moore - Coastal Fog. It's a light, green/gray color. You could ask for it to be lightened.

    Any lighter and it would be white. LOL

  • jgeisert
    7 years ago

    SW 7506 Loggia

  • User
    7 years ago

    Here is a photo of our (still unfinished) wall corner- we used Sherwin Williams Silvermist with our white cabinets and counter. Depending on the light it looks blue/green/gray. I really love it next to the white. No regrets.

  • Caraline Neus
    7 years ago

    We're using SW whitetail, which is a pretty close match for our white cabinets, but we're going to have soap stone counters. Sounds like with your white counters and backsplash you def need something with at least a hint of color...

  • johnsoro25
    7 years ago

    SW Kilim Beige.

  • poolroomcomesfirst
    7 years ago

    We're going in the neighborhood of cool grey 9

  • Illhhi
    7 years ago

    In my still incomplete kitchen/house I used BM Maritime white in half formula with my Mouser "white" and Zodiaq London Sky counters. My floors are Preverco red oak in the color Sante Fe. I still have not selected a backsplash tile and there is very little wall space in my kitchen, however it is open to 50% of my house so I spent more time than I normally would have sampling paint colors.

  • homechef59
    7 years ago

    Sherwin-Williams Napery with SW Dover White trim.




  • Pink Poppy
    7 years ago

    My kitchen will be two-toned (white and stained cabs). I'm hoping to create a light, airy feeling in my kitchen so I'm getting the walls painted the same white as my cabinets: Benjamin Moore Simply White. My ceilings and trims will be in a cooler white: BM Chantilly Lace.

    If you really can't decide on a colour, try greige! I'm painting the rest of my main floor in BM Thunder, a lovely dark greige. I love how greige paint is so versatile and chameleon-like. Depending on the room, colours around, the lighting, etc, greiges can look grey, beige, tan, taupe, or off white with an undertone. Greige is such a great neutral.

    There are many lovely greiges from Benjamin Moore. Revere Pewter is very popular. I also really liked Edgecomb Grey, Grey Owl and Metropolitan. I ended up with Thunder because it was a beautiful, strong greige. Revere Pewter and Edgecomb were front runners but they looked too light and close to off white in my space. I wanted a more dramatic change so I went with Thunder.

  • PRO
    MDLN
    7 years ago

    Painted walls a very dark grey. Has made my white cabs & marble countertop really pop.

    Pic below was my inspiration. Very happy with decision, get many compliments.

  • monciona
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Thank you all so much! You've given me some great ideas. I go to the paint stores tomorrow for my first batch of samples. Keep the ideas coming!

  • hsw_sc
    7 years ago

    We did BM Palladian Blue at half strength. Nice bluish-green.



    Inset Kitchen with powered remote TV over hood · More Info

  • ssdarb
    7 years ago

    I have white cabinets (SW Pearly White), wood floors in a medium tone, white island stone (white macaubus quartzite), and lots of natural light. We painted the walls SW Monorail Silver. In a darker room it looks grey, but in this room it is a nice silvery blue-grey. It reads light and bright in the room, so it's neutral and almost like having white walls without actually having white walls. Goes with everything and is light enough that the colorful accents in room really stand out.

  • pdmd
    7 years ago

    Hi - we have medium brown site finished white oak floors, white cabinets (slight warm tone but NOT Ivory) and Zodiaq London Sky counters. I used BM Revere Pewter - kitchen is open to great room. RP is very neutral - very happy with it.

    monciona thanked pdmd
  • crcollins1_gw
    7 years ago

    SW Crushed Ice.

  • jenfbc
    7 years ago

    SW White Hyacinth

  • jaimeeap
    7 years ago

    SW Agreeable Grey

  • Gooster
    7 years ago

    Benjamin Moore Spa (turns out darker than the sample looks; light grey-green) with Chantilly Lace Trim (about the same as the cabinet color)

  • momcat2000
    7 years ago

    I have sort of a retro white kitchen. I used yellow striped wallpaper.

  • cawaps
    7 years ago

    Behr Blackberry Wine. Love.

  • Lauren0319
    7 years ago

    We are mid-reno so no pics to share. Cabinets are SW Incredible White and walls and SW Agreeable Gray. Counters are White Macaubas.

  • rebeccamomof123
    7 years ago

    BM Serenity.

  • heatheron40
    7 years ago

    I mixed 2 colors then threw in a couple of samples I had left over from a girlfriends project until I got it where I wanted it. I can't cook that way, wish I could......

    Dish wall is done now, sorry old picture.

  • suzanne_sl
    7 years ago

    BM Heaven on Earth

  • Season Contreras
    7 years ago

    BM London Fog. It looks great against our white cabinets and our quartz is VERY close to your color from what I can tell. The London Fog matches the background tone of the quartz nicely and the white cabinets give it a fresh, clean, updated look. Not the best picture because our deck outside casts a pink tone to our wall, but you can see the quartz, wall color and white door in this pic to see how they work together.


    Here is a better picture of the wall color over by the ovens and up against the cabinetry. It looks darker here than it typically does in the light of day.

  • jillhooper
    7 years ago

    Could you please help me? I am interested in finding out the specific white you painted your cabinets. Thanks