Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
christina_macritchiespencer

Paint color with cherry cabinets?

I’m looking to update my kitchen without replacing the cherry cabinets. We just had LG cirrus quartz put in and planning on a glossy/ handmade clay whitish subway tile backsplash. I’m thinking a whitish/gray/beige wall color, ideally sherwin Williams.


My head is spinning! Some articles say blue/green compliment cherry cabinets, others say it accentuates the cherry and that you should go for beige/grays with purple undertones to tone down the cherry. I’m kind of between anew gray, mindful gray, repose gray, alpaca, silver strand (blue/green) collonade (purples) ...open to suggestions.


please send thought and bonus if you have personal experience with pics!!


(first pic is my kitchen without backsplash, second is my inspo pic)



Comments (15)

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    if you like the color on the wall in the 2nd pic, look at one of these








    (ben Moore)


    These are whites w/red undertones. these should look nice w/your cherry cabs


    very similar kitchen. this wall color looks like a light gray or a white




    since the lighting in your kitchen is something we can't see, you'll have to grab samples and try them on your walls.

    make sure your bulbs are 4000K

  • smcf03
    3 years ago

    Thank you for this thread. I have the same dilemma.


  • urchinsushi
    3 years ago

    Love the new countertop! Pick the brightest shade of the countertop for the wall color.

  • bebedecor
    3 years ago

    i love your new countertops. Try painting the walls sherwin williams agreeable gray. I went from having gold walls with cabinets that are similar to yours to painting my walls agreeable grey and it really toned down the cabinet color.

  • alicefoley
    3 years ago

    Hello I have cherry cabinets that I love and the room is painted with Benjamin Moore revere pewter. In my space it has a slight green undertone. I’m really happy with the way it looks.

  • Jessica
    3 years ago

    I am not a pro. How exciting for you! But for the wall paint and the backsplash, you are well on your way to practically mimicking your inspo pic. One thing I learned here is to use tilebar.com where you can use the visualizer and get samples on the cheap! Best of luck. Please post the "after"


  • lorobillard
    3 years ago

    We took a tile to SW and they matched the paint to the tile.

  • Christina MacRitchie Spencer
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you all so much for the comments, they were so helpful! I first painted a coat of agreeable gray and it came out so blue in our room. I tried adding some gold to it but it looked too yellow with the counters so I finally settled on alpaca and love how it turned out. Still need to finish backsplash and floors but thanks for your input!


  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    3 years ago

    wow, that does look nice. Alpaca looks very different on your walls. It's a nice shade w/the wood cabinets.

    what kind of backsplash did you decide?

    Christina MacRitchie Spencer thanked Beth H. :
  • alicefoley
    3 years ago

    I’m loving what you are doing with your kitchen. It appears to be very similar to mine. It’s a nice rich look. Looking forward to you backsplash choice. Nice job.

  • Jj J
    3 years ago

    I have alpaca in my home, it’s a lovely chameleon color.
    I’m curious—- Who lives behind the little door off to the left? 😊

  • smcf03
    3 years ago

    What brand of paint? Sherwin Williams???

  • Preslie Cott
    3 years ago

    What is the little door on the bottom left of pic for?

  • Christina MacRitchie Spencer
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Good eye- a town near us is big on fairy doors and the previous owners put one in the kitchen! the kids love it!

    Backsplash will Be a 3x12 white hand crafted looking, subway tile.

    Paint is alpaca by Sherwin Williams. It definitely leans purple, especially at night. Am thinking about changing out the light bulbs as mentioned above to hide this a bit.