I think a nice soft grey would be nice for the lower cabinets. If you do white it will look pretty, but there will be a lot of white since the counters are mostly white. However I really like your blue. I've been thinking about painting my cabinets something similar.

I have some mudroom cabinets in gauntlet gray that might look great with your backsplash and counters

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I'd go grey, but a soft, warm-toned grey.

I like @Jennifer Havin’s suggestion. Very calming.

Thanks Jennifer - is that picture the gauntlet gray!?

Gray would be a lot more tedious than the nice blue you have. Gray is not in your floor so gray base cabinets will be no benefit.., maybe poor actually. A wood island top will change things ... if you want a little shift for interest that’s what I would do. Adding a pendant light or two above island would help. Not gray cabinets.

I’d prefer a wood color for the island. Just feels fresher and more timeless. You don’t want to get bored of this again... also, can you even paint white over navy?...

First paint your cabinets. Then reassess. Maybe you’ll fall back in love once the rest of the cabinets are repainted. If not, then get samples of light greys and tape them to the island to help figure out which one. Start with @Jennifer Havin’s color.

lol pretty. Would you take the tile all the way up the ceiling. Do you even have access to more of the same?

oooh I will have to see how much is left over - it was from 4 years ago, and not sure I have enough to fill in the whole space

@Amy Mulchay yes the picture is of gauntlet gray

Your uppers look slightly more cream than white like the counters.

If you want a gray for the island gauntlet gray is a great color, as mentioned in this post. I had a consultant recommend it and am very pleased. We also continued the color into the family room that opens to the kitchen, has one full wall, another with big windows and door, and one with white bookcases/fireplace. My floors are very warm oak but I think it works - if it doesn’t please don’t tell me. Also the gray looks lighter in daytime.

@Jennifer Havin and @ram123 - is it SW Gauntlet Gray? My GC‘s painters only use SW. But if so, then I just found a new color for my mud laundry, and possibly my foyer ceiling.

@ram123 - your pics are beautiful! What a bold color choice...that works great. Lovely.

Yes, it is SW Gauntlet Gray! I won’t post pics but also did the powder room, with one wall of wallpaper, and then lighter shades of the color in foyer.

I bet that powder room is wonderful with the wallpaper. Time to call the GC and change a couple of colors.

Thanks so much!

I’m not a pro, I found the color because of a SW Color Consultant. I am extremely happy with the choice but want you to know im

Oops, want you to know I am not good with colors and design and have been helped by the Houzzers many times. I’m also not good with posting stuff, lol.

yep SW gauntlet gray. grays are so so hard and went on an exhaustive search ones not too blue, not too cool, you get the picture. i also used BM chelsea gray and kendall charcoal in other rooms too

this is from SW website of gauntlet gray on wall

@ram123 - you’re amazing as far as I’m concerned. Knowing when to ask for help - and then asking - makes you smart as well.

@Jennifer Havin - I agree that true grays are so difficult to find! I’ve used Repose Gray (like half the population!), Passive, and Web Gray; but Gauntlet Gray has just become my new favorite!

Thank you both for being kind enough to respond so quickly. I’m very fortunate to have stumbled onto a thread that has such wonderful commenters who are so generous with their time and ideas.

@felizlady the uppers are a SW Fundamental White (this was an HGSW shade and very hard to find much info about) but best I can tell it is most similar to High Reflective White - LRV about 93 ... I find it has a bit of a warm undertone, but not significant. It is a pretty true bright white in person

Here are more real-life pictures of gauntlet gray in our kitchen. The color was recommended by a designer when we moved in to the house (painted over honey oak cabinets). Our walls are BM Pashmina, which is a griege. I don’t love the two colors beside each other anymore, but I think your space would look nice with the whiter walls and the gray. From the pictures, it looks like this gray will complement your backsplash tile. I also like how it’s about the same color as stainless so flows with the fridge.

@Stiley, your cabinets look fantastic. Proof that one can successfully paint oak and never know it is underneath. Very nice kitchen!

@redryder thank you! It's been a good phase 1 update while we wait to redo it. We were very lucky that the countertops are neutral. The house was built in the 80s so it could have easily been a wacky tiled countertop that would be harder to live with.