Navy bottom/white upper

First ddress the lighting get pot lights for sure and if that is not in the budget then at least a 5 head track light will all LED bulbs 4000K. IMO a softer blue or green would be abetter choice for color but honestly with all the things you ar eplanning I would look into new cabinets with all drawers for base ones , the storage will instantly improve . New counters, paint and new floors will do nothing to improve function. Can you also post some pics of spaces around this space so we get a good idea of your style and colors.

It’s your kitchen, do what you like! :-) I helped my daughter paint her kitchen cabinets using Rust-Oleum Transformations Dark Color Cabinet Kit. It was a ton of work but so worth it and has really held up over time. Her’s are Grey Harbor sans the glaze (yay, we got to skip a step!), but the do have a navy color that looks nice. They also have light cabinet kits so you could do a two tone kitchen with white uppers and dark lower cabinets.
What color are you painting your walls? Is there a soffit above the kitchen cabinets? If so, I’d paint the soffit the same color as the cabinets to help it blend in with the cabinets.

Hi! I’ve been in this same situation twice now so I’ll share my experience. In my first house, I painted the cabinets a dark teal, updated the counters and flooring. It was cute but DARK. More so than when the cabinet doors were stained wood. Later we had a kitchen company come and quote replacing the doors and adding pullouts to the cabinets (lots of custom work). The designer finally suggested we price out new cabinets and it was about the same so we went new.

Our current 1940s house has similar cabinets and once again I’m trying to decide what to do. We have the budget for a new kitchen but I actually like the look of the old cabinets and they’re built better than in my other house so may try to make them work even tho it will require lots of custom work. We will paint them light blue or white because that’s period appropriate for my house and I like lighter cabinets.

Prob more info than you needed but all this to consider: 1) what is your budget 2) can you diy 3) is your kitchen lighting good enough for navy cabinets 4) do you like the vintage look/does it suit your home?

There are so many great kitchens like these on Pinterest where people have worked with the original cabinets and added cute vintage details and they’re adorable. You don’t have to do kitschy diner-style retro — you can lean into the cottage aspect of your home. I’m actually going more Art Deco!

I got interrupted while typing this and now realize I read into your question and didn’t answer what you asked. Sorry! White on top/navy on bottom!

I vote all white with navy accessories and maybe some fun hardware like brass. Nickel hardware would be good too. You could paint some of the walls navy if they were broken up by windows or white trim or white cabinets or decor.

Here is the reason: My bedroom walls are currently painted navy. They look almost black. (It was this color when I moved in - I plan to change it to a lighter blue.) I bought a navy vanity for the future bathroom remodel. It is currently stored in my bedroom. It looks black. The lighting is not good in my bedroom, but even if it were, large expanses of navy will increase the darkness of it. White reflects light and will make everything around it look lighter.

You could try to choose a lighter navy. It might look smokey. I think wedgewood blue is a beautiful color but not as versatile as navy. Look at your walls as an opportunity to introduce color you love, as well as window accents, and rugs and countertop decor. The backsplash is an option too - you could do a navy tile in an interesting shape with white grout. I think navy might be neutral enough to do as a backsplash.

You could have an island or cart in navy surrounded by white cabinets or light sources.

If you want to get really cute, you can pick and choose cabinets to paint navy vs cabinets to paint white. Look at your appliances. I had black and stainless appliances in an all-white kitchen. I balanced the lower black and stainless blocks of color with token cabinets at a different level painted black on the top, and I changed up the hardware style on those cabinets. Navy would not match black appliances as well as black, but if you have a lot of variation in your upper cabinets or shelving, some could be navy and some white. Think through this so that it makes sense - don’t just do it because you can.

Also when you are considering navy, think about what might be in front of it or near it. Glass door cabinets painted navy with lighting and white dishes inside could be stunning. Stainless appliances on a navy oven cart could be dreary.

Google images for the scenarios you are interested in.

For sure - not all navy!

What color are the counters? They look tan? And the floor, which I can't see in the photo? You may want to be careful that your paint colors work with the counter and floor.

if its truly one wall Id pick a sunny not too bright yellow and spend more time figuring a nice white counter and backsplash. Navy and white feels more modern to me and one wall looks better all one light color.....yellow or pale blue or soft green......you can do quite a bit w hardware/ plumbing fixture/ and as said the backsplash. skip the two tone.....simplified approach is not boring. just stay light and fresh. good luck.

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Buy a few yards of dark blue paper (or cheap fabric) and tape it over your cabinets for a quick test run. If you don't love it, choose another color, such as a soft light blue or light sage green.

White, with navy accessories.

You have cute retro cabinets. Please don't make them look uncute by removing the cute bits over the window.

Pics.

And more!

A navy blue color scheme would definitely be a unique look compared to most standard colors I tend to find in kitchens (lots of greys, browns, and whites). So more power to you if you want to try something different!

All white, navy accessories.

Jean might have convinced me.

one color for the cabinets for the era which you are trying to maintain. the two colors is confusing. [it doesnt have to be green]

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Green is very popular right now.

Some more ideas:

I like all green!

I agree the white and navy two-tone is the solution, however, those exposed hinges on the doors must be addressed first. The plate of the hinge should be concealed and not exposed.

I agree with the “one color throughout” idea. It’s more consistent with a smaller home. What about white cabinets and a colorful patterned backsplash tile? You haven’t said anything about the backsplash.

While I love navy I think the medium greens are better for a kitchen with only one window. Still whimsical but not as dark. Navy can easily feel black-ish very quickly.

Don’t forget to prep, prime, sand in between coats and get the right paint for cabinets. I painted my bathroom vanities with the SW cabinet paint and both are holding up well.

Keep us posted!

I like any of all one color. Two tone looks odd and choppy.

I think your kitchen is too small for two tone and with only one window will be too dark with all navy.

I like the white uppers with navy lowers because the white will reflect light. I'm actually considering something similar for our basement kitchenette :)

Before you narrow down paint (not just color, but also its undertone), think big picture and consider your budget. You mentioned you will be replacing backsplash/counter/flooring, so it‘s really important to consider all choices and how they will feel, even if done in stages. You will probably want to replace lighting, hardware and most likely the faucet when you see the new look and suggest changing the hinges. Think about how the kitchen uodate will relate to adjoining spaces.

Pour through inspiration pictures, leaning on pros’ expertise/outcomes. It’s an expensive and time consuming commitment and you want to get it right.

Could consider restraining the bottoms

For cost savings, butcher block and subway tiles are good choices.

Just posting some white/navy (maybe green) kitchen combinations to help yo visualize what you want for your cottage.
Mostly navy cabinets first.

White cabinets with navy backsplash.

Fancy tiles can make a white kitchen look special. Blues, blues and green.

Or just green. Plain white countertop, or butcher block, work with these tiles. Your kitchen may be small enough that you can find a knockout remnant for very little money.

Based on just the small sliver of your kitchen, i would hazard a guess that the rest of your home is in the beige/tan/brown/yellow family. Assuming so, please no to the navy. Pick something that works with the rest of your house. Also agree with one color of cabinet, not two tone.

I know this is late to the party, but if it were me, I would focus only on inspiration pictures where the homeowner did it as a DIY project on their old cabinets. Too many pictures show brand new perfect inset cabinets with no soffit professionally painted, and that's not at all what you're going to get. If you like a color in a cute cottage someone did themselves then try to figure out in advance what it will really look like.

Kind of like if you've ever gone to the salon with a picture of an 18 year old movie star with a pixie cut, and you come out with the exact same cut and it makes you look like a 60 year old. It wasn't the cut you love, it's the face! Well gorgeous brand new cabinets in a 12x15 kitchen with 10 foot ceilings are like the model face. :)

As for the color, I vote a pale cream with butcher block.

Emily L...I got a good chuckle when I read your comment of bringing the photo to the salon.

Then you look in the mirror and wonder who the old lady is and why she has that stupid do.

Are you sure you can't have an island? It could replace the kitchen table.

My daughter had a countertop height, square island built. She used IIkea cabinets to make a pedestal and all her infrequently used pots/pans were stored under the island.

Island with storage, but hoping an inspiration for your redo. White cabinets and a blue backsplash.

Or you could replace the table with a counter height table.