I might see how the walls look with the cabinet color (or very similar). Just test an area. There is already the dark influence and with the contrasting floors you’d be introducing another color into the mix with the risk of it becoming busy.

Get some Samplize samples of different whites. I’m thinking SW Swiss Coffee might lean the right way to pull all those beige-taupes-whites together. You don’t want a bright -bright white.

SW Antique white “might” be okay but may lean too yellow in your kitchen. HAlso watch out for pink undertones in some whites.)

I may get chided by the pros who are better at this, but maybe a dusty green could work (?). Look at pale taupes too.

I was thinking maybe a green too.

Look at Sherwin Williams Shoji for walls and cabinets - walls painted same as cabinets will help to visually bring your uppers ‘up’. Walls painted different from cabinets will make your uppers bring the visual height down. And you need much better lighting - that will take the heaviness off the dark counters.

Why do people take pictures and ask for color comments without bothering to turn on the lights? It makes a difference.

I might suggest a much lighter color plaint to take away some of the texture of the cabinets. Right now the cabinetry seems to be competing with the flooring and the countertops.

@ShadyWillowFarm I deliberately did not turn on the lights so people who wanted to be helpful could see how the colors look in natural light and take into account the Northern exposure. And depending on the bulbs used, the colors of the floor and cabinets change dramatically. I've already experimented with different types of bulbs. Regardless, the undertones of the floors and the cabinets clash in every circumstance.

Do you have any paint color suggestions?

Original poster here. I finally got back to the house we are renovating with some paint samples and I'm not really happy with how any of them look. I prefer colors that are less "muddy" and look fresh.

The colors in this pic, from left to right are SW moderate white, SW egret white, BM maritime white and PPG sea pearl.

The room is north facing, the granite is labradorite, which stays. I will be adding under-cabinet lighting.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a cleaner-looking white that works with the granite? Thanks.

Here is a picture with some lighting on the granite.

Maureen’s suggestions above

since you are painting, ask the painting company if they can redo the island panel.

those heavy corbels/slatted wood just don't work

simple trim work arond the edges, batten panel on the front, no corbel. (

at the very least, they could do something like this (if you must have corbels, make them as minimal as possible. since it looks like it's under 10" you don't need the decorative supports.

the board and batten looks much nicer

you could just opt for the clean look and minimal trim on the base

When I had mine painted I had them remove the heavy corbels (if you actually need something for support, they can moderize it) the fluted trim and all the other Tuscan style items had to go.

I had those shelves made into large drawers

for a cleaner white, stay away from yellows, especially since your room is north facing.

Try a nice clean white. Oxford White maybe nice. On mine I used Simply White, but since this was a laquer conversion, I think they went one shade whiter. All my trim is Simply White

These are way too tan. and yellow (that far right one is too green)

Here's Simply White against a pure white. do not use White Dove. dingy in a north room

Even though Simply White has a bit of yellow to it, in a north facing room that gets grayish light, plus the cool gray tones of that granite, it should balance it out. I'd for sure try a sample of this color

you also need to consider whether you have WARM grays or COOL grays, as well as considering their undertones. Cool grays often prefer true or cool whites, whereas warm grays often prefer true or warm whites

Your granite appears to lean more on the cool side of gray.. That's why all of those colors you've picked don't work.

best white shades for a north room

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/ask-kylie-can-i-paint-my-north-facing-room-white-or-off-white/

cabinet whites:

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-4-best-white-paint-colours-sherwin-williams/

Pure White

I'd get a sample of this one, prime and paint one door.

Read this too:

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/how-to-choose-the-best-white-for-your-kitchen-cabinets/

if you want to read about the best colors for north rooms:

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-most-popular-benjamin-moore-paint-colours-north-facing-northern-exposure-rooms/

Agree with Beth. Photos can be deceptive, but if your granite counters have grayish-white veins, the shades you posted won’t harmonize. They look too yellow.

@Beth H. : I love Kylie's website and actually consulted with Kylie. I sent her pictures from different times of the day and she suggested the samples I posted above, which IMO, don't work.

Insert confused emoji here.

Hi Lynn,

You need to consider your floors as well as the granite (assuming they are staying). They have a bit of orange/pink to them which makes picking an off white with any yellow in it a little tricky. A lot of people will use BM Muslin or Gentle Cream with floors like that, but I don't think it looks great with the countertop. Simply White does lean yellow so you may notice issues with it also. SW Greek Villa is a little yellow, but seems to bridge the orange better. Other option is to go as white as possible and (Chantilly Lace) - it will probably look good with granite, but may seem a little too fresh/clean against the tiles (but probably won't clash). Getting rid of the corbels will help freshen it up as well. You may or may not have to do something with the paneling. I think painting it out white without the antiquing treatment will help erase a lot of what you don't like.

wow, really? I'm surprised.

yeah, those samples are too creamy looking for that granite color.

I would get a sample of Simply White. I have it on all my walls and trim and don't see any yellow. But it's not a really blinding white either. It's the perfect neutral, in my home. (my kitchen doesn't have direct light.

Try the Oxford White and the Pure white.

The only way you're going to know is to grab some samples and try them out. that's why I said to prime a few of the doors and paint them. (just paint the back side)

BTW, who is painting the cabs? what are their steps? sanding and priming? sanding after priming? spraying off site?

What did you think about modifying your island?

You will also want a grain filler on those cabinets before painting so the deep oak grain doesn't distract.

Are you painting the cabinets?

Am I going to be the painter? Absolutely not!

Beth, I am definitely going to take the corbels off the island. As Susie mentioned, I hope that when the paint covers the vertical stain lines that it will look a lot better. If not, I'll think about more changes.

I just started interviewing painters and have talked to them about prep and paint techniques and how they would handle minimizing the grain.

I added some of the suggested colors to my Sampilize cart. I picked everything that looked lighter than the egret white, which is the lightest sample in my picture.

Thank you for all your help.

I'd recommend staining your cabinets rather than paint. You've got lovely grain to them . I prefer a white oakstain (see below. It warms things up. If you paint them they will loose that warmth of wood grain. I'm not afan of the pink walls. Since your granite seems to have lovely flecks of bluish black, I'd paint the walls a bold but bright shade of blue. You've got some great bones to work with. Good Luck!

We used Chantilly lace, and it is pure white

Not sure if Sherwin Williams is in the mix, but White Snow might be worth a look. Unless your painters only use BM….

Pure White by Sherwin Williams. It won’t be a weird bright white, but it does not have yellow undertones like all the others that have been suggested.

I agree that there is too much variation in the weathered cabinetry. I also agree that a muted white will be perfect. But it is hard to ignore the floor. A perfect example of the impact of a floor is the reno pics provided by Beth H. IMO, she was able to completely balance the entire kitchen. I'd take note. Sometimes, the reno plans have to be staged to acheive exactly what you want, i.e. new flooring is costly. But it will make or break any design.

My like is the Sea Pearl. It appears to me to have the faintest pale green that appears in the granite in the lighted pic. If not greenish it does complement the granite. Good luck. Just wondering, could you remove the granite backsplash, it would lighten up the space.

I really love that Sea Pearl, but I love color and I'd probably paint the wall or the lower cabinets in a slightly darker green tone just to bring out the green in the granite.

I would consult a local interior decorator and have them do an onsite evaluation. Even though there will a fee involved, in the long run it will save you many hours of personal time and will prevent you the expense of making choices you may dislike as a result.

I used to have a north backing kitchen with a layout just like yours (including the window over the sink). I prefer bright spaces and would want to make the space as bright as possible. I would keep the white cabinet color as clean and light as possible. I would personally keep the walls light. I do like the idea of painting the island a different color than the white cabinets. The corbels don't bother me at all. Perhaps a grayish blue or green would look nice with the white painted cabinets. An island color that coordinates with the tones of your floor and granite is what I am thinking. I would consider painting the space above your cabinets several shades lighter than the island color (but same family). However, perhaps the white works better. I am not the most visual person so I would buy paint color samples and try them out on the wall to see. Please post the end product as we would love to see. All the best!

Have you considered having the granite backsplash removed? Maybe replace it with a simple tile that matches the paint of the cabinets/wall or floor color? I agree with the designer consult, the vision and options may actually be more cohesive and may maximize your budget.

Hi Lynn,

Our kitchen has the same near black granite countertops and had same darkness issue.

From easy to hard (not $ to $$$ in my case since I do most work):

Cabinets: Paint OR Sand to natural wood.

Backsplash: Replace dark granite w something lighter.

Floor: Overlay rigid waterproof LVT with heavy wear layer - now wait! Before you dismiss that as cheap, its gotten much better in the last 10 years and has infinite finish options.

I own, manage & renovate apts which take alot of abuse. Quality LVT works.

Lynn, Your posting has helped me too. Please do post some pictures after the work has been done and let us know what your selections were. Good luck !

This kitchen is really kind of cool, minus the corbels. You've probably already made your decision but did you check into buying new door fronts vs all the time and money to make the current grain issue go away? How about updated nickel hardware? From what I read kitchens are going back to wood mixed with paint combos. Maybe just change/paint the island. A nuetral beige/tan that pulls no pink or yellow That would help break up all that wood behind it. SW Silver satin might also be a good paint color if your determined to paint everything.

Labradorite is very expensive, but gorgeous! It does have blue in it, and i gather a trend now is dark blue cabinetry with ”gold” hardware, which might be an option for your island. I’m personally tired of white cabinets in kitchens (HGTV overload!) but they would probably work best in yours. (We are building and my north facing kitchen will have natural maple, blonde wood, cabinets which are light without being white.) I think Id consider changing the flooring long term, but if that isn’t an option immediately, maybe find rugs to disguise that tile. I suspect that the dramatic dark backsplash will be greatly reduced in power when you start adding appliances and kitchen accessories, or a vase of flowers, in front of it. Good luck!

While I love white cabinets, I don't think it's right in this kitchen, You have black counters and tile floors that right now look good with the cabinets. I would choose a paint as close to the cabinet color now to get rid of the streakiness you mentioned. Neutral, black and adding white since there will be alot of it would throw the balance off a cohesive look.

I like very neutral white for most of the cabinets. While some people are suggesting black stools and lighting fixtures, Id consider brushed gold. Maybe saddle leather on the stools.

Also think about adding real wood as accent somewhere - either under the island at the stools or a trim strip against the wall, either a cherry or blonde maple or washed oak . these touches would warm up the overall look of the dark granite and white cabinets.

something not white. . . we went from white cabinets with oak trim around top to this deep green. I'm in love and it has completely changed the feel of our late nineties/early aughts kitchen. (Paint-FB Green Smoke)

These are some ideas with black backsplash, what kind of colours are you looking for? I thiink the third white is nice, maybe "Simply WHite" like someone mentioned. And maybe yiu can add brass hardware to warm up the black/white colours

Original poster here. After spending some time at the flooring store yesterday, we decided to bite the bullet and extend the new floor from the adjoining family room into the kitchen.

Here is a rendering of what we picked, I think it will make the cabinet color choices much easier!

I'd love to paint the cabinets a more interesting color than white but this home will be sold in a few years and 90% of the cabinets in the comps are white or the original golden oak. This house languished on the market for a long time because of the unusual and expensive update choices that the owners attempted to recoup. I'll definitely pick a more stylish color for the island.

Definitely like those floors more than the tiles :) I think that will look really good

If you are 100% selling in two years, painting cathedral style doors white and leaving dark countertops is probably not going to recoup you any money. And you are correct that trying to plan for a new owner’s aesthetic is fallacy. I would redoor in a modern door style at the same time as refinishing or leave it alone. Just changing the floors is a huge improvement IMO

rtpaige, I'm not updating to flip. And I don't expect that all the money spent on updates will be recouped, especially in this real estate market.

My intent is to achieve a balance between making the house as close to my taste as possible and not wasting money or resources. The tile floors are nearly 20 years old, I don't feel angst about ripping them out. The labradorite granite is nearly new and expensive, I think replacing it would be wasteful. I really dislike the streaky grainy grey cabinet stain so the change is definitely worth it to me. The doors are not my favorite but are in virtually all the other comps so I am not going to change them.

To each, his own.

Then by all means do what will make you happy! I like the counters and think an off white would look great. I misunderstood your previous post. I thought you were saying you were only entertaining white for resale, and it wasn’t actually your preference. I only meant that a partial redo to try to appeal to a buyer is rarely cost effective. I partial redo simply to make you happy??? Priceless 😄

In my area, all the comps are white and gray and I hate them. Lol. I did my kitchen how I like.

I like your flooring choice. (since it will come up to the island, remove that current baseboard so they can cut the flooring right up to it. otherwise you'll have to use shoe molding.

Like shown here:

Replace that old basebard w/something more transitional looking

like either of these

as for the cabinets, check into getting all of the arched door refaced. It might be cheaper than you think because it's less labor for the painters have to sand and do all the prep work on the original cabinet doors.

I see about 10-12 upper doors?

Lose the ones over the fridge, and that will save you a bit. Instead, do a fridge panel surround w/some open cabinet storage for books or racks/sheets

(I can't tell if you have the surround already)

another way to update (and you may be able to do this with 2-3 of your current doors) is to replace them w/glass

You have a long run of upper cabs w/no break in design. doing a few doors would break that up a bit

someone mentioned re-staining. People don't understand that completely refinishing these would be as, if not more, expensive as painting. You have to completely strip and sand those down to raw wood.

But, you do have some decent oak cabs. if you wanted, you could do this look

This is what it looks like w/the arched doors

You could always fine some some upper doors in the natural oak in the shaker style.

I'd check around to see if you can find anyone selling one of htese older oak kitchens w/these style doors. you may luck out. Then you wouldn't have to reface.

Just an example, thse are unfinished red oak cabs from home depot.

All you need to do is find something like this where you buy the doors in your size. (check craigslist if you live near a big city. people are always selling oak cabinets on there)

Here's a '90's before and after. similar uppers like yours. notice the change in the doors in the AFter shot.

Another arched door painted in Cloud White. tall crown addition to close the gap. (there are better ways to do this) The island color is Ocean Floor

if you do reface those uppers, think about adding some boxes on top and going to the ceiling

or, at least do some taller crown

Beth H. brought up something that I really think makes a difference -- the straight line of cabinets that don't go up to the ceiling. That empty space above is a pet peeve of mine, but I know that tall cabinets are expensive. I just read an article on Apartment Therapy where a homeowner purchased small cabinets and installed them in that space, and then painted everything. The differing cabinet heights created a lot of visual interest.

yes. there are diff ways to do it.

buying something like this from lowes (I think these are 36X12 and cost $99? ) is one idea

You could even remove the doors and have somethng like this.

or, add glass to the center panels. finish off the top w/a nice piece of crown

glass to 2-3 of teh upper doors

I just finished painting my cabinets SW 7014
Eider White

FULL DETAILS
LRV: 73

RGB: 226 / 222 / 216
Hex Value: #E2DED8

Looks great! Works well with the countertop and wood floors. Nice white.

Just because White cabinets are the "In Thing" I think they are just to harsh for your space, have you considered a (smooth) light gray, which matches the light gray in the granite? Consider a dark gray island removing the vertical boarding and replacing it with just plain or a V pattern to break up the vertical lines of the flooring. Also lose the corbels on the island and you may have to paint the framework a dark brown to tie in the new flooring color. Good Luck with your choices !

Now that you have chosen the flooring I believe a light gray paint with brushed gold hardware (because your floors have a golden tone in the picture anyway) would be awesome. Search house for this combination. You would not have to change your faucet. Mixed metals can be great together. I have seen granite the color of your counter tops and it doesn’t show green which some are suggesting. Grays can be tricky, there are warm and cool grays. Get samples of both and see which one you like better with both counter and floor. Since computer monitors can show colors differently the choice is truly best seen in person by your own eyes. Sometimes it takes a lot of trips. Check with your local paint store if you can buy or at least check out their paint fan deck (they used to be about $10). It could save a lot on time making trips.

just did reno with new pure white kitchen cabinets and used BM Chantilly Lace for wall ( formula was mixed in a sherwin williams paint for cost saving) with SW pure white for trim and crown. Also have warm oak "natural stain" flooring. my counters and backsplash are different but I think the chantilly lace is a great white with minimal undertones. Your island could be a darker color-urban bronze by sherwin williams comes to mind? good luck!