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Which backsplash and which paint for cabinets?

last month
last modified: last month

This is my first time updating my kitchen and I need help. The countertops have been installed - they are Sharifstone Quartz in Maranola. The tile on the left is matte and on the right is glossy. Initially I thought the matte matched better, but now I am thinking the glossy looks better (even though the whites arent exact matches). My kitchen has one half window and a bigger one by the dining table but does not get a ton of direct sunlight. Which tile do you like better and Which color grout would you do?


Below are the paint colors I am considering for my cabinets. I am definitely leaning towards the lighter ones since my kitchen doesn't get a ton of natural light, but am looking for opinions. Thank you!!

Below are pictures of whole kitchen:




Comments (26)

  • last month

    Your pics do not offer enough information to help. Take pics of your entire kitchen - all walls. Thanks!

  • last month
    last modified: last month

    you don't have much natural light and yet you are choosing a dark blue cabinet color?

    I would choose a glossy tile. for me, a white cabinet and blue patterned backsplash tile for a kitchen with little natural light.


  • last month
    last modified: last month

    glossy white backslash and dont paint the cabinets..... get some polished nickel hardware/ a pendant over the island and hanging fixture over the sink and it'll all look great.


    details you can/should put in your space..hardware/ light fixtures/ gloss surfaces [backsplash] no need for questionable blue , also at a huge cost.


    Portland Modern Tudor Kitchen · More Info


  • last month

    I think the wood looks great and i wouldn't paint it.

    If you think it's dark, remove the shutter and add some pendant lights. I would out a cute Roman shade on that window in a fun pattern.

    I would do a cloe tile, which has enough variation that some of it will match your counter.

  • last month

    You are going to paint your cabinets in "painter's tape" blue?

    Doesn't seem like a great idea. There should have been a design plan before you took the kitchen apart and you seem to be picking items individually.

    If you want more light in the space, get rid of the plantation shutters. Use some cellular shades and only close them when you need privacy or to block the sun.

  • PRO
    last month

    I should add we are removing the plantation shutter and are going to pick a design that lets in more light! I do not like white cabinets, and our living room (directly adjacent) is brown heavy with sectional/large TV stand, etc so am looking to add a pop of color, of which I have only found blue I liked for the cabinets, but will definitely look for a lighter shade I guess. I like a uniform backsplash color and it seems glossy will reflect the most light even if it is not an exact match. Hardware will be a brushed/satin nickel.

  • last month

    If you love blue, would you consider keeping the cabinets as is and doing a blue backsplash? Some mockups below; you can try out different styles for yourself using a visualizer (I used Tilebar.com) You might have more options than if you tried to match the white of the counters. (Note that the visualizer tiles all the way up the walls, for example at the left; you could stop at tiles at the bottom of the cabinets and skip the side wall if you want.)





  • PRO
    last month

    I would wait to choose a backsplash until the cabinets are painted. The blue paint - light or dark - will reflect on the tile and change the look of it anyway.

    For your cabinet paint colors, get a small can of the 2 or 3 colors you like the best and paint them out on a piece of poster board so you can see how that color is going to look in the light of your space. It really is the only way to figure that out. Does your kitchen open onto an adjacent room or is it more closed off? That can also effect your decisions.

    If you need a lighter space, add more lights!

    There are lots of beautiful blues




    Don't forget to consider your floor! The blue needs to go well with the floor too.

  • last month

    I would go with a softer blue than any of your choices. More like the last one in Debbi’s pics.

  • last month

    Could we see a picture of how your living looks into the kitchen and vice versa? The entire spaces together? Would you consider painting top and bottom cabinets different colors? Blue on the top, brown on the bottom? I also love the

    Light blue color Debbie suggested. As to the tiles you requested help with, I think the glossy one looks best.

    Your kitchen is dark and I think the dark brown cabinets make it look even darker. What about having them refinished with a
    light or clear stain?

    debra

  • last month

    No matter what color you investigate, you need to make larger samples - ideally the size of two cabinets doors, or you won't be able to truly feel the impact of the color on the space. Hold them up against a lower cabinet too so you can see how they look against the floor.


    Does your flooring extend into the open living space? I find the floor and the lack of light in the room to be the biggest problems and they won't be solved by another dark, saturated paint color. Notice in @Debbi Washburn 's blue cabinet pictures, the floors are quite light colors. I'd hate for you to paint all of your cabinets deep blue only to find that the room still feels dark because of the floors and lack of light.




  • last month

    Agree^^^

  • last month

    If you are still leaning on using blue, consider keeping cabinets (no paint) but change the doors to glass front on each side of the window. Tile example below is more of a denim blue and compliments with the floor and cabinet warmth.

    If budget allows consider adding 1-2 pendants above the island.





    Denim Blue 3" x 9" Subway Glass Tile 953037

  • last month

    No to painting cabinetry but triple no to saturated blues!!! Painting devalues your entire home. Blue makes it unsellable and believe it or not some day you will be trying to sell. If you need "a pop of color" paint the what is that an island or peninsula? Paint the back of it that faces your living space. Need light? Improve the bulbs in your space don't add darkness with paint. When looking at 'magazine kitchens' note their size their over all expense! The average suburban kitchen is what you have. Not the same thing, the blue will not translate same same for you!!! As far as your back splash, easy clean ON TREND: get more countertop and use that for your back splash.

  • last month
    last modified: last month

    I love blues but I would say they can be HARD to get right. If it were me, I wouldn’t start with paint chips but would see what blues are recommended for cabs from designers - if you do some research, you can find some curated choices to sample - that’s how I found Hale Navy for my son’s dresser (FWIW i am def risk adverse and wouldn’t do blue cabs since I’d likely get tired of them, totally just a me thing)

    https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/blue-kitchen-cabinets

    https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/color/g46237198/blue-kitchen-cabinet-ideas/?

    https://www.thetatteredpew.com/best-blue-paint-colors-for-kitchen-cabinets/

  • PRO
    last month

    WOW no blue for cabinets IMO and why ??? Keep cabinet color neutral add the blue with things you can change easily. Blues are difficult to work with and IMO a big regret down the road . Are you planning on DIY painting? I would stronly suggest you keep the wood since DIY cabinet paint jobs do not last . If spending money for a pro job even more reason to NOT do blue that I prommise you will regret .Get better lighting IMO that will be money well spent if you have a few potlights then change the bulbs to LED 4000K see what a differnce that makes .

  • last month

    Following

  • last month
    last modified: last month

    I think if you change the cabinet color to dark blue it will still be too dark. I asked ChatGPT to remove some uppers, make the window bigger, add some shelves and clean up the fridge.




  • PRO
    last month

    Not a fan of the blues you are showing especially paired with your flooring. Blue cabinets work better in Mexican designs, cottage style and quirky styles.

  • last month

    Your floors and blue just don’t work. Is there another color, like green that picks up the warm t ones in the floors and current cabinets. Have you invested in new lighting which can make a huge difference, especially with color, on how bright your kitchen is and what color is pulled from the existing cabinets. A paint store representative can be a big help.

  • last month

    I do not like white cabinets, and our living room (directly adjacent) is brown heavy with sectional/large TV stand, etc so am looking to add a pop of color, of which I have only found blue I liked for the cabinets, but will definitely look for a lighter shade I guess.


    What about getting your pop of color in the space by purchasing a blue section and getting a more minimal TV stand to lighten the look of this space? Then keep the cabinets as they are, add white backsplash.


    It is really very expensive to get a good, professional durable paint job on cabinets that is going to hold up and not have brown wood showing through with dings, chips, and cracks. Purchasing a new sofa and TV stand will certainly be less expensive.


    If you add pics of the living room area, we can better help you think about how to get more color and light into this space without destroying your cabinets.


    I should add we are removing the plantation shutter and are going to pick a design that lets in more light!


    Removing the shutter will help some and you should certainly do it, but it is not going to bring a whole lot more light into your kitchen because it is hemmed in by brown cabinets on either side, which absorb light and hinder it from traveling beyond the cabinet area.

  • last month

    I am not a pro, so just a few ideas/opinions, and we all know about opinions. :) I think that your cabinets look in decent shape, and painting them correctly isn't cheap. I agree with most of the posters, that you would be better off keeping them as is. However, you can add some color to the room with the backsplash. It seems to me that a soft, very pale green/blue backsplash might look good with your current cabinets. Fireclay has some beautiful blue/green tiles. I think some that might work with your cabinets are Salton Sea, Manzanita, or Warbler. Or just go to your local tile store, if you have one in your area, and get some samples to bring home and check out.


    Then maybe with the money you save from not painting the cabinets, you could address the brown that's bringing you down in the living room, with some new furniture or rugs. There are some pros on here that could help with that, if you post pictures of that space.

    By the way, I have dark navy blue cabinets in my kitchen, and I am pretty sure that these cabinets of mine are not bringing down my property value! But I also have a lot of natural light and windows. I do love my cabinets, so I am not trying to talk you out of painting yours, because I don't like the color blue, or think that it is too hard to work with. I do think that you won't be happy with a dark blue in YOUR kitchen. I think the better bang for your buck is adding color with the backsplash and changing up the furniture that you don't like.


    If you absolutely feel you must paint them, make it a pale blue or green. I do agree that green will probably look better than blue in your home. Either way get lots of samples of the tiles, or the paint if you go that direction. Hold samples next to floor and countertop and cabinets to see how the colors work with all those elements in your room. Also with lights on and lights off-lighting changes all the colors throughout the day. Take your time, no need to rush to a decision.


    You want to make choices that are cohesive together. So your first decision is are you going to paint? If yes then focus on that color working with your floor and countertop and lighting, and put backsplash on the back burner until you have cabinets painted. If you decide not to paint, then it's backsplash sample time. Good luck.

  • last month

    Here are light blue cabinets. The color you’ve chosen is too dark. The advice here is sound. Note the size of the window. You need A LOT of light to pull off a dark kitchen.

  • last month

    Here is a wood kitchen with a green backsplash, as kimbers333 suggestrd.

  • last month

    And here is a light sage kitchen, which could look beautiful.

  • last month

    You might want to pause for a minute and collect inspiration images. Othe folks have shared some above, but try to figure out what you like given the materials you are planning to keep. So Google kitchens with wood floors and whatever you counter material is, and look for kitchens you love the look of. Part of the reason you see only brown in your space is that every available inch of wall space is covered with cabinets. Do you need them all? Consider saving the blue or whatever other color for your island.


    Also, consider removing the micro hood and replacing it with an actual vent hood, and choosing a refrigerator that better fits your space. Good luck!