Do you have Extra White trim throughout the house? Where is the trim in relation to the upper cabinets? Pictures of the space may help.

You are not the first person, nor will you be the last who bought kitchen cabinets without considering the trim color. I have helped pick colors for a few people moving into a local independent living facility. All the trim in the building is SW Extra White. It is cool and bright next to the furniture they are bringing with them or the wall color they want. But it really isn't all that noticeable when we have everything in place. If I had a choice I might pick a less cool trim, but instead we just need to work around it.

I would probably not want to do Dove Wing or Sea Pearl as the wall color - really too light and not enough contrast - your just introducing a third white.

I might consider Balboa Mist, or I might want to go with more color, maybe a green like October Mist or Saybrook Sage. But without knowing anything about your home, how your kitchen connects with other rooms or what other colors are in your kitchen it is impossible to know what the right solution may be.

Hi, so our house is still under construction but the painting of the trims is already underway. Our builder had told us a while ago that he uses a standard neutral white and not to worry about it, and being newbies we didn’t...until one night we randomly did a ChatGPT search on paint color coordination and realized we were in a pickle with our choice of White Dove kitchen uppers and SW Extra White trim. Upon further investigation, I found out the paint he uses is called SW ProClassic Semi-Gloss White. I’ll post a picture of the kitchen—walls aren’t painted yet and the painter hasn’t gotten to the trim here yet either, but our budget is tight and the builder is firm on adhering to the projected schedule. Here is the family room across from the kitchen. Initially had planned to do White Dove walls to match the cabinets but read that it wouldn’t be a good effect? Specifically that the cabinets would blend in and recede, and it would look ”builder grade.” I want a fresh, bright feel to the house, but based on this I thought Dove Wing or Sea Pearl would give some definition while still setting off the wood and stone nicely. Alternative suggestions and advice are welcome, as I want to make the best decision for this space. Thanks so much!

Cabinet hardware and faucet (not yet installed) etc. are oil rubbed bronze. Stainless steel appliances.

Where did you read not to do White Dove walls with White Dove cabinets and specifically that it would look Builder Grade? Wow.

I would say that 90% or more of the decorators on this site and the other blogs that I read advise to use the same white on the cabinets and walls and use different sheens to create a subtle difference in the color. Mixing whites is difficult to get right.

Here are two videos by Kylie M Interiors that include visuals of how different colors work with White Dove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmX0MH1b0yE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15ufmauCwn4

My biggest concern with you moving forward with White Dove walls is that you may or may not be dealing with White Dove. Were the cabinets pre-finished by the maker? How closely do they resemble BM White Dove paint? Some are better than others.

Will your painter/builder use BM Paint to paint the walls or just get a color match to White Dove? SW and BM don't do a very good job at matching each others paint colors, especially whites.

I would not want to take any more chances. I would take one of the cabinet doors or drawer fronts to the local SW paint store (assuming that your painter will be using SW paint), have them create a color match and purchase a quart of paint in the finish you want. Take it home and paint a few large samples that you can move room to room and hold next to the cabinets and next to the trim and look at at different times of the day and on different walls.

I usually make my samples of custom colors using water color paper to paint my sample on : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M59O4C?ref_=ppx_hzod_title_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1_0amp;th=1

With whites. before making my final selection I will often paint a 1/2 sheet of drywall and move it around the house.

I don't love the extra white trim with the White Dove walls and cabinets, but it isn't the end of the world. To 95% of people it will look just like a brighter white trim.

If you do choose to go darker on the walls (not a bad choice) go with one of the colors suggested by Kylie M and not a color that is too close to White Dove like the two you picked above. They are too close in color and will look like a bad attempt to match vs an intentional color change.

^ such good advice, agree on knowing the paint color for sure -

(FWIW we’re building and cabinet pros had several whites and I chose one that was supposedly matched to a F&B white - but it was a bit off when I went to match it for wall paint (esp makes sense with F&B) so I went warmer on the walls with BM navajo white to be safe, but i am admittedly risk adverse)

"builder grade" is defined by the lower quality of the materials used and not the colors that were picked!

You can have a builder grade house that is well decorated and you can have a custom high end house that is terribly decorated.