White kitchen cabinets are not for everyone

Shortly after my recent post about working with oak cabinets, I had some friends over and we started talking about how we all love white cabinets like we see in some many homes and inspiration pictures today. (Yes, of course it's normal to start talking about cabinets at a party!)  I am hoping to paint my own cabinets this year.  The current wood tone is fine, but combined with wood floors in the same tone and not much light coming in, the kitchen is very dark and I keep the light on in there all day just to make it feel brighter. 

But, white cabinets are not for me.  Yes, I LOVE the light and bright look of white cabinets, but with all of the warm tones in my home, I need to go with more of an off white/creamy tone to achieve the look without it looking stark like a bright white would.  My parents had the same issue in their home and were ready to paint, so I searched for a great paint color that would work with warm tones and still give them the light, bright kitchen cabinets they wanted.  I found some warm, creamy white options.

 

Sherwin Williams Moderate White

 

 

Sherwin Williams Antique White

 

Source:  The Inspired Room

 

 

Sherwin Williams Softer Tan

 

 

Benjamin Moore Linen White

Source: Garden Web

 

Benjamin Moore Marscapone

source:  unknown

 

Benjamin Moore Acadia White

 

 

 

 

So, which one was the winner for my parent's kitchen?  Let's take a quick look at a before picture.  Sorry for the terrible "in progress" phone picture.

 



 

 

And the after, with the cabinets painted Sherwin Williams Softer Tan. WOW, right?  And my mom even painted them completely on her own!

 

 

If you look above at the swatch of Softer Tan, you would likely think it is waaaaay to dark  because it looks very tan, but I convinced my mom to get a sample of this color knowing that it is much lighter when painted on walls and furniture.  The Light Reflective Value of this color is 62 meaning that it will reflect more light back into the room (any value over 50 indicates that the color is lighter and brighter), But I'll leave the details of light reflective value and how it can help you for another day.

 

So, are you on Team white cabinets or do you love the look of wood in the kitchen?  If you've painted your cabinets, tell us what color you chose! I'm leaning towards using Softer Tan in my own home, but will let you know what I choose as soon as I'm ready to paint.

 

In addition to Home Staging, I offer Color Consultation services.   If you need help choosing paint colors and want to avoid the hassle and expense of trying out 800 different samples, contact me- I can help!

 

Xo,

Jeanne