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Choosing the Right Paint Color to Match Your Kitchen Cabinets
Whether you just remodeled your kitchen or are working with your existing kitchen cabinetry, selecting the right paint for the kitchen walls is essential. While it may seem like an easy task, choosing paint that matches the undertones of your kitchen cabinets is usually the best way to find the perfect color. If you are stuck trying to figure out what color to use in your kitchen, use the tips below to help you.
Wood Cabinets
Generally, wood cabinets have warm undertones. When selecting wall paint to match wooden cabinets, pick colors that have the same warm undertones. Even if you want to paint your kitchen white, there are shades that are decidedly warmer than others that will work best. If you are unsure as to which paints have warm undertones, do not be afraid to ask at the paint counter of your local home improvement store or paint center. They can help guide you to colors that may work. Also keep in mind that natural wood colors look best with more earthy hues. Bright fuchsia may be all the rage in modern kitchens, but it will clash horribly with your dark cherry cabinets. Use bolder, wilder colors in accent pieces around the room, and go with more neutral colors for the walls.
Sleek and Shiny
Metal cabinets can present a unique challenge when trying to find wall paint that will complement them. They tend to have cool undertones and a shiny reflective quality. This can make it difficult to pair them with certain traditional kitchen colors like yellow. If the metal cabinets are silver, your best options for wall color are a cool dark gray, white, or even cool deep red. The metallic silver will not clash with these colors, and the paint will also provide a great colorful backdrop for accenting the cabinetry. If the cabinets are metallic white, a common look in some modern homes, just about any cool color can work on the kitchen walls, including a cool yellow. Remember that the metallic quality of the cabinets naturally attracts attention and your choice in wall color can make the cabinets can tone down the metallic effect.
Painted Cabinets
If your kitchen has cabinets that have previously been painted, you may be left with avocado green cabinetry or someone's idea of speckled cabinet painting. No matter what your cabinets look like, you can work with them to find a wall color that will either emphasize their beauty or make them less noticeable. For cabinets that you like, choose a wall color with the same undertone that is a shade or two darker than the color of the cabinets. This will give the cabinets a visual pop while making the walls appear to recede slightly and creates a neutral, contemporary look. If your kitchen cabinets are the bane of your existence, however, the last thing you want the kitchen wall paint to do is accent them. Instead of drawing attention to them, paint the walls a bold, bright, color that pulls the eye's attention and makes the cabinets seem to shrink into the background. Of course, you other option is to paint the cabinets again in a color that is more to your liking and choose a wall color that complements the new look.
Jessica Ackerman is a freelance writer and works for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com. She shares her wealth of knowledge on outdoor patio clocks and garden wall art.
