Colors That Bring Out the Best in Your Kitchen

Complement Cabinets With Color-Rich Hues

With light and dark cabinets equal in popularity, it can be hard to select a shade. Experts weigh in on cabinet colors and tell how to find the best wall color to match.

When it comes to wood cabinetry, says Lowe's spokesperson Jennifer E. Wilson, both ends of the color spectrum are in demand these days, with espresso-colored finishes and white-glazed cabinetry equally popular.

Whatever shade of wood you choose, says Becky Spak, senior designer with Sherwin-Williams, it's important to recognize that wood is never "just" brown, tan or white. "You want to look really closely at the stain color," says Spak, "and determine whether it has a yellow base or a blue base. Then, look for paint colors in the same family, so that the cabinets and walls don't compete with each other."

That doesn't mean, says Spak, that the colors should blend into each other. Instead, it's quite the contrary. "It's nice to have some visual contrast," says Spak. "If your cabinets are dark, go a bit lighter for the paint, so that one is not competing with the other." With an espresso cabinet, for example, Spak likes a gray-blue like Sherwin-Williams' Moody Blue (6221), shown above. Another option for darker-colored cabinets is a medium green like the one pictured above, Sherwin-Williams' Melange Green (6710).

If you have chosen white cabinets, says Marcia Walter, ASID, an accredited member of the International Association of Color Consultants, try a grass green wall. Remember, says Becky Spak, try your paint sample in the shadow of the cabinets to see if you need to go darker or lighter in tone.