Yes, I would. I am a big fan of having the ceiling the same color as the wall or trim above the cabinets, although I have seen pics of rooms with the ceilings a very different color that looks good.

Shame on your painter, though, for pushing you into a decision, even though painting before the cabinets are in is way easier. He is supposed to be working for you, not the other way around. I would suggest that he bear the cost of repainting since you made clear to him that you needed to see the cabinets first and he didn't give you the opportunity to even try a sample in your room!

Ask your cabinet maker if he can order you some of his custom color to match. Or take a sample to shoot for a match.

If you repaint later, give the job to someone else. Don't pay him twice.

First, I always choose to paint after the cabinets are installed for two reasons: (1) the installation of the cabinets may cause nicks and marks in the wall; and (2) the walls and entire kitchen will look different after the cabinets are installed so that it is better to choose your paint after the cabinets are in place.

Second, regarding your concern about painting the ceiling with the island. A good painter will cover everything completely, not just the island, but counters and cabinet fronts as well, so that all will be protected. I also agree with Raee's second paragraph above. Your painter was in a rush for whatever reason; consequently you have to live with paint color you don't like and have to repaint also, just so he wouldn't be inconvenienced. It sounds like you need a new painter. Check out Angie's List and Yelp for recommendations.

Third, I do not like wall color and ceiling color to be the same. If you want your walls to have a gray tone, why would you want your ceiling to be gray too? I use Benjamin Moore Cloud White on my ceilings. I really like it; it's soft and neutral. You can't go wrong with it. Once I had a ceiling painted, and just after the painters started, I noticed the white was not as soft, and it turned out the painter was using Benjamin Moore's Decorators White because he had it in his shop, rather than the Cloud White I had specified. He hadn't gotten far in painting the ceiling when I noticed, but I made him get the paint color I specified and made him paint it over. That was two homes ago. I never used that painter again of course. But I have never been disappointed in the effect of Cloud White on my ceilings.

Oh, and make sure your ceiling paint is the "flat" finish, not semi-gloss or eggshell. Having said that, I like kitchen walls to be in eggshell cause it wipes easier. But the ceiling should be in flat finish.

This post was edited by akchicago on Sat, Apr 13, 13 at 14:16

I would love to get a different painter but this one did come highly recommended from a contractor friend. He gave us a phenomenal price and gets us a great deal on SW paint ($17 a gallon), so I don't really want to run him away at the beginning. It's just this one incident that had me frustrated.

As for color, I've read all the different theories about painting it white vs the lightest color in the paint deck page as the wall color, which is what I did in fear of choosing the wrong white.

Since the cabs will go in Tuesday, I'll just wait and get my sample then and have him repaint ceilings before the granite goes on. That seems to be my only option at this point.

I will definitely check out cloud white.

Would love to hear other ceiling paint strategies/ideas :)

You were describing Benjamin Moore colors, but noted that your painter gets a good price on SW paint. Was he having the BM paint color matched in a different brand?

That easily could be the problem. Spec the paint in the brand that makes it. if you must have it color matched (when you are trying to copy a high-end, limited distribution brand, for instance) have it color matched in at least quart-sized sample and paint out a test to see if the match, is really a match, or just the best the computer can do.

The shade name, number, brand, ingredient formula mean nothing. Only your eyes are what matters when it comes to paint color matching.

HTH

L.

My GC was on my case continually to pick a paint colour, but I said NO until the cabs, countertops and backsplash were installed and grouted. Once I could see everything in place, it only took me 20 minutes to choose a colour, which was nothing close to what was in my mind's eye prior to that point. 4+ years later, I still love it.

I think EVERY sub that entered my kitchen (total gut/redo) crabbed on me for not getting him in FIRST, and each said it would have made the entire job easier if that had been the case. What each really meant was that his own job would be so much faster and straight forward if he didn't have to worry about mucking up someone else's prior work. But'cha know, only one trade can be in first, and every one else has to work around something. Even my painter, who figured he'd get the ceiling painted before the appliances were installed got a call back because the twit installing my range hood cut his finger and bled all over the ceiling.....

Yes, cooksnsews, that is exactly our problem. The painter wanted to start before trim carpenters were through and trim guys got ticked having to work around the painter's prep crew. Trim guys said they'd vacate if the painters started spraying doors, etc. because of fumes and equipment. This has been a nearly whole house gut/redo so this has been my life for a few months.

At this point, I'm just going to tell them tomorrow that, just as I'd warned, the walls and ceiling colors will have to be changed. They can just get ticked if they want. It's my house and I'm paying for it but that they can't do it until everything is in. They still have plenty of other areas in the house to work on.

As for the color match, it matches perfectly to the fan deck. It was just that I hadn't sampled it on the wall first because I'd planned on waiting.

Thanks everyone!