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trav86_gw

Wall paint color with white cabinets? Need opinions! (Pics)

trav86
14 years ago

My kitchen is almost done, but needs paint. It's a small, white kitchen in NYC, doesn't get a lot of light. My dilemma is that the cabinets are faintly creamy, the countertops are carrara and wood and there are some green tiles mixed in with the white subway tile backsplash. Oh, and the appliances are stainless. So do we go with a warm toned paint to work with the wood and creamy cabinets or a cool tone to work with the carrara, stainless and white and green tile? Since the room tends to be dark, we're leaning toward some kind of off white. I've posted some pictures--a little too big, I'm afraid. What do you think?

cabinets

Comments (33)

  • farmhousebound
    14 years ago

    Nice looking kitchen--love the marble and wood countertops! I'm a green person, so I would suggest picking the same color as your green tile, maybe just a shade lighter if you wanted to keep it light and airy.

  • erikanh
    14 years ago

    Wow, it's gorgeous! My first thought would be something in a very light bluish-grey in the same tone as your beautiful accent tiles.

  • kelleg69
    14 years ago

    I agree to go with the tiles or maybe a gray tone?

  • trav86
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the input and the compliments! No worries that coolish, almost white walls will clash with the warmish white cabinets? I've been looking for pictures, but whites are very hard to differentiate in photos. I'm being a little obsessive, I know...

  • hestia_flames
    14 years ago

    I agree with the other posters - match to the greenish tiles. Do you like "duck egg blue"? Admittedly, it looks different in different manufacturers - some make it more green, some more blue, some more gray. You could have them scan your tile, and take it up or down a value or two to create a harmonizing color.

  • remodelfla
    14 years ago

    I'm somewhat with mamadada on this one. I think I'd go with a very creamy gray (off whiteish gray) to pick up the veining in the carerra. Though I initially thought the pick up the glass accent color and go several shades lighter; I think it would detract from the look of the subways with the glass insert. I think your kitchen is lovely.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago

    I'd go with a color a shade or two darker than your cabs. It would still be neutral but it would add depth, it would tie in with your cabs and your other details, and the art work (how fun!) would pop.

    If the room doesn't get much light, I'd lean towards a warm tone than a cool tone, but that's just me.

  • pvcamom
    14 years ago

    I agreed w/mamadada.

  • trav86
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I've spent the evening staring at paint chips taped to the wall. I'm so wishy washy about this--not my usual style at all! I think I have to go buy some quarts of paint and try them out.

    mamadada, I've been wondering about tiling that pantry wall. I was thinking it might be too matchy, though dh is inclined to do it. (I was originally going for a kind of hutch-like look with corbels at the ends of the counter, but that idea faded away.) I should probably try to get one of the photoshop wizzes here to photoshop tile in for me to see how I like it.

  • remodelfla
    14 years ago

    Re: Pantry wall... what if you did beadboard and paint?

  • buffalotina
    14 years ago

    It doesn't look like you have that much wall. I like the idea of doing a shade or two lighter than your green accent tile.

    BTW your cabinets look great - do you mind sharing the brand/style/color? I am looking to do off white cabinets and I keep seeing ones on here that look great.

    Thanks.

    Tina

  • disenay
    14 years ago

    Try BM Edgecomb Gray - a very neutral beige-gray. I would not go green.

  • prill
    14 years ago

    Love your green glass tile - can you tell me what kind and color it is. I'm still picking something to go with my new soapstone and that looks perfect. Like your design too. I agree, I'd go with a lighter shade of green paint to match your tile. Pricilla

  • mrsmonkey
    14 years ago

    I'm 100% with mamadada on this one - I'd get the closest match to the color of your cabinets, otherwise the colour will detract from the look you have going. I faced the same dilemmma a couple of weeks ago, and my architect was insistent that I go with the cabinet color and I'm really glad I did.

  • boxerpups
    14 years ago

    Pantry area: I think you should go with your original
    idea of hutch look with corbels. That would look wonderful.

    Color choices... Such a hard choice for a beautiful kitchen....

    I agree with Mamadada. A robin's egg blue or any
    blue green could take away from your amazing kitchen. But
    looking at your accents you can see you like blue/green.
    I love your red art work.

    I believe your kitchen is so amazing already that
    whatever you choose will look great. You have lovely
    taste and will tie the wall color to your kitchen.

    I only see a peice of your floor. What color or stain
    is your floor? I need to decide by June 1st. I too have
    white cabs.

  • trav86
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Lots of food for thought here. I'm now looking at BM China White (warmer) or Decorator White (cooler). We haven't even hired a painter yet, so I can dither about this for weeks...

    buffalotina, my cabinets are ikea! Custom doors from a place called advantage cabinet doors that I found online. (Working with them was somewhat frustrating--if I'd had a more roomy budget, I would have gone with scherr's. Advantage was MUCH cheaper.) I'm delighted with everyone's positive reactions.

    Pricilla, I got the glass tile at Nemo tile right from the showroom and didn't think to ask the name of it. I have a half a box hidden in my apt. DH (very tidy) put it away somewhere and isn't available to ask where until later today. Once I find the box, I may be able to tell you who the manufacturer is.

    boxerpups, the floor is stained in minwax English Chestnut. I like dark floors, but it was also a practical decision as the floor, covered for years by ugly tile, had been damaged and the dark color hides the scuffs and scratches better than a lighter one would.

    I love this forum.

  • buffalotina
    14 years ago

    I agree with the poster above - you have excellent taste. Those cabinets really look great - I think you did a great job with the combinations of cabinets and they layout. Super efficient.

    IMHO BM Decorator White is very stark and cold. I would personally lean away from that one.

    Best of luck!

    Tina

  • Christine Clemens
    14 years ago

    I am sorry to be of no help on the paint color but I just have to say that I love what you have done. I am heading down the IKEA path here in Atlanta. I would love to see more pictures and all of the details!

  • trav86
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    odie, I'll be posting more pics along with a start-to-finish account. It might take me a bit to get to, so in the meanwhile, you can pm me and I'll be happy to share all the (occasionally gory) details.

  • mindstorm
    14 years ago

    trav86, I completely agree with those suggesting to keep the walls in the same proximal colour as the cabinets. In fact, the two colours that immediately popped into my head are both warmish/coolish creamy-tannish grey. I'd suggest looking at Farrow & Ball Strong White (I just put it up in my living and dining areas and I utterly adore it) or F&B's Off-White. These are both pale colours - sometimes cream sometimes grey. The interesting thing about Strong White is that it can literally transition from cool to light with the light. F&B's "Off White" sits in a family of colours and can be a pale mushroomy-grey to a greenish-grey. If that is too light a colour for you, it has darker cousins called "Shaded White" and "Old White" (I THINK!).

    Anyhow, Strong White and Off-White immediately popped into my head when I saw your first pics.

    Lovely kitchen, btw.

  • pattyk_64
    14 years ago

    I'll also add my two cents and suggest you keep the wall color neutral, maybe a cream a couple of shades darker than the cabinets. I don't think green would be a good idea, especially for your artwork, if that's a consideration at all.

  • ebse
    14 years ago

    OK, I have to go against the grain a little. I think that white kitchens can use a pop of color, unless you have a gigantic kitchen and are going for high drama. I'd go with a warm neutral. I like a previous poster's suggestion of BM edgecomb. BM manchester tan is also soft, yet warm, and easy to live with.

  • judydel
    14 years ago

    Very nicely done! I agree with others about doing more tile. I love the tile. Can you tell me if the white is "undulated" (it looks like it) and who the manufacturer is?

    Thanks and enjoy!

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    14 years ago

    I'm in the mamadadapaige camp. Keep it light.

    This is a great kitchen. Is your tall pantry just the ikea pantry on feet? Do the feet actually support the cabinet or are they just decorative?

  • peace_rose
    14 years ago

    Hi Trav86,
    Still trying to understand how the whole IKEA system works. With frameless cabinets, do you still have to match the exposed sides with the rest of the cabinets? Is that where cover panels come in? ie, you basically cover up the IKEA cabinet with the custom (painted wood) cover??

    Sorry to steer off topic - I can't figure out how to PM here.
    Did you choose a paint color yet?

  • trav86
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    judydel, the white tile is made by Lanka. I got it from Nemo tile. It was very reasonably priced I thought--$10/sq ft. It's handmade and it does undulate a bit.

    writersblock, yes, it is the tall ikea pantry on feet, but the feet are only decorative. The pantry is actually supported by the plastic ikea feet. We skipped toekicks altogether because we wanted more of a furniture look. Now, I'm wondering if I might not be sorry sometime soon--it's certainly more work to clean under the cabinets!

    peace, technically, you don't *have* to match the exposed side, but it looks a lot better if you do. I believe ikea sells cover panels for their various doorstyles. If you're having doors custom made, you can just order extra doors with no hinge boring to use as cover panels.

    No paint choice has been made...

  • lascatx
    14 years ago

    Looking at your art and the yellow bowl and tray displayed in your cabinets, I was thinking of taking a cue from the yellow and going with a lighter shade. There is a photo of yellow cabinets with white marble counters in the yellow cabinet thread -- take a look at that for an idea.

    The lighter green would be good with the cabinets and splash, but not with your art. Same as your cabinets is a possibility, but I like some color. I have a camel/mocha on the little bit of walls I have with white counters, stainless appliances and some blue in my otherwise white subway splash.

  • shelayne
    14 years ago

    Trav! I've been waiting to see pix of your kitchen, since it was you that pointed me toward Advantage. I still haven't put in my order, though I received my test doors, and they look really nice. I had to wait until we fininished our hacking, because they were not standard IKEA sizes, and I wanted to do it all at once for the shipping costs.

    Did those measurements work for you then? Did you have to pay an upcharge for the pantry doors? AND--do you have any tips for me before I talk to Lowell again? He said it would be no problem to do the IKEA boring pattern as specified, so I hope you didn't have trouble with that.

    It is looking GORGEOUS! (I picked the same beadboard, too!) I am excited to see your finished pix! Woo Hoo!

  • trav86
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    shelayne, thanks for the compliments! Are you using advantage? They're far cheaper than scherr's and the door quality seems fine, but they made several mistakes in our order, in spite of having every detail spelled out completely correctly. It slowed us down considerably, since the corrected stuff took just as long to arrive as the original order-- ~1 month.

    Did the test door you ordered have hinge boring? Ours did and it was done incorrectly; probably because standard blum hinge boring is different from ikea boring. (I think the ikea large hole starts in further from the edge of the door than is standard, but don't quote me--I may be remembering wrong.) You really have to give the advantage folks very specific instructions.

    Measurements were good (thanks!) although maybe the doors could have beeen 1/16" wider than the ikea doors. We had occasional gaps.

    Good luck with your project!

  • shelayne
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the info! Our test door came with just the cup hole drilled, but it was exactly where I had specified. I talked to Lowell (I hope I have his name right!), and he told me they could do the IKEA pattern, but just send him the template and a digital photo. I'm pretty sure we will go with Advantage. Their pricepoint is the lowest I've found. And I have checked probably 50 different suppliers. I had a line on another company, and their prices jumped from my original estimate, and now I see they don't even put their prices on their site; they want a quote request filled out. They are claiming the "lowest" prices, but I am skeptical.

    In going with Advantage, do you think I should add another 1/16th to my measurements? I read that they have an allowance of 1/8" either way on their doors, which could be concerning if they are short. Hmmm. Food for thought.

    I'm looking forward to your full pictoral spread! :^)

  • trav86
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I think his name is Darryl (unless Darryl's departed and been replaced with Lowell!).

    I would probably have added another 1/16" to the width of the double doors. I gave Advantage measurements of (for example) 14 13/16" for each of 2 doors on a 30" wide cabinet, which resulted in a deficit of 3/8" v. the total width of the cabinet. That's why I had the gaps, I think. But I don't want to steer you in the wrong direction. PM me if you have more questions!

  • probstne
    2 years ago

    Sorry to revive an old thread. For those who have used Advantage Cabinet doors, can you provide an update of quality after these number of years? Thanks!