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megpie77

What shade of white for cabinets?! Please help

megpie77
14 years ago

I am sure this is not a new topic. People weren't kidding when they said this would be the hardest choice. I took my pottery barn furniture to BM paint so they could color match it. Upon receiving the color swatch I feel like it looks kind of murky next to my countertop samples: gray/black soapstone, absolut black honed granite. I looked at floral white-too yellow, dove white-to stark for my lots-of-light kitchen. I am concidering mascarpone or moonlight white. Is anyone familiar with these? Does anyone have any advise? The bad knews is I need to know by tomorrow morning because my cabinet installer is on a time crunch to get them installed. It is so wierd...my furniture, when placed in my kitchen, doesn't look murky or dingy but it looks that way on the swatch. I am wondering if the color is just slightly off or if the sheen is making it look that way. AH, such a headache. Thanks!

Comments (9)

  • lesmis
    14 years ago

    I used BM Simply White. Remember to ask your cabinetmaker if the paint will be a lacquer finish meaning they order the paint you select but it's a lacquer, that will make the color slightly different from the color you see on the sample card from BM, or at least it is in my case. The difference is very slight, I would say it warmed up my white just a touch, if that makes sense? I have the same BM Simply White on my window trim and it's just a tiny bit whiter.

    Here you can see the cabinet color next to the window trim which isn't lacquer and is slightly more white.

    Sorry, I haven't seen either of the other whites you mentioned, maybe someone else will chime in that has used those.

    Good luck!

    Kat :)

  • megpie77
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thank you lesmis. This is the same look I am going for. I concidered simply white but thought it was too bright but it looks great in you kitchen. I am thinking if I chose a white which is too creamy it will look dingy next to my dark countertop. Your's looks great. I see what you mean about the trim next to the cabinet . Benjamine moore told me the paint they recomend for cabinetry has some type of lacquer (or something similar) in it. I think this is why my color match looks different to me. I will also be using a latex paint which shouldn't darken it like an oil base. Perhaps I will choose the slightly lighter shade knowing it will be warmed up by the finish. Thank you for the pic. I love the wall color. It looks like a Restoration Hardware color. Love it! By the way, are your countertops soapstone? If so are they grey or green? It is hard to tell in the pic. Thanks again

  • lesmis
    14 years ago

    Thanks Megpie, I was really worried about Simply White being TOO white, but I love it. My paint is BM Heather Gray, and I really love it. My soapstone is more gray when unoiled and black when oiled, it is very dark and the veins have a really cool greenish cast to them when it's oiled, but just a few hours after oiling they tone down a bit and appear more gray and cream. I really love the greenish tone and wish it stayed a bit longer than a day or so.



    Be sure to post pictures of your new kitchen!

  • megpie77
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Lesmis thank you again for all of your help. I have decided to go with a bit lighter shade of white. Now I have to decide: soapstone or granite? If I go with a plain black honed granite I can be a little daring with my backsplash (although I am traditional at heart so it won't be too daring). If I choose soapstone I should keep it simple.Right? Mabey not. What will you do? I considered a 4x8 subway brick pattern turned on end (up and down instead of linear). So much to think about, so little time. Thanks again!

  • buffalotina
    14 years ago

    Lesmis - your cabinets and countertop are just so beautiful elegnant and simple. I really like your upper cabinets and the little corbel things. Are the cabinets custom?

    Congratulations on your kitchen design.

    Tina

  • lesmis
    14 years ago

    Megpie, go with your gut. If soapstone calls to you then go for that, if granite is what you love then pick it. There are so many lovely kitchens on here and they have used both, so you can't lose! I think turning the subway tiles on the vertical could be very cool! You'll have to post a picture of how they look so we can all see the cool design!

    Tina, thanks so much for the compliment! Our cabinets are by a local cabinetmaker in Maryland, but the designs are lots of little things I found online, in magazines, and through the finished kitchens blog on here! I should call my kitchen baby Frankenstein, with all of the little details from other people's designs I incorporated to create our own. The bracket idea came from the Somethings Gotta Give kitchen, but I know Crown Point also has brackets/corbels available.

    Good luck!

    Kat :)


  • gsciencechick
    14 years ago

    lesmis, I love how your cabinets turned out. We also want to paint our cabinets white (not sure if we will get nee doors or not) and are deciding on the color. Our walls are painted panelling in BM White Heron, but the backsplash will be blue mosaic tiles, so we will have contract.

  • lesmis
    14 years ago

    Thank you and your kitchen plan sounds beautiful gsciencechick. Do you have pics of your white paneling? A blue mosaic backsplash sounds really cool, and similar to what Traci29 was thinking of doing before she decided on marble.

    Kat :)

  • Andrew
    14 years ago

    I am also in Maryland, Who made the cabinets? I am doing a small kitchen, on a budget. Do you know of any IKEA priced custom cabinet makers?

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