20 Best Paint Colours for Kitchen Cabinets You Need For An Instant Space Refresh

BY CRESCENCIA NGA CHE

These stunning paint colours for kitchen cabinets will give a new lease of life to the heart of your home

Getting the kitchen of your dream with all the bells and whistles may probably cost a pretty penny, and requires lots of planning and savings that perhaps you simply can’t afford right now. But, there is no need to despair. In this age and days, there are lots of super affordable ways to make even the most dated kitchen look more expensive. 

Applying a few coats of a paint colour on your kitchen cabinets can be the little trick that you need to kick-start your dramatic kitchen makeover on a budget. However, not all kitchen cabinet paint colours are equal. Some colour hues are more in demand than others. And, yes, quality over quantity here matters for a durable and superb kitchen paint finish. 

To save you time and money, below is a roundup of some of the best and most popular paint colours for kitchen cabinets.  Whether you decide to stick to classic white or neutral tones or be more daring with bold shades, there is a paint colour inspiration for every taste. 

But, before jumping straight into this curated list, let’s look at a few practical steps you need to consider to make sure you pick the right paint colour for your kitchen cabinetry update. 

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Choosing Paint Colours for Kitchen Cabinets

Before making the big decision to revamp your kitchen cabinet paint colour, there are a few considerations you need to carefully weigh in to ensure you get the results you are after.  

Your Interior Design Style

Is your current kitchen more of a traditional country kitchen or is it a sleek contemporary kitchen design you have installed at home? What is the overall feel you wish to convey when people walk into your kitchen – inviting, casual, formal, or eclectic? 

These are some simple yet practical details you need to put some thoughts into, as they will impact how you go about selecting the right paint colour for your kitchen cabinets. 

Your Kitchen Position and Layout

Is your kitchen in a totally separate room or is it integrated as part of an open-plan living? Both design considerations influence your approach to your kitchen paint colour selection. 

The first option gives you greater flexibility to create a very unique room with its own identity which will still work cohesively with your overall home spaces, depending on how you go about your kitchen paint colour update.  There is definitely more room for you to let your personality shine and be more playful with colours and textures.

On the other hand, open-plan living with its airy feel and its ability to seamlessly connect delineated spaces within a large room, requires a more restrained approach to colour selection. Consider the overall flow of existing dominant colours, materials, textiles, flooring, and decor accessories, and pick a kitchen cabinet paint colour that will complement your current colour scheme.

As for your kitchen layout, with a single wall kitchen, you can choose to use your cabinetry to accent your space. Those with island kitchens, can definitely try out a two-toned paint colour kitchen, where the island has its unique colour, whilst the surrounding kitchen cabinets display another contrasting hue.  This can add visual interest to your kitchen interior.

Your Kitchen Size 

The size of your kitchen is an important factor when deciding on the paint colour of your kitchen cabinetry. For example, if you choose a muted paint colour for your cupboards in line with the more prominent shades in your space, it may imply that you prefer your kitchen cabinetry to effortlessly blend in with the rest of elements within your interiors.

A dark or moody shade in a small kitchen adds drama and can turn your cabinetry into a focal point, depending on your kitchen wall colours.  It can also add a touch of sophistication to your interiors. Parents with large families who make extensive use of their kitchens tend to prefer dark kitchen cabinet paint colours for practical reasons, because they better hide away imperfections.  

For a much larger space, applying the same dark hue on both the upper and lower cabinets can definitely turn your kitchen into a very formal space. In this case, consider balancing your kitchen colour palette with open shelving, see-through reed glass or cane upper cabinets, lighter countertops, kitchen walls, appliances and accessories.

Your Kitchen Cabinet Material

Are your kitchen cabinets made from solid wood, wood veneer, laminate, or MDF? This is important for you to know, because the way you approach your kitchen cabinets’ paint refresh will slightly vary depending on the type of surface material you are dealing with. 

Check out this article on how to pick the best paint for kitchen cabinets. It details the right approach you need to follow based on your kitchen cabinet material. 

The Rest of Your Space 

The kitchen cabinet paint colour you choose should elevate your existing kitchen wall colours, appliances, the splashback, your kitchen hardware, the lighting, your flooring, and any decor accessories that you currently have in your home. 

Be mindful of those elements when deciding on the paint colour for your kitchen cabinets. Use a colour wheel if it can be of any help.

The Lighting

Consider all the sources of natural and electrical lighting that illuminate your kitchen during all seasons of the year before selecting your kitchen cabinet paint colours. 

This is because light and bright colours in semi-gloss, gloss or silk sheen tend to reflect and bounce existing light around your space.  A small kitchen with dark cabinetry colour with a flat paint finish and poor natural lighting might be quite challenging to cook and entertain in.

Your Appliances

Your expensive stove and high-end kitchen gadgets are here to stay and should be factored in when deciding to move forward with a particular kitchen cabinet paint colour. You certainly don’t want to throw away your La Cornue range cooker or the colourful KitchenAid mixer you invested in if they are still in good condition just for the sake of a lick of paint!

So, once you have run through your checklist and you are still unsettled about your kitchen cabinetry paint colour, or you simply want a second opinion, check with your local painter and decorator, your paint colour retailer, or an interior designer, if the budget allows for it.

Don’t forget to browse Pinterest to find kitchen cabinet paint colour inspirations and create a moodboard!

Depending on your kitchen design style, here are a few highly rated and popular paint colours for kitchen cabinets you can explore to pick the right shade for your cooking space.

Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colour Themes 

To make your life easier, the kitchen cabinet paint colours list below has been curated based on the dominant kitchen design styles out there. The list cleverly highlights timeless whites, neutrals and greys, whilst introducing more more avant-garde shades, inviting you to move outside your comfort zone to expand your creativity.

From rustic, to modern farmhouse-style kitchen cabinet paint colours, read on to find the best hues that take your fancy!  

Rustic Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colours 

Rustic-style kitchens are sophisticated yet unpretentious spaces that exude lots of warmth and inviting vibes. In these types of kitchen that draw inspiration from the outdoors, natural materials and textures are embraced in their perfect imperfections. 

Exposed wood beams, solid wood furniture, apron-front sinks, natural stones and a hint of unpolished concrete, as a nod to industrial interior design, take centre stage. 

As for kitchen hardware finishes for faucets, knobs, and cabinet pulls, preference is given to materials with a patina such as copper, brass, and leather that age beautifully.

An earthy, nature-inspired colour palette from cool white, sand, and cream to terracotta, saffron, pumpkin, brown, sage green or green olive, dominates the interiors.

Here are a few ideas to plan a revamp of your rustic kitchen colour scheme

Transitional Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colours

Transitional kitchens cohesively bring together traditional and vintage furnishings with contemporary appliances and dishes grounded in calming colours and classic flooring. Here a much broader kitchen hardware style is explored, from industrial style faucets and knobs to stainless steel, brass and chrome drawer pulls.

With  a transitional kitchen you are not pigeonholed to strict design aesthetics. You have greater freedom to be playful with muted and medium hues of crisp white, off-white, light greys, teal, blues, light greens, and even soft terracotta. Why not?

Draw inspiration from the paint colours below for your kitchen refresh

Contemporary Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colours

As for contemporary kitchens that tend to be best suited to new builds and city-living apartments, simple, refined, and clean lines are de rigueur. High tech appliances with minimalist design aesthetics are a must. 

Wherever possible, most large appliances are hidden away under streamlined kitchen cabinets with minimal to no hardware. Kitchen faucets are barely noticeable, as they are designed to seamlessly integrate with the interior soothing hues.

Whilst a restrained colour palette of whites, greys, blacks, and browns still dominate contemporary kitchen design aesthetics, pastel tones with hints of colour are tentatively taking ground.

Here’s a start to narrow down your preferences for contemporary colours

Modern Farmhouse Style Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colours

A crossover between rustic kitchen and modern design styles, a modern farmhouse kitchen like a country kitchen takes its cues from countryside living. Relaxed, playful, sophisticated yet family friendly,  modern farmhouse kitchens beautifully mix vintage and rustic furniture pieces with high tech appliances. 

Exposed wood and open cabinetry in a more suburban context, with clean lines and large windows to embrace lots of natural light dominate the design style.  

Similar to country kitchens, soft neutrals to dark and moody shades of black, dark blue, deep purple, green, deep brown and mahogany are predominant in modern farmhouse style kitchens. Vibrant pops of colour for the kitchen island cabinets and two-toned cabinetry add interesting colour twists to the overall design. 

Here are a few modern farmhouse kitchen colours to add character to your space

Using Bold Paint Colours on your Kitchen Cabinets

“Go bold or go home” is the mantra here. Forget about the boring white-on-white tones. Throw the safe kitchen cabinet paint colour book away, and dare to infuse your kitchen with vibrant hues. 

Bring your blinding nail polishes and colourful summer wardrobe to life in your kitchen with vibrant yellows, tangerine, teal, pink, and stunning turquoise.  

Head to Pinterest to draw inspiration from colourful yet sophisticated kitchens and sunny Mediterranean holiday destinations like Morocco and Spain, where layering colourful shades and textures is an art in itself.  

Below are a few vibrant shades to kick start your journey

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