The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house so it’s also the room subject to wear and tear. If you’re planning to renovate your kitchen to give it an upgrade, a less expensive and quick way of doing so is by painting, toning, or glazing your cabinets. If everything else is in good condition, cabinet refinishing and painting can instantly freshen up the look of your kitchen. 

When it comes to picking out kitchen cabinet colors, it’s best to look at your existing finishes and work from there. Keep in mind that the kitchen has a lot of mixed materials so pick out a color that will pull those together and not something that clashes with each other.

A white kitchen may be the dream of many homeowners but not everyone is a fan of white. While it looks clean, bright and airy, some may not like the high maintenance that comes with it especially if there are little children around. Have a look at these options for your kitchen cabinets.

1. Soft Blue and Mint Green Cabinets

If you have very rich wood finishes in your kitchen with warm, yellow undertones, pair it with cooler colors like mint green and soft blue colors. Blue has always been a popular color that promotes tranquility and if your kitchen looks busy with a lot of finishes, this is a good color to tone it down with.

Mint green, on the other hand, gives you a light splash of color if you don’t want to veer too far away from white but still want a hint of color in your kitchen. Mint green goes well with white finishes, yellowish or reddish wood tones or neutral and light wood tones. It’s also a versatile color for both modern and traditional kitchens.

2. Gray Cabinet Colors

If you have an industrial or rustic kitchen with dark accents and you want to stick to a monotonous scheme, gray would be your go-to color. Charcoal gray is a beautiful dark color that isn’t overwhelmingly heavy to look at. Paired with a neutral backsplash, it creates a balance between your upper and lower cabinets.

Similarly, it works well with lighter-toned kitchens. For kitchens with a lot of stainless steel appliances, a matte gray cabinet will keep the color scheme pulled together.

3. Darker Blues and Green Cabinets

Earlier, it was all about softer colors, now darker blues and greens take the spotlight in your kitchen. While it’s not for everyone, if you have a bigger kitchen, you can pull off having darker-toned cabinets.

If you have beautiful marble finishes in your kitchen, a darker green can really give it a very modern and elegant vibe. You can use either emerald or hunter green and pair it with or copper hardware to finish the look.

Navy blue can be an eye-catching color when the rest of your house is painted in white or a neutral color. If you’re looking for a color to make your kitchen island stand out, then this would be the perfect color

4. Yellow Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors

Yellow has always been a cheerful and bright color but it’s simply not for everyone especially on kitchen cabinets where it might clash with several warmer finishes. However, if you want something unexpected and unique, then yellow might be the color you’re looking for. It’s the instant perk-me-up color that you want to brighten up your mornings.

A bright lemon yellow would go well with medium-toned woods or complement dark gray accents. If you’re finding yellow a tad too bright for your taste, tone it down a bit by going with a pale, muted yellow instead. When trying out colors like these, it’s best to test out several shades before deciding on the final color.

5. Red Kitchen Cabinet Colors

Red is another difficult color to pull off and may be hard to sell if you’re planning to put your house on sale in the future. If you really like the color, there are ways to make this color a perfect fit for your kitchen.

One trick to use red in your kitchen is by injecting it in small doses like painting a small portion of your cabinets in red through color blocking. If you have open shelves and glass cabinets where you can see the inside of it, you can paint those parts in red and it wouldn’t be overwhelming at all.

Another way to pull off red is to look at the shades of red. Tomato reds may be more daring while reds that lean towards browns like burgundy and terra cotta are much safer choices.

6. Black Cabinets

Here’s a color that not everyone will think of when they’re planning on cabinet refinishing and painting in their kitchen. There’s a saying that “when in doubt, go black” and this saying goes true for a lot of shoes, dresses, bags, and accessories but is that saying true as well for something like kitchen cabinets?

This color is elegant and dramatic and while it’s not for everyone, you can pull this off if you have a large kitchen that has plenty of light. High ceilings with skylights, plenty of natural light and lots of neutral or white finishes will balance out the black.

But if you have a smaller kitchen that does not have those features, you can use a washed-out black or use it as a centerpiece color for your kitchen island. You can also balance it out with neutral shades to make it less cold and stark looking.

7. Kitchen Cabinet Toning and Glazing

If you’re not planning on cabinet refinishing and painting and just want to overall improve the existing look of your wooden cabinets, a method called toning and glazing can be used.

This is a great alternative if you want a different wood tone for your existing cabinets, instead of replacing the complete set.  A colored toner is made of pigmented colorants that are mixed with lacquer and lacquer thinner. For example, you want a cherry-colored finish. You would use white lacquer mixed with a Burnt Sienna paste to produce that color.

Glaze is often compared to stain but these are two different wood finishes. Stain penetrates through the paint while glaze sits on top of the paint. Glazes add depth and highlight decorative elements of a cabinet so this is perfect for traditional kitchen cabinets that have a lot of carvings.

Whether you choose to paint, glaze, or tone your kitchen cabinets, keep in mind that while all these can be done DIY, if the project seems too daunting, you can always consider getting the services of professionals.