For me, it's much easier to think with pictures I can see. I get inspired for color schemes, and decorating details, scale, and so much more. Have you looked at our kitchens thread? You can right-click to save any picture you love to a folder you create on your desk top, then narrow down your ideas with family members (if applicable). You can never make an exact copy of another room anyway, so you'll still end up with what is uniquely you in your home.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen eye candy!

Yay, thanks oceanna!

We actually have this setup. We have paneling that was previously painted, and DH wanted white. So, the key was to find some whites that are very subtle in contrast.

The cabinets are BM Chantilly Lace which is a brighter white, and the paneling is BM White Heron which is a very slight off white. It took a long time to figure this out. BM has literally 50 shades of white.

Not sure if you can see this from the pic. Because we have the blue floor, I'm not sure what else would work, other than maybe a light buttery yellow, which DH did not want.

I like the idea a lot...use other off-whites and plenty of texture, to make it all work.

That really looks pretty...stunning actually, but look at the architecture! Whew! Kitchens like that are not exactly a dime a dozen.

I adore white, & had an all white kitchen in my previous 100 year-old house. All-white was more exciting there, with all the mouldings and high ceilings, etc. It wasn't quite as thrilling in my current circa 1987 digs.

Have learned that the less you have going on color-wise, the more you need everything else to be exquisite! Texture matters. Quality matters. Details matter.

What makes the room above so stunning is not the cream walls with white trim per se. Imo, the marble, the fixtures, the French doors, the striking design of the windows, the landscaping, are bringing loads of interest to the room. Just something to think about.

Hi,
Even if you find the paint recipe that you used for the cabinets....you painted them in 2004 which means that even using the exact formula paint, the colors might not match exactly.

Reason I say this is because I've tried to touch-up small areas of wall or ceiling that were painted several years ago and I'm thinking because of sun fade and other factors, I have always been able to see where the touched up area is.

Even purchasing the exact same paint, I would wonder if you'd end up having to repaint the cabinets when painting the walls so that you would get an exact match, no?

Maybe paint the walls a few shades up or down on the same white color strip......so that it will look intentional instead of 'oopsy. I tried to match the walls to the cabinets perfectly but missed' ......which is what my built-in cabinet in the family looks like :)

Hi 0ceanna - wonderful to 'see' you!

Thank you all for the feedback! Amity that was my exact thoughts as to why I was asking this question. I do not want to paint the cabinets.....still in brand new condition but am sure they have mellowed over 7 yrs of living here. So wondered if it might be better to do an off white and do different shades of white to make it look intentional since shade selection will be off even matching the paint color. Thanks for being such a big help everyone.....love hearing all the ideas and pics!
Bonnie

Our walls everywhere are a color match of Restoration Hardware's The Right White (and it is!) and our trim and cabinetry are Ben Moore's AF20 - mascarpone. Our exterior trim is even AF20, I liked it so much - but out there it's paired with a spring green.

Thanks for the info grlwprls! do you have some pics? Would love to see! Bonnie

Not that this is the best picture, but you can see how it flows into the next room...

You know, you just can't make a fire extinguisher look awesome :-)

Hi! I wanted low contrast in my kitchen also and went with SW Honied White for walls and SW Dover White for cabs and trim (it is the trim color thoughtout the house) - it seems light and airy to me, I love shades of white together along as there is tons of texture to keep it from feeling stark I find the low contrast calming, it's prob too boring to many!

Thank you both for the WONDERFUL pics! Laura , you nailed it completely for me, girl!!!! I did high contrast in my building phrase from an inspiration pic but this time, 7 years later.....I wanted to do calming,serene, more cabinets , walls, etc. blending together for harmony for sleek unfussy look. Still alittle traditional but unfussy traditional. Am thinking bamboo blinds for windows and light colors. I will surely be saving your kitchen photo. If my cabinets have mellowed and are SW extra white, what would be a good white to get it to blend like yours? Would honied white work.......will post a link to my album and thanks for helping "Both of you!!!" Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful:

My objective to the cabinets would be to stretch them into the paint space above them to make the ceiling seem taller and since the countertops are Brazilian Black work with that element too. Maybe do white roman shades even with trim in black. then the backsplash is Dal-tile wheatland with almond grout which is very light. Maybe could pick a wall color somewhere inbetween the wheatland 6x6's backsplash color and the extra white cabinet color that has mellowed probably in 7 years time.....think that would work? As you can tell from the picture our kitchen isn't the biggest in the world. Kinda on the narrow side but very functional. The lightness and brightness would make the whole space larger looking too I think. Just not me to have things too undecorated , I like things to look coordinated and like it is being used so would use lots and lots of texture probably. Keep those ideas flowing.....Thank ya'll!!! Bonnie

Did I forget, Laura to say how absolutely beautiful I think your kitchen is!!!! It is stunning! bonnie

Gorgeous kitchen Laura!! I love the monochromatic look!
I'm a lover of white/cream so I love this!

The kitchen that Loribee posted...sigh..heaven with those windows! Beautiful!

Shades of white/cream can work with the right lighting and some different textures/accessories to make it interesting.

I can't recall where I got this picture from (Maybe here one GW:)),it's layers of whites and beautiful IMO

Bonniee, you're welcome! There are many knock-down-drag-out gorgeous kitchens in there.

{{gwi:1528815}}

{{gwi:1528838}}

{{gwi:1528843}}

{{gwi:1528844}}

{{gwi:1528862}}

More in Kitchen Gallery thread.

Amity, awww, thanks so much, you made my day! Great to see you too!

Laura, ooo la la what a pretty kitchen!

Thanks everyone for the gorgeous pics. Here are two virtuals I did with photo impact paint program of white paint and kind of a sandy beige sort of color.

If I could match up exactly which would be hard, this would kinda be what it would be like in the white white look. Beautiful inspiration pic I got off a website or blog somewhere...can't remember I have been to so many.

I have white cabinets with antique white walls in my kitchen. If you go to my blog and scroll thru the posts there are a few pics of my kitchen. www.peekingthruthesunflowers.blogspot.com
~Des

Thanks Des.......good to see you here! Will be at your blog shortly! Thanks for your help....I always love your home pics........bonnie

If you're looking for a nice 'whiter-white' without being too stark, check out Benjamin Moore Simply WHite.

The 1st pic below is using BM Seashell. (this is not one of my rooms...I wish though) I tried the colour in my place and it didn't work with my lighting, but I think it's lovely here. (I had to try given the name & my love of seashells:))

The 2nd pic is my Living Room using Benjamin Moore Windswept. It's more creamy with a light yellow-ish tone-maybe not as yellow as it appears in this pic.
I used it in my last house with white cabinets and really liked it, but again, it didn't work in my current kitchen with white cabinets.

White is hard to get right...keep playing until you get the right one for your lighting. Good Luck:)!!

I think you need a touch more white- not beige. See your inspiration pic that you posted? It's perfect for you and leans more toward white then beige. Just MHO, of course. :)

Thanks Loribee and Lisa mocha! I love that inspiration pic LoriB.....there is some beige in the backsplash in my kitchen but I think maybe I have the white too bright in my own virtual. white would be a good choice if I can do it without making cabinets look odd since I am not repainting cabinets since still brand new looking. Des, has a good pic of her kitchen on her blog ........check it out & tell me what you think! :)
Lisa.....Your pics are amazing....thanks for sharing....so very pretty! Bonnie