I am so disappointed with the color of my kitchen cabinets!

11 years ago

I purchased Martha Stewart's Ox Hill Ocean Floor color cabinets. They were a beautiful taupe color in Home Depot. In my kitchen they are kind of an olive green! Not the look I was going for! I used Bianco Antico granite (which looks amazing on the Brindle Brown Island but just ok on my olive green cabinets) and painted the walls Sherwin Williams Virtual Taupe. I put in golden hardwood floors. The cabinets look better in the daytime and I have tried Day Light light bulbs but nothing seems to help the cabinets look more greige. AIl I can really do is change the paint color or the lighting. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. I am dying here! I've got too much invested to be disappointed!

Featured Answer

EATREALFOOD

11 years ago

Did you try using the same temperature light that Home Depot uses ? They probably use some type of fluorescent in the store, right ? I know many hate fluorescent lighting but if it gives you the proper color, who cares.
I loved that color and was considering those cabinets. I had the MS catalog and loved every single kitchen in it and the sea salt counter.
You are correct in thinking that the taupe paint/lighting(and floor color)might be affecting it also. The taupe might be pulling them down. Check the undertones in that paint. BM can tell you. All colors are affected by what they are next to. I struggled with this while trying to learn color correction of 4/C photos for printing(books).
BM has a website called myperfectcolor where you can post photos(post the cabs, floor or anything that might affect them) and get guidance for paint colors. List the paint color that you currently have
in your query. They really try their best to help, but posting photos will get you a faster more detailed answer. Do you know how I know this ? I put LED in UCL and just recently put fluorescent cove lighting (T5)above cabinets. I'm not using both lights at the same time so I don't care if they are different temps. Wow, my floors look so much more colorful with the fluorescents.Also the paint that was too dark looks bright and cheery(although still not a match for my floor so I'm repainting :(

Here is a link that might be useful: myperfectcolor

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Comments (10)

eam44
11 years ago
Post images of the cabinets in your space in daylight and with artificial light, and we may be able to suggest paint colors that can help.
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ellendi
11 years ago
So sorry. I know someone who installed those in all the apartments in his rental building. They look green in his space too but his designer paired it with a Kashmir granite that has green undertones.
I guess you ordered the granite and the cabinets together, assuming from the showroom that the color was more taupe. Lesson learned here that although you can have a vision of all three elements, the cabinet color , the counter and the backsplash, it is really better to order one at a time and see how it looks in your space.
Your are not alone in this. My Dove White cabinets look so much more white in my kitchen than they did in the show room.
robo (z6a)
11 years ago
Virtual taupe looks pinky to me. Pink undertone against greeny cabinets will really make the green pop out! Would you be willing to try a greige with a green undertone to see if it tones down the cabinets? I know painting is a huge pain in the rear...maybe try an easy-to-paint wall or paint a big bristol-board sample.

Maybe something like SW amazing grey?

Here is a photo of amazing grey with bianco antico

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Dallas General Contractor Greenbrook Homes

This kitchen island is ocean floor - in contrast to the greeny walls, the island is reading as a cool grey

Here is a link that might be useful: On complementary colors and toning down cabinet color
leeda
Original Author
11 years ago
Wow! This is an awesome forum! Thank you so much for all of the suggestions! I guess I have some homework to do! :) I will take some pictures this week and post them.
grapevinestar
11 years ago
Leeda, curious if you reached a solution with your Ocean Floor cabinets? Installation of my Ocean Floor cabinets started yesterday and they are reading way more green than anticipated. I'm trying to stay calm until installation is complete and counter (Lyra Silestone) goes in. Fingers crossed!
Ree123
10 years ago
I just came back from my M.S., Ox Hill dealer, and I am using Ocean Floor. My designer and I discovered a door discrepancy on display. We realized that 2 different color names were Ocean Floor. Mine looks taupe in store and Uba tuba granite looks great with it. Uba tuba is a dark green. I'm worried now about the lighting. Do you remember the Beach Sand? It is the greenish color. The Ocean Floor definitely looks taupe up against that. So, I am wondering if the Martha S. display could have got messed up in your area too. I'd pull out a drawer and take it to the dealer you purchased it from to compare. Just to be on the safe side. I will definitely take your advice and check it out in different lights. Thanks for posting! I hope this helps you too.
hlechat
10 years ago
Hey! Ya, color can be fun, eh? LOL

I am not familiar with the colors of the other surfaces that you described, but it SOUNDS like several undertones all in one room.

Rule of thumb is: two undertones only. And then it is preference. I prefer complementary undertones rather than opposite. Both are good, just preference.

I bet it you were to take your cabint door to several friends' houses, it would be different colors there.

part of it would be time of day, part would be exposure (northern light vs. southern light) and part would be surrounding color influence, including surfaces and lighting 'color'

easiest fix is to change the wall color to bring out what you want.

gray basically only has three undertones: blue, green and violet. i like the green-grays myself, and your cabinets are definately in that category. which i love :-)

you just need to surround it with the right color to tone down the green part visually.

Maria Killam has a blog and facebook page. She is a generous expert on color, and if you read through her blog, and better yet buy her ebook, you'll see things differently. there are other color experts out there, but she is my fave.

enjoy the journey to getting the color you want. the color is probably inthe cabinets, you'll just get to learn to pull it out.

have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: undertone system. wish i got a royalty, i recommend her to everyone!
Darcie Mayo
4 years ago
Darcie Mayo
4 years ago
I am struggling as well with the Same cabinets. Color totally changed once installed. I cannot figure out a good color to pair.. did you figure one out? Or should I go safe and go white. We are doing stainless steel countertops and white subway tiles on the walls

I am so disappointed with the color of my kitchen cabinets!

EATREALFOOD

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I am so disappointed with the color of my kitchen cabinets!

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