BKO, I was alerted to this thread after posting over on Decorating. Almost 2 years ago we bought my current house. The cabinets were already white, but had yellowed over time. We were in a rush, and had to paint them. I'd long been wanting yellow cabinets, but DH balked at them, and I was in too much of a hurry to flesh out the design I would have wanted, so I "caved" and just painted them white. (In my last house I had glazed cabinets, so I opted to keep these white.) I *should* have been happy. After all, I love white kitchens, and that whole sleek "Something's Gotta Give"/Christopher Peacock look is one of my favorites. However, I have saltillo floors that are very, very rustic looking. The crisp white cabinets looked great, and the saltillo floors looked great, but not together. I'm a huge fan of mixing rustic/elegant, but it just never made my heart sing. I lived with the kitchen for over a year before I decided I'd had enough. I decided I was going to paint them yellow. It didn't matter if it wasn't trendy. It didn't matter about resale. (I'm a Realtor, so that's a subject I know all too well.) It didn't matter that it would be a royal pain in the carcass, or that people kept telling me that the kitchen was not just "fine" as-is, but it was beautiful, and to leave it alone. It just didn't make my heart sing. DH and I just finished my cabinets, and now I can say 2 things: 1. They finally look like what I had envisioned, and I couldn't be happier. 2. I'm glad I waited before doing it, as it gave me time to pull together the look I wanted, rather than being rushed into it. I'd say that if after 6 months or so if you still find yourself swooning over a white kitchen, do it. You'll thank yourself *every* time you walk in. I'm shocked at how much I love my "new" kitchen, and find myself walking in there just to look at it. I just never felt that way when it was white, though it was pretty.

Is this it? White Kitchens.....what makes it right?

It depends on the light levels in the room. If the room is North facing I would avoid all white as it can appear grey. If it has a good aspect and is really light then all white can work. Anything that contrasts with it will be really noticeable so should be very considered and have warmth and texture.

What colour is your trim? You want to make sure the whites play well together. My advice is to test out the whites on paint canvas boards (inexpensive 5 x 7 ones from the dollar store) and move them around the space throughout the day to see how they play with the light. Check the colours in your artificial light as well. All that said, I wouldn't be tempted to paint your cabinets. I think once you paint your walls, you might find the kitchen lighter and the wood a nice warm foil for the black counters. Wood cabinets have been "coming back" for a while now. I'm seeing them often paired with white walls and touches of charcoal and matte black. (Painting cabinets is a huge job so rarely my first inclination in a kitchen. Optimizing the lighting is the first. If you don't have under cabinet lighting, consider adding some.) Just my general opinion. I'm not a pro nor can I see the state of your cabinets in your picture. Painting cabinets can certainly transform a space and since you have an island, you might want to consider painting the island and keeping the cabinets wood or vice-versa. You have options. Taste, budget, energy and time are what determine the scope of a project. Good luck with your decision! :)