Hi jmcgowan, Can't wait to see your F&B Pointing painted cabinets. Pointing was one of our top choices -- such a beautiful color! Our kitchen isn't that big by kitchen standards these days (it is 274 square feet). So the calm continuity of the same color on cabinets and trim works well in our ''smaller'' space. In general, however, I do like the play of different shades of white layered together in a room. So I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with picking a different white for the trim. In some cases it might add the depth or slight contrast that the room needs. My sense from your drawing is that your kitchen is quite a bit larger; perhaps that is why your architect thinks that in your space having different trim and cabinet colors will work well. I'd encourage him to tell you a bit more about his thinking on this. Again, he may well be right. In any case, once your cabinets are installed, if you decide you want to match (or not match) you can make that decision at that time. As for the counters, we had some rough ideas about what our counter top colors/material might be before we ordered the paint color for our cabinets; but we didn't know for sure. That was a bit of a gamble.

We have Kilim Beige in our basement. We love it. As I recall, the BM salesperson said that Kilim Beige was their number one selling color.

You’ll have to see what works with your preferences and your house. We went through a lot of white and gray samples and ended up with Sw passive for the house (which I looove) and Zurich in the kitchen only (because I wanted more warmth on the kitchen walls.) Well, ended up loving Zurich so much that now I’m repainting all my house in Zurich.. in our space it looks really velvet-y and not too bright nor to dull.. one bedroom will be Sw white flour (lighter white) is all and another is already sw light French gray. Best of luck with your project. Let us know what you end up with!

Paint is a great way to change the feel of a space, but let me start with the observation that your space looks good. Your finishes work together, there’s just a bit too much of that honey oak. It’s a little like a jeans suit at the moment. The black on the island looks good, it plays well with both granites and with the fireplace, but if you don’t like it, you should consider other options. Painting the cabinets is not a bad idea. You can paint the uppers only or uppers and lowers. Choosing a color would be easier if I knew what paint you have on your walls, but going by the appearance in the images (always tricky), and keeping in mind you are willing to paint the walls too if necessary, here’s what I would sample next. If you don’t like black on the island and you want to switch to blue, I would go toward the silver blues, not the ones that look like painter’s tape. These will pair better with the stone. I know it’s hard choosing pain, but hang in there. Buy the big sample cards if they have them for these colors, or else order them from the Sherwin Williams web site. Small swatches really are tough to evaluate. Good luck!