Please, just touch up. Its a warm and homey and really beautiful sunshiney kitchen as is! (You already know that your new buyer will want to do with it as she wishes, so just let her see your style, which is lovely.)

I know that I have been outvoted here in the past, but our agent told us not to touch a thing, we should just leave things as they were, because new owners would redo it anyway so don't waste the money. The important thing was decluttering and freshening up.

I would leave them as is. If you're do follow through with painting I would go with white not gray. The outside of the house being gray is very different, at least to me, than the inside having gray.

Ok, I just was looking at your countertops again. On my monitor the perimeter is reading like it has a pink undertone and I honestly think the cabinets are too yellow and clash with it. If that's the case, I would pull a color from the counters. I think you could do a very pale gray/greige. That said I could easily live with your kitchen paint chipping and all! The house looks very nice. :)

List of greige colors to maybe check out:

BM - Ballet White, Classic Gray, Soft Chamois, Fossil

SW - Shoji White, Incredible White, White Duck.

You'll typically see less variation in greige (or most colors) in a room with northern exposure where sunlight doesn't come into play with with the color in the room.

The color info came from Maria Killam. She offers a 'I'll tell you what your cabinet color should be' service on her site and I honestly would do that if I were going to paint. No affiliation.

I love the yellow. I can understand the impulse to go white and I think it will appeal to a wider audience. If you do choose away I would definitely go with a warm creamy white, you could even do that old standby decorators white from Benjamin Moore.

NOT A COLOR! I too would keep the yellow (my kitchen is yellow) but if one were to BOTHER painting, white should be the only choice. White is classic, neutral expected. Gray/colored cupboards is a fad and a rather "out there" decorator choice. Permanent elements should never give over to the latest fad, unless they are for YOUR OWN enjoyment. A buyer will have to talk themselves into not minding gray until they can be swapped out, where white or stained wood they will be comfortable with the expected-ness of it. What is the $$$ gleaned from all this work? Perhaps it is zero, it is all about sale-ability would be most likely. Not because they are dinged up but because they are yellow and COLORS don't sell universally!! That includes gray. GO WHITE . But to respond to the TWO TONE question, my cabinets are dark stain and my doors and drawer fronts at Italian curly maple that gives off a distinct yellow hue. DH got veneer from a high end cabinet making shop and did it himself so my kitchen is very individual. It was SUPPOSED to be a stop gap between an expansion and all new...20 years later here we are. I love it, but I have no delusions about anyone else jumping for joy. Here is "two tone" circa 1990's. LOL

Saying that; our first kitchen was pine. Shaker style. WE painted the inserts yellow (no one told me stain won't come off of end grains!!) We sold that small post war house to the first buyer who saw it. If you get the RIGHT buyer anything can happen.

If you paint white just match whatever white to what works with the tile and counter. It may not be one of the typical whites with a name you recognize.

White. I love your kitchen, if I were buying and it was freshly painted I wouldn't redo it.

I love your yellow kitchen! I would paint it Sherwin Williams Antique White. It's one of my favorites and has a tic of yellow. This way you are not completely raping the room of its soul.

I'd choose an off white that blends with the tile and counter. If I were house hunting, I wouldn't want a gray kitchen, and the thought of having to repaint soon after moving in would put me off.

I agree with saypoint. Off white is your safest choice and best bet. It is timeless.

I also agree with saypoint. Off white - definitely not gray. I too would be put off at the thought of having to repaint if I were a buyer and would probably go with another house.

I agree with going with an antique or off-white. Your kitchen is so charming, and I think it'll look fresh but still retain its charm if you go this route with the painting.

We are talking about selling your house. So, I think the color you choose should have maximum appeal to your prospective buyers. GW'ers aren't your typical home buyers and decorators so while we can give good advice about which white or which gray, I am not sure we are the people to talk to about which color is best to sell your house.

I would speak again with your agent, look at the competition in your price range and look at the sold listings in your price range before you pick between white, gray or yellow touch up.

Nobody that dislikes gray is getting past the front of the house after all!

This is one time I must disagree with Fori. :) Gray inside and outside are two completely different beasts. My house has a gray and white exterior that is warm and welcoming to me, surrounded by blue sky, plants, and sunshine. Inside, on cabinets or walls, it's too downbeat for me.

A warm white would be perfect on the cabs (hint: BM Cloud White). The perfect yellow would be fine (e.g., Fishies' cabinets), but yellow isn't for everyone.

I do agree that the chipped cabinets would have me wondering what else in the house might reveal excessive wear and tear. Freshly painted cabs would send a much better message and take that negotiating chip off the table.

Well..I happen to think that nowadays white is a fad..every other house gets painted white right now, whether it has any connection to the rest going in the house or not

that's what i call a fad

when something is applied just because everybody happens to do it

some whites will work too, no question, but i see light greige playing better with whatever there

that is, if to decide to paint at all..i'd leave it yellow..;)

the colors should work with the existing elements

that's when buyer will find it livable even if not exactly his first choice, because it will be coherent with its surroundings/

what considered classic by XYZ who lives in ABC, is less relevant.

if to talk about classic-I bet stained is classic. And timeless:) most people have access to some wood. Unlike access to paint..Historically speaking.

So now what?

Lets strip it and stain it?

will be even more timeless

Anew Gray.

Of course, I'd go with a light blue or green.

However, since there'll be people "hating" those colors, I'd just go with a creamy off-white that goes with the tiles. It's what's popular these days and the most common denominator. Those who "hate" white, can decide to pain the walls a color.

I was also going to say your yellow kitchen is so warm and inviting. I think interior gray is depressing. Exterior gray is OK to me, I don't live on the exterior of my home. So if you have to paint, I'd go with a white that will complement your counters.

I hate to sound like Steve Jobs about this- but- as a rule people don't really know what they want. If something is beautifully put together and stylish, they will like it- they just don't know going into it that they will like it. Sadly, I think yellow might be the exception to that rule. Yellow is my favorite color. I love your kitchen. But I have noticed that people have strange notions about yellow- I don't know how these folks can bear to look at the sun- but oh well.

that reminded me..once i witnessed a full solar eclipse..i knew very well you're not supposed to look at the crown, without having special glasses..well i was so so so curious..I looked anyway..that was a big mistake..:) huge, i'd say..

okay..i had an exhausting morning..so I'll excuse myself for now..I'm not sure yellow is the exception to the rule, but I do agree with the rule..:)

Annette..I have a feeling it will be a success whatever you choose..do keep us posted..:)

Perhaps white (warm white or off white) cabinets and do the island in a mid to deep grey.

I would go with the grey, or keep the yellow. White cabinets would be a total turn off to me.

I used SW Creamy to paint my kitchen cabinets and it was the pretty off white color I was looking for. If you search my name and the paint color you should find some photos.

I still think SW Antique White. It's a sort of light creamy tiny tic beigy with a tic of yellow off white. See living room wall I found on line. I would then paint the island a shade of gray like photo.

Ah..I also think it's important to not get hung on the names of colors so much, when looking for a paint..after all, if I understand anything, light warm gray is a dark warm off-white..:)

And cream is a lot of white plus a bit of yellow..isn't it?

Look at everything...look at whites while looking for grays, and vise versa..look at yellows when looking for creams...names of colors are just a general direction. You should love it with what's there..it should emphasize and play with other beautiful elements..your wood..your light..what it will be called, that paint? You'll find out. I can just guarantee you it will be some pretty name..:)

I'd prefer a creamy white - off white enough to go with the white tile but not look like you tried to match and failed. Gray would be a big turnoff for me for cabinets though a gray exterior wouldn't be. I definitely would not do different color uppers and lowers. Different color island okay by me. As you can tell everyone has a different opinion. Though yellow would not be my choice I could make it work. The current chipped up paint would be a problem for me as a buyer but fresh yellow in good condition would not.

I have a friend who's been a very successful high end kitchen designer for over thirty years. In each of her own personal homes where she's redone the kitchen she has put in white or off white cabinets. We had white cabinets when I was a kid 50 years ago. Though white is very popular right now, I do think it is a classic along with stained wood that isn't funky - like glazed, pickled, etc.

White would be the safest color for resale. They are currently on-trend, and are favored by homebuyers under the age of 50. I agree you should repaint, as that's a high ROI. You should match the cabinet color to the white trim and door color currently in the room; using two different whites will cause the less white color to look dirty/dingy.

I agree with off white. Another option is a taupey-tan. My kitchen has tan cabs. When we bought the house, I wanted white cabs and contemplated painting them but I have grown to love them.

Hi Annette --

What a lovely kitchen. I don't even like yellow much, and l like YOUR yellow. ;)

The way I see it you have two choices:

• 1) touch up the yellow, list house with a definite end date to drop price/pull of market to paint cabs if no buyers
• 2) paint now, hoping to appeal to biggest # of potential buyers

For #2 I'd pick white/off-white/cream blah blah for the perimeter cabs, then a dark grey/ green-grey / blue-grey for the island.

[If needed, google current buzzword -- "Modern Farmhouse colors" -- for island ideas.]

If your current white-ish trim paint doesn't work well with your counters, just repaint trim in that room. People are highly unlikely to notice different whites room-to-room but it does have a way of jumping out when in close proximity.

Good luck -- I'm sure your new place is lucky to be getting you!

(if I understand something in people-the buyer will come because of the yellow kitchen..as Fori suggested

you know who usually becomes a leader? somebody who's a tad different from the group. Charisma, blablah, all that of course..but interestingly, sameness is not enough..that element of being different plays a big role when a group chooses a leader

I'm not fully comparing people to kitchens:) But sometimes that touch of uniqueness is a very good thing. In terms of appeal for a larger group of people. That seemingly shouldn't like it as much.

well lo' and behold..there are many rules that everybody can figure out..and many that are below the surface and sound strange, yet still hold true

I took some pics with my iPad, better camera than my old phone.

Also, I am getting tile regrouted so I can do another grout color.

That's a lot of yellow. Personally, I'd prefer a creamy white and then a different, darker color for the island.

Your counters are definitely a pinkish beige. A white with a yellow undertone won't look right. Gray-blue would look nice with the beige.

Well if you don't like SW Antique White ...SW Heron Plume would look nice.

I think that would be a "safe" color. It's an off white with beige gray undertones and a popular designer and home stager shade.

I think it's the light..the counters look totally different in the previous photos

I agree though that the counters should be the main factor(or one of) in deciding about the right paint

I like the antique and creamy whites.

I was reading a designer blog recommended here and she states that you should only do the island in a different color if it looks like a piece of furniture. Hmmmm.

The pic of the counter by the cooktop is probably the most accurate. Here it is with the silgranite sink.

I see a light green beige..as I thought from the very beginning..might be mistaken of course

but that's what lead me to my initial suggestion of light greige-essentially light warm green-gray

the right off white will also work...it will have less gray in it yet still will have that muteness, and-hopefully-slight greenish undertone, that I see now in your tiles and countertop

correct me if I'm off in my interpretation of your colors..after all you know your space, we just see photos, each taken in a different light, looking a bit different on every monitor.

I think your yellow was also chosen not separately from everything else but as a color that usually plays well with gray..?

Again, correct me if I'm wrong. It could be the other way around:)

PS Heron Plume-if it will look like on the photo-because the samples have mind of their own in different spaces as we all know-might be a very good choice.

Reminds me of my own Doric White..grayish greenish off-white..can look anything from milky white to light greenish gray, depending on the time of a day

was looking for a perfect warm gray to play better with my wood floors(they're reddish walnut..I wanted contrast)..nothing worked...ended up with a white:) or whatever was suggested under "whites"

that's why I less believe in how the color is called..what it turns to be in your unique room that's what important

and of course it'll look slightly different on wood than on the walls..different material, different sheen..reflects light differently.

My kitchen cabs are totally different color..same undertone, yes, but not white, light very very warm greige, custom mixed..yet right now, in the afternoon light, they look the same as the walls..the walls that are presumably white:)

Here is another idea.

Don't mind me lol I'll just keep posting with possibilities for the ever changing countertop hehe.

Love the yellow but if I were selling I would go with a creamy white. Do not care for gray inside the home, if they were painted gray I would have to have the cabinets repainted before moving in. It seems that every house flipper anywhere near me likes to fill the house with gray, just makes me cringe. Do agree that white is on trend currently, it is also classic.

Well every seller and flipper anywhere near me paints cabinets white..:) or so it seems

And sometimes makes no sense whatsoever, given architecture, style, other materials..irritating.

Don't get me wrong..i would never pass on the house I love because of that..even if they would be completely wrong for the space (in my place they were completely wrong-color wise, style-wise, everything.. yet we still bought the house lol. well, eighty percent of interior finishes was wrong for the house so..)

things like that -I don't see them as making or breaking the deal. Location, bones, layout, amount of rooms you need to accommodate your family-yes. Well price of course. As much as I loved several houses-they were too small, or were not in a neighborhood that'd work for us, or were simply too expensive

So no, I wouldn't pass on a house because of the cabinets, whatever color they would be..and especially if they were right for the space:)

I like grays but not cold grays for example. And I prefer warm whites to bright whites.

Yet when it makes allover sense, it's easier to look past it, and make do, for a time being, or maybe for years even.

And in some cases-you look past it even if it doesn't make any sense.

But it's better if it does.

It's rarely a question of one color..even though colors do have huge influence over us. it's a question of how everything comes together.

Same as with everything. Take a face you like-many times, a nose could be better, and teeth could be straighter, and whatnot. Yet you don't look at it separately...you do of course, but you don't care because it's more than just the sum of elements.

PS I read the funniest description in one listing recently. It went: "This house is classic and timeless, yet trendy and current".

It looks like they've read all the blogosphere on the subject of design and decor, and decided to construct that sentence, so as not to miss anything...))))

I apologize for my long posts on that subject..all these descriptions kinda got to me already..it exists in nature? well then it's timeless. more timeless than we are for sure. was there before we came, and will continue to be after.

well maybe with the exception of some really bright neon colors..but recently I was fortunate to do some really good snorkeling(I snorkel everywhere I can)..so I might change my opinion on bright neon colors too lol.

Thanks so much for all the input. This is such an emotional thing as I thought I would stay in this house forever. So thinking about painting my kitchen to appeal to someone else is not easy. Maybe that's why I want to change from the yellow, then it's not "my" kitchen anymore and it will be easier to move on.

Easier said than done, and I'm sure you know this: This has become a business transaction, and it's not your home anymore.

I'd match the white from the counters and see how that color works with the tiles.

Awww , Annette that was me a few years ago. I loved my yellow kitchen but husband wanted to down size. Mine were only a couple of years old at the time so no chips.

You really have to pick the white in person. The color of my previous kitchen cabinets is really unrecognizable from the chip.

I would do all of it in a creamy white. If you are re-grouting, maybe do the grout lines to match the creamy color.

I agree. I would paint all cabinets white including the island. I would consider Staining the butcher block counter top a darker stain. Good luck.

I think I'm going to go with white. I didn't think of staining the butcher block. New thing to contemplate.

I like the idea of painting white, but honestly it is very cute as is, and I would totally leave it as is. If someone wants to change to white or any other color, they can do it themselves. Good luck! I love the light fixture over the island. Moving is so hard!