Are you limited to any particular paint brand? What whites have you tried? Have you asked your cabinet maker for the paint formula? Easiest solution might just be to do a paint match using the formula if the white looks good in the rest of the space.

Not limited to any brand. I've just lugged around my cabinet, flooring and quartz samples to Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Dunn Edwards and Farrow & Ball to see what they'd suggest. Got paint samples from the first three and will try them out on a fresh piece of drywalled wall tomorrow. But I'm not sure I want to match the Arctic White cabinet. If it gets any whiter and brighter in that room, I'm afraid I'll have to supply dark glasses to all our guess, LOL!

There’s this lovely grey that looks white when it’s not next to white. And then doesn’t look dingy because it’s not actually white. It looks beautiful with walnut.

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/2138-60/gray-cashmere?color=2138-60&source=%2Fen-us%2Fcolor-overview%2Ffind-your-color%2Fcolor-search

@dsgts, this kitchen wall is one part of a 600 sf central open living area, so we will be doing the same color for all the walls in this area. Trying to get it right (or close to right as possible) the first time!

I guess when it comes down to it, we're kind of color wimps, always drawn to good ol' white (whatever that shade may be!).

And I forgot that I'd already mentioned in another post (about this issue) that the stainless steel appliances will obviously be another "chilly" color, so oh well!

We just did white uppers with walnut cabinets and painted the rest of the rooms white, too.

OK, I'll try to muzzle my color anxiety on this one! :)

you should get some sample pints of colors you like. and try the gray cashmere, it’s really not as green as it looks online. :)

@Shannon A, I have 8 sample paints packed in my car, waiting for our paint party at the remodel tomorrow morning. :) And good to hear about that cashmere--it's amazing how different colors often look online on so many sites! (I probably never would have ordered tile samples from Seneca Tiles, had Nancy in Mich not encouraged me to check them out. So glad I did! WAY more beautiful in real life than online!)

Paint party sounds like fun! Hope you find something you love.

https://samplize.com/ More accurate representation of the color than a sample pot. Edit to add: Ahh, have a great paint party!

As you know, so much depends on the light (both natural & artificial) in the space. Shades that may read plain old white in some rooms will look like a "colour" in others or next to a "truer" white. (or even different times of the day or year) So to avoid the "dinginess" of a near match you may have to welcome a slight tint. Not a bad thing, it adds dimension to a space.

Benjamin Moore shades you might want to test: Distant Gray, Sea Pearl, and Bonifant White (DC-03), also called.... wait for it..... White. Honestly though, I'd use the white I liked best for the entire space. That is where it will matter most....down where you live.

You can always do the wall behind the cabinet as an accent wall in any other color.. maybe something to compliment the wood that you're integrating. Also I wouldn't wait on the backsplash. On my website https://www.pinktapemeasure.com/ I go over this as a no no ..especially if you have your materials selected. The backslash could very well end up being the answer to the problem. When you choose a countertop, it only needs a little white, if any. The cabinets and accessories can pull the white while the other colors even it out. Let me know how it works! Good luck!!

You might try reading Maria Killam color advice on choosing white. Her blog advice led me to use a completely different color than I planned in a new house and it was perfect. Still very light. My cabinets (taupe-grey/white) look really good. Just do an internet search on her name and "white". Multiple entries. White walls are incredibly tricky to pull off. I agree with other posters you might be better off with a color that isn't exactly white but will still give a light and airy feel without feeling cold or dingy against your probably blue-white cabinets.

Also, don't forget to adjust your light bulbs to help deal with the colour of the cabs. I just went thru the discovery that there are now at least 12 million different types of bulbs to choose from - each with their own features, so good luck. But it really did help my room to get the right light. I hated my white glass fixtures and paint colour until I changed to a warmer and brighter bulb.

We used a white from Ben Moore called Steam thru out our house. It blends well with our cabs. You might add it to your paint party.

A soft warm very light cream yellow will look white and warm everywhere but next to bright white. It will harmonize well with the walnut.

This is Daybreak, and it harmonizes well with the wood tones of the floor, the greens in the other room, and the crisp white cabinets.

Gorgeous in Germantown · More Info

Gorgeous in Germantown · More Info

I just had my kitchen remodeled. I used a pale blue, (Icicle, Sherwin Williams), and a gray subway tile backsplash. I’ve gotten quite a few compliments and I’m happy with the end result.... also, my contractor took a piece of my cabinet to the paint store. They had their computer match the cabinet color to mix the paint for the crown molding.

All the wood trim around doors and windows, and the ceilings are in Kelley Moore "Swiss Coffee" in our house. This is essentially a very white shade of white. We've had it for a long time (even before the remodel), and we like this color. The cabinet maker picked a slightly different white for the cabinets. I think, he said it was "Designer White", but I might be confused. In any case, the difference is so minute, you can't really tell even when they are side-by-side.

So, yes, our cabinets probably have a very similar visual appearance to yours, only ours are glossy thanks to the backpainted glass.

When it came to wall colors, we had a huge discussion about this. We wanted to stick with Kelley Moore "Frost" (a just slightly warmer shade of white). We already had this in the house pre-remodel and really like how it contrasts with the pure white on the ceilings and on trim. But the designer was adamant that this would look extremely dated. We should absolutely not pick a warm white for the walls.

So, we got a ton of color samples and painted sections of the wall to get a better sense of how the colors really look. It quickly became really obvious that there only was one gray'ish white that would work well. Everybody immediately agreed on it.

We subsequently ended up painting an existing wall in different room using this new color. And let me tell, even though it is nominally a grey'ish cold white, if you place it next to the warm'ish "Frost" on an adjacent wall, you'd be hard pressed to tell the differences.

In other words, pick any slightly off-white white, and you are probably going to be fine. The contrast is going to actually enhance the overall look and feel. With wood throughout, you could be going towards more warm tones, but if you pick a colder off-white you probably will do just as well.

What are these white cabinets - painted wood or something else? If its some sort of plastic laminate, It may not be possible to find a white acrylic (aka latex) paint that will not look dingy in comparison - fyi even the extra white paint base without any extra tint added will have a certain amt. of inherent "dinginess" to it that you wont ordinarily notice unless its next to something whiter and brighter. As others have said your best bet is to find a white that has blue or cool gray in it.

I wouldn't try to find an equally white white. Just pick a very pale tan, gray, etc., that will give enough contrast to look intentional, but which will still essentially read as white to the eye overall.

I think the white and wood combo looks great in your photo, so don't despair! It will be gorgeous in the end.

What about a beige? We chose beige for our white kitchen and chose Cambria bellingham for our counter tops. Our kitchen is very white!!!

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As you can see, the wall to the left of the kitchen, where the dining room entry is, is painted 2 shades lighter beige. Our family room, which is behind the picture taker, is painted light blue and is a beachy theme, so the beige does not clash.

@Debbie Downer, these are Stylelite acrylic from Corona Millworks in Arctic Velvet. I was obsessing so much on the custom walnut stain, that I didn't think to ask about my choice of whites for the white cabs until the last sec. And that's when the cab maker told me there are only two choices: white high gloss or white matte! We picked matte...and oh well!

Postscript: now that I've actually gone to the website mentioned above...for the first time (!!!)...I am absolutely gobsmacked that I could have been so naive to believe my custom cabinetmaker when he told me there was only ONE matte white to choose from. Turns out, there is a second white, "Alabaster White," and wouldn't you know, it looks a hell of a lot like Swiss Coffee!

Good grief! I feel like such a dumb bunny. I was so obsessed with our walnut stain, I didn't even think to question cabinet dude when he told me there was no other choice but Arctic White. Bah!

Prestige paint has an app which allows you to test colors. I was very hesitant to purchase their paint, as you have to order through Amazon, but sure enough, the color we received was an exact match to the color we chose in the app. I will never go back to samples and swatches again. And if you hate the paint, you can return through Amazon!

@tretzel, wow!! did not know this, thanks!

Mittens,,,I did custom walnut shelving and hood vent trim w/my white cabs. I'll have to take photos w/my good camera because the iPhone just doesn't capture the tones.

I just painted my walls Simply White. I did them first w/White Dove, and felt it was too dingy. Simply White is better. You can also use the White Base straight from the can.

I used Light Pewter (BM) over my coffee bar area w/the walnut shelving. It's the perfect light gray, w/no blue undertones. looks great w/the walnut and the white cabs/marble.

Here's a picture of it in a room w/a bright white trim (my room isn't completed yet)

why don't you get samples of it, Simply White, (and just the base white, no tint) and maybe SW Pure White or Super White? any of those should work for you

Hi Beth. Flo and some posters on another dilemma know of your painting and finishing expertise and wanted to ask if you would be willing to drop in and offer some advice. Here’s the link. Thanks so much. And please excuse the hijack Mittens.
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5596524/10-yrs-and-i-still-cant-get-our-living-room-right-help-pls

Check Behr's Ultra Pure White. If you want white. It's the cleanest, purest white that I know of. Love it.

A light aqua or turquoise would be lovely with white and walnut if you want to explore color. Nothing gray; will suck all the life out of your room & the walnut. And it is sooo cookie cutter.

@Beth H. :, thanks! I actually have Simply White at the top of my list--and a can of it in my car, ready for my postponed paint party. And I feel better knowing a pro approves! :) Thanks!

@Seajay Sparkles, no worries. I am long overdue for some hijacking, having hijacked so many threads myself! :-)

Probably should have gone with their alabaster white.

@jdesign_gw....I've been hoping/thinking you'd weigh in. AND YES, I NOW KNOW!!!!!! So sad that I didn't think to press my cabinet guy when he said there was only ONE matte white from this company.

Any thoughts on whether I can peel off the Arctic and replace with Alabaster?

lol :-D

p.s. I should not throw my cabinet guy under the bus. In retrospect, it's possible he DID show me the Alabaster and maybe I just plain forgot. or maybe I rejected it because it looked dingy. I can't recall. Moving on!

BTW @jdesign_gw, I remember you showed us a photo of your install that included the matte white cabinets. if those were Arctic White, I don't suppose you know what color they painted the walls??

:-D

That was Fenix "Kos" white which matches the alabaster. It's not dingy it's a little more warm white. I'll look at if I have any paint sample the go with the arctic white.

There's no peeling off. Only new doors. Are there a lot of doors. Is it possible to use those somewhere else.

I was just joshing (mostly!) about peeling away the Arctic. But hey, if i REALLY can't stand them once they're installed...well, there's always wallpaper, right? Or spray paint? Or some really fun stickers??

:-D

I would live with it for a while. If you really, really can't stand it there at options that won't be too bad. It's just upper right. How big of an area.

It sounds like you are really shooting for barely white but I found this one which is my favorite. I get heart palpitations trying to make whites play nice together...

(maybe a nice brown-grey like SW Elephant Ear that would echo a similar backsplash like this)

@jdesign_gw, there will be six upper cabinets in the matte white, paired with walnut cabs below and a couple walnut open shelves adjacent. Painters are coming next week and will start with the kitchen (so cabs can finally be installed). I have a large triangle of wall space between our sloped ceiling and tops of upper cabs. The kitchen is part of a greater open living space, so I need the paint color above to work for the other walls of the open living space (living room, dining, entry, hallway).

First world problems!

@mnmamax3, that looks terrific! I especially like the bright white pendant! (may I ask where you got those?) And thanks for sharing.

I've had to solve a similar problem. I have Sherwin WIlliams Extra White on all my trim in my bedroom but my floors are a mid toned (warm) wood and my bed is yellow poplar. I decided to go with Incredible White after lots of swatches & thinking. It's perfect. There's enough contrast that the wall color & trim are clearly different colors but it's also "white." And to me it's the perfect one to straddle the warm/cool divide. I tried Incredible white, Shoji White, Aesthetic White & Eider White. Shoji was a little too yellow, Aesthetic too beige, & Eider was too blue in my lighting. I would think about your cabinets as being "trim" and not try to do a 100% match with the wall color. I think incredible white would look lovely as a bright "white" backdrop for your larger living space. Good luck! I can't wait to follow along & see what you do!

These 2 blog posts were insanely helpful in trying to narrow down the colors. I 'chose' SW because my painter prefers them. The closest BM color (per easyrgb.com) is Silver Satin.

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-off-white-neutral-paint-colours-undertones-and-more/

https://www.rughdesign.com/2018/05/08/the-best-white-paint-colors-undertones-explained/

Thanks @Rachel Reid! I was pondering Shoji and Eider but hadn't seen Aesthetic, so I'll give it a try. Thanks for the links, too.

BTW, it just occurred to me: don't we all see color a bit differently? I think I read that somewhere. Something to do with rods and cones or ?

Yes! I think we do all see color differently. And sorry, I edited my original. We ended up doing Incredible White, SW 2078, which happens to be the 'white' version of the ever-so-popular Agreeable Grey.

LOL, I keep waiting for the latest name, i.e. Incredible Agreeable Extreme Bright Swiss Ceiling Marshmallow Goo WHITE! (And what about Surgery Room White?)

Surgery Room White is what's on your cabinets already! LOL

Mittens Cat: this is the Houzz link for the pic... looks like the pendants are Design Within Reach $$$. https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-global-chic-eichler-in-san-rafael-california-midcentury-kitchen-phvw-vp~78460815 . .

@mnmamax3, thanks. I love the pendant but not so much the braided cord (I guess that's the "charm" part?). https://www.dwr.com/lighting-ceiling/drop-1-pendant/5405.html?lang=en_US#lang=en_US&start=28

It's the price I'd have trouble with... :) I will tell you those details are things you will not notice after all is said and done. I think you are smart to focus on the paint color because that is a big element but small details like a light cord will just blend in. Coming from someone who obsessed over every detail about what I thought I liked and didn't, and then was perfectly happy with the design I ended up with from the talented designer I chose. Just breathe.

@mnmamax3, thanks! I'm probably not freaking out as much as it sounds---I was a reluctant remodeler from the get-go and would off shrug most stuff other than the $ factor. But I seem to be more sensitive than most to light and color and want to make sure it doesn't irk me every day I look at the walls! And re a talented designer, funny...I am scrambling to hire one now. :-D