Choosing the best cabinet paint colors isn’t just about picking a shade you love on a swatch. Cabinet colors live alongside countertops, backsplashes, flooring, hardware, and lighting, and each of those elements influences how the paint actually reads in your home.
As experienced Atlanta interior designers, we always remind clients that the best paint colors for cabinets aren’t universal. They’re contextual. The same color can feel warm and inviting in one kitchen and cool and crisp in another. Our goal is to share colors that not only work beautifully in your space but remain timeless so you’ll love them for years to come.
Below, we’re sharing our designer-approved favorites, along with insight into why they work and how undertones, lighting, and surrounding finishes shape the final result.
Why Undertones Matter When Choosing the Best Cabinet Paint Colors
.jpg)
Wendy Hill Kitchen Cabinets in Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
North Akin Kitchen Perimeter Cabinets in Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
Wendy Hill Kitchen Cabinets in Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
North Akin Kitchen Perimeter Cabinets in Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
When clients search for cabinet paint colors, they often focus on the top layer, but what truly determines whether a color works is its undertone. Undertones are the subtle hues beneath the surface that shift depending on light and materials in the room.
- Warm whites have yellow or cream undertones
- Cool whites lean blue or gray
- Grays can lean blue, green, or even violet depending on lighting and surrounding finishes.
- Greiges fluctuate between warm and cool undertones
- Soft greens often carry a gray base
Testing is critical when selecting the best paint color for cabinets. For example, Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter is a gorgeous greige that reads differently depending on the materials it’s paired with. In a kitchen with warm wood floors, such as at the Wendy Hill Project, it feels soft and cozy. Paired with cooler wood floors in the North Akin kitchen, it leans slightly cooler, more refined, and gray. It’s this adaptability that makes it one of our designers’ favorites.
The Best White Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
White may seem straightforward, but it’s one of the most nuanced categories when selecting the best cabinet paint colors. The difference between warm and cool whites can completely shift the mood of a kitchen or bathroom.
Sherwin-Williams Alabaster: One of the Best White Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
.jpg)
Project Hampton Kitchen Cabinets in Sherwin-Williams Alabaster
Project Hampton Kitchen Cabinets in Sherwin-Williams Alabaster
Alabaster is a soft, warm white with subtle creamy undertones. It leans warm without appearing yellow, which makes it incredibly forgiving in spaces with warmer elements. In kitchens like Project Hampton’s, where natural light and warm finishes play major roles, Alabaster feels inviting yet clean.
However, at the North Georgia Wedding Venue, the same Alabaster cabinetry reads slightly cooler. That shift isn’t accidental; it’s a result of the surrounding cooler architectural finishes. When paired with cooler flooring and crisper materials, the creamy undertone softens, and the color appears more neutral than warm.
This balance is what makes Alabaster so dependable. It brings warmth while maintaining clarity and remains neutral even when paired with cooler architectural elements.
Benjamin Moore White Dove
Project Park Place Upper Cabinets and Walls in Benjamin Moore White Dove
White Dove sits in the balanced-white category. It carries a subtle warmth while remaining neutral enough to complement a wide range of finishes. In the Park Place project, where the upper cabinets and walls share White Dove, the color creates seamless continuity without feeling flat.
Because it doesn’t skew heavily warm or cool, White Dove works especially well in spaces that call for softness and cohesion, particularly in transitional interiors where layered materials need a steady backdrop.
Sherwin-Williams Extra White
Project Lake Shore Kitchen Cabinets in Sherwin-Williams Extra White
Extra White leans cool and crisp. It reflects light brightly and works beautifully in modern or contemporary kitchens. At the Lake Shore project, this shade feels fresh and enhances architectural lines. If your space has both warm and cool elements, this is one of the best kitchen cabinet white paint colors to bring clarity and structure to the overall palette.
Best Gray & Greige Cabinet Paint Colors
Gray introduces depth while maintaining versatility. The key is understanding what direction it leans. As an Atlanta design group, we often use gray strategically to create a steady foundation for the overall palette.
Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
As discussed earlier, Revere Pewter is a warm greige that bridges beige and gray. Its adaptability is why it remains one of the best gray paint colors for kitchen cabinets.
Sherwin-Williams Gauntlet Gray
Darlington Remodel Kitchen Cabinets in Sherwin-Williams Gauntlet Gray
Gauntlet Gray leans warm with subtle taupe undertones and adds richness without feeling heavy. At the Darlington Remodel, this shade anchors the cabinetry and adds contrast while still feeling timeless. If you're considering darker neutrals but want something that still feels soft, Gauntlet Gray is a great option.
Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
Project Hampton Guest Bath Vanity in Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
Classic Gray is a soft, light gray that behaves almost like an off-white. It leans warm but stays subtle. The Project Hampton vanity complements the countertop and wood floor beautifully without overpowering the space. This is a top choice among our designers for the best color to paint bathroom cabinets when you want something slightly deeper than white but still airy.
Benjamin Moore Sabre Gray
Project Havenridge Living Room Built-Ins in Benjamin Moore Sabre Gray
Sabre Gray carries a cool, slightly steely undertone with hints of blue. It’s cleaner and more neutral than many warm-leaning grays, making it ideal for homes that already skew cool. On Havenridge’s living room built-ins, Sabre Gray adds contrast while maintaining a refined feel. Against crisp whites and cooler finishes, it feels tailored and contemporary.
Our designers love Sabre Gray for its clarity. It delivers depth and contrast without muddy undertones.
Best Green Cabinet Paint Colors
Green has become one of the most requested cabinet colors, but we gravitate toward softer, gray-based greens that feel timeless rather than trendy.
Sherwin-Williams Rosemary
Downtown Bungalow Kitchen Cabinets in Sherwin-Williams Rosemary
Rosemary leans cool with a gray undertone, which keeps it grounded. In the Downtown Bungalow kitchen, it reads sophisticated and organic rather than bold. Because of its gray base, it behaves almost like a neutral, making it one of the best green paint colors for kitchen cabinets when you want personality without overpowering the space.
Sherwin-Williams Retreat
-1.jpg)
.jpg)
Project Park Place Cabinets in Sherwin-Williams Retreat
Project Park Place Cabinets in Sherwin-Williams Retreat
Retreat is slightly softer and more muted. It carries both blue and gray undertones, depending on the lighting. In the Park Place kitchen, it creates contrast without heaviness. Soft greens like Retreat shine when the surrounding materials are neutral and textural instead of overly colorful.
How to Choose the Best Cabinet Paint Colors for Your Home
Choosing the best cabinet paint colors isn’t about selecting what’s trending; it’s about understanding how a color will live within your home. Undertones, lighting, architectural details, and surrounding materials all shape the final result. A warm white can feel inviting in one kitchen and crisp in another. A greige may lean cozy or refined depending on the flooring beneath it. Even a soft green can function like a neutral when paired thoughtfully.
When cabinets are chosen with their full context in mind, the space feels layered and cohesive rather than flat or disconnected. That’s the difference between simply picking a color and designing a home.
Whether you’re building from the ground up or refining an existing space through thoughtful custom home design, cabinet color plays a foundational role. If you're searching for local interior designers who understand how to balance warmth, coolness, and material pairings at a detailed level, our designers would love to guide you. Contact us today!
.jpg)
