The 16 Best Wall Colors to Update Cream Cabinets & Trim
Are you FRUSTRATED with your cream cabinets or OVERLY warm white trim? Can’t find a modern paint color that looks good with them? You aren’t the only one. In fact, this is a topic I deal with DAILY in my Online Paint Color Consulting, and it’s ALWAYS the same story – cream cabinets, beige walls, and a deep desire for something FRESHER.
However, as the Rolling Stones always say, ‘You can’t always get what you waaaaant, especially if you have off-white or cream cabinets and trim’ (I might’ve added that last part). This is just ONE reason why I don’t recommend that ANYONE hop on the current trend of painting their cabinets some form of light greige, beige, or cream as I guarantee that in ten years, you’ll wish you’d chosen white (and will be whispering sweet nothings in my ear).
You are watching: The 16 Best Wall Colors to Update Cream Cabinets & Trim
Sherwin Williams Dover White with glaze (which lowers the LRV)
But before we get into the best paint colors for your walls, let’s have a little chat…actually, let’s make it a big one.
Why do we need to TALK before we get into the good stuff? Does all of this seem like an awful LOT for one darn paint color?
I’m going to ask you a question…how has your search gone so far? Chances are you’ve been TRYING colors, and they aren’t working. This blog post is telling you WHY and teaching you HOW, so you can move forward with CONFIDENCE and stop struggling to find a color that doesn’t exist.
And if all else fails, there’s wine.
Based on existing finishes, especially in homes from the early 2000s, some kitchens don’t suit white cabinets and better suit a wood stain or a non-white paint color. In these situations, a warm off-white or cream can come in darn handy, often saving the DAY. I’ve fallen in love with MANY cream kitchens when they’re done well.
And that’s it. Seriously, I would love to give you more reasons why cream cabinets are awesome, but for the majority of people, cream cabinets are a HUGE PITA (I’ll let you figure that one out).
Sherwin Williams Antique White with glaze
When updating the paint color on the WALLS in a home with cream cabinets or trim without updating anything else, it’s easy to forget that the surrounding surfaces are often coordinated with the cream cabinets.
This is an important detail because it’s not just your CREAM CABINETS OR TRIMS that will be fussy about their wall color partners; it’s their COORDINATED surrounding finishes. Some finishes aren’t so easy to transition into a more modern, more updated look, meaning your cabinets might be the LEAST of your concerns.
Sometimes there isn’t ONE MAGICAL paint color that makes your cabinets, finishes, and YOU 100% happy, in which case a ‘happy medium’ often comes in handy.
However, if you know the COLOR NAME of your off-white or cream cabinets, you’re already a step ahead…
Again, if you know your paint color, find its LRV and move on to STEP 2.
If you have NO IDEA what color is on your cabinets, the most common creams used for cabinets and trim are as follows. By the way, I recommend you get LARGE samples and place them on your cabinets to find your best match; small ones aren’t big enough to get a good read on for an important job like this.
If these aren’t close, go back and get more – get as close as you can, as this color will be your guide as you need its LRV.
When starting your color search, look for wall paint colors with an LRV of 55 or lower. The goal is to get 20+ LRV points between your cabinet color and your wall color.
Of course, this can vary depending on how light or dark your particular shade of cream is:
In this next kitchen, my Online Colour Consulting client wanted to step AWAY from the warm hues with something in the warm gray, greige, or taupe range…
However, the current color was working REALLY WELL with the existing finishes (although I’d love to see the island in BLACK). In fact, the backsplash, countertop, AND cabinets weren’t so inclined towards a light warm gray, greige, or taupe paint color at all.
Remember, just because you want a certain paint color doesn’t mean your home agrees!
Once you know the cream you’re dealing with, it’s important to acknowledge its strength. The more YELLOW it is (cream is a yellow hue colour), the more YELLOW it will look when partnered with colors that are cooler than it.
This is always a tough one, and at some point, you can only get so close to finding your exact color match when cabinets have a glaze on them.
Do your best to figure out what the ORIGINAL color might’ve been and add a few LRV points for the extra depth added by the glaze. This is an important step as this number will help guide you towards a STARTING point when looking for compatible paint colors. Yes, glazed cream cabinets or trim add another layer to the beast.
Are you ready, Betty? Do you want to see the BEST PAINT COLORS for your cream cabinets and trim? To do this effectively and to apply to as MANY people as possible, I’m basing this on the AVERAGE cream kitchen (which is lighter than Sherwin Williams Antique White, for those of you with this particular shade of cream or one with similar depth).
Remember, I can only kill SO many birds with one stone – I’M JUST…ONE…WOMAN!
The above combo is off, as the walls are too cool & light for the cabinets.
1. They won’t make your cabinets or trim look anything OTHER than cream/yellow. They are a yellow hue paint color, and short of painting them, they ARE what they are.
2. Lightening and brightening is often the goal in rooms with cream cabinets. HOWEVER, these options won’t make your room look light and bright compared to traditional off-white and light paint colors. But it’s not these paint colour options that are stopping you; it’s your cream cabinets and trim; they have limitations (and don’t kill the wee Ginger messenger!). Your room might look brighter than it USED to if it happened to be painted a darker color, but that’s as far as you’ll get short of painting your walls the same color as your cabinets or painting your trim/cabinets white.
OH MY GOD, DOES SHE EVER STOP TALKING? No, no, I don’t…
Remember, the yellow hue of your cabinets/trim may hold you back from your wildest colors dreams (full of paint samples, Ryan Reynolds, wine, and Doritos). But this doesn’t mean you can’t find a good happy medium.
If you CAN’T or WON’T paint your cabinets and trim, sometimes a happy medium is as good as it gets #truthbomb.
Some of the upcoming colors make me a BIT twitchy with some cream paint colors but settle okay with others. However, they might give you the flexibility to accommodate NOT JUST YOUR CABINETS but your other finishes as well to create a palette that looks purposeful and coordinated.
Amazing Gray is AWESOME, and I love it with some of the more muted cream cabinets. Many people start with Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray, looking for a light shade of greige, but with its LRV of 57, combined with its subtle undertone, it’s just too soft for most cream cabinets and trims.
Amazing Gray has an LRV of 47, and its slightly noticeable green undertone goes with a relatively wide variety of cream cabinets and trim. This LRV puts Amazing Gray more than 20 points lower than the average cream paint color – AMAZING!
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these greiges aren’t good – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray
Stone Lion is a light-medium depth beige paint color with MUTED undertones. It sits reasonably well with most cream paint colors because it doesn’t have the same level of TAUPE found in Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige, which is most people’s first choice in this range (and is coming up shortly).
Stone Lion has an LRV of 38, making it a medium-depth warm neutral that’s WELL below the boundaries of cream. You could also explore the lighter look of Sherwin Williams Loggia with its LRV of 48. However, the lighter-again Shittake is too flat looking (not warm enough at this depth) for most cream paint colors.
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of beiges rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
Aloof Gray is a gorgeous gray-green that sits on the LOWER end of the light range and is, hands-down, one of the best LIGHTER options for your walls. HOWEVER, this doesn’t mean there isn’t a big consideration…
Opposites attract and make each other stronger, meaning that because Aloof Gray is COOL with a noticeable green undertone, it can make your cream cabinets look MORE YELLOW IN COMPARISON.
Aloof Gray has an LRV of 58, putting it in the DARKER end of the light range and questionable with some of the darker cream paint colors out there. For this reason, Aloof Gray is often better suited to lighter, muted cream paint colors.
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of beiges rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
Remember, sometimes the color YOU’RE wanting doesn’t suit your home. In this case, it’s about opening up your range a bit and finding the ‘next best option,’ even if it’s not what you had in mind.
While Macadamia is AWESOME with cream cabinets, particularly Antique White, it’s also the type of colour many of my Online Color Consulting clients are trying to get away from! But this doesn’t mean it’s not a good option. The thing is, cream cabinets and trim (Antique White in particular) can be pretty fussy regarding the wall colors they’re partnered with – you won’t have many GREAT options, but this is one of them.
Macadamia is a light-medium depth beige with an LRV of 49 and reasonably strong undertones. If you see how Macadamia WORKS but can’t bring yourself to paint your walls a beige THIS DARK, look at the lighter version, Softer Tan. However, it can be a bit fussy with overly yellow and/or darker creams, but it might fit the bill a bit better for YOUR particular cream color.
Kilim Beige, shown in this next kitchen, is well-suited to the cream cabinets (similar to Sherwin William’s Antique White) and surrounding finishes…
You might be excited at the word ‘gray,’ but don’t be fooled – this is just another colour named by someone who was CLEARLY in the cups (which I definitely am after writing this epically long blog post). While Bennington Gray is certainly not as warm as Macadamia, it sure as heck ain’t gray.
Bennington Gray has an LRV of 47 – BOOM, mad love. It’s also a great happy medium if your home NEEDS warmth but you don’t love the more traditional Tuscan approach of Macadamia.
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Bennington Gray & Bleeker Beige
I LOVE Horizon Gray. Not only does it have a beautiful green hue to it, but it also humors a reasonable range of cream paint colors, as long as they’re SUBTLE and more muted. Just remember, the green undertone in Horizon Gray CAN make your cream cabinets or trim look a bit more yellow in comparison.
Horizon Gray often works better than Sherwin Williams Aloof Gray simply because its LRV is lower, coming in at 51 to Aloof Gray’s 58.
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of grays rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
Remember, this process isn’t just about your cream cabinets; make sure the paint colors you’re exploring make sense with your surrounding finishes, such as countertops, backsplash, and flooring!
If the above beige and tan paint colors are too strong, but you see how a warm shade MIGHT be your home’s best color, you could check out Grant Beige. Grant Beige is a tan paint color with a bit less undertone than many of the popular beige and tan paint colors without falling into the greige range.
Grant Beige has an LRV of 56, so it’s on the edge of the light and light-medium range, making it a great option, especially for some mid to light cream colors.
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of beiges rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
Sandbar (left), Clay Beige 25% darker (right)
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Grant Beige
When looking for the best paint colors for cream cabinets and trim, the above colors are USUALLY where I start. But again, A LOT can change depending on the surrounding finishes, including the backsplash, countertop, and flooring.
These upcoming colors will be BETTER with lighter and muted creams vs. dark and rich ones, but depending on your surrounding finishes, you never know what will fall into place!
While I get AWFULLY nervous about Revere Pewter with the darker cream paint colors, it’s often a nice partner to lighter, more muted cream paint colors. It will still make the cream look more yellow ‘in comparison,’ but that happens so easily when you partner a warm color with a color that’s COOLER than it.
In this next photo, there are a few things at play…
1. The trim is WHITER than the cabinets, making the cabinets look more yellow in comparison. Overall, the trim looks considerably BRIGHT warm color with a reasonable yellow in it.
2. This is a LOW-LIGHT area and has Revere Pewter looking MUCH muddier than usual.
Revere Pewter has an LRV of 55, making it a HEAVY light depth warm gray with a slightly earthy green undertone that doesn’t ALWAYS show up to the party. As it relates to coordinating with cream paint colors, it’s best if it DOES!
But once again, in this next photo, Revere Pewter looks WAY warmer and muddier than usual…
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of grays rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
Just like Revere Pewter, Colonnade Gray is TOUCHY with cream paint colors that either have more yellow in them OR more depth to them. But, it can be an interesting partner to creams that are lighter and muted.
This next example shows Colonnade Gray with cream trim in a bedroom. Notice how the cream DOESN’T ACT LIKE WHITE, but that’s because it’s not white, but at least it’s partnered with a modern paint colour!
The thing that makes Colonnade Gray a slightly better option to Revere Pewter is that it has a lower LRV, coming in at 53 to Revere Pewter’s 55.
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of grays rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray
Remember, the COOLER a paint color is or the more COLOR it has (violet, blue or green), the more it will CONTRAST with the yellow in your cabinets – nature of the beast, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t pretty combinations if you’re so inclined.
Versatile Gray is a light-medium depth taupe paint color that can sit QUITE pretty with many cream cabinets. Why? Well, when surrounded by the right countertops/tiles or carpet, the taupe (violet, slightly violet-pink) undertone can be a pretty accent – AS LONG AS YOUR CREAM DOESN’T HAVE ANY GREEN IN IT.
In this next photo, notice how Versatile sits with the cream cabinets (similar to Antique White) while tapping into the needs of the countertop. Would I NORMALLY put Versatile Gray with cream cabinets? Nope, but again, when looking for a happy medium, sometimes you have to think outside of the color box!
Versatile Gray has an LRV of 48, making it a great contender for a variety of creams.
However, a lot of homeowners are wanting a LIGHTER warm gray, greige, or taupe with their cream cabinets. Let’s take a look at the LIGHTER version, Popular Gray…
Do you see how the cream-yellow of the cabinets FIGHTS with Popular Gray (right)? And while Worldly Gray (left) is no screamin’ glory either, its slightly lower LRV makes it a BIT better (I still wouldn’t do it).
Why?
Because there isn’t enough LRV or difference in DEPTH between the cabinet color and these samples, so, even though my client might’ve WANTED a lighter warm gray or greige/taupe paint color, it’s easy to see how a light-medium version like Versatile Gray (or Amazing Gray, which is the light-medium version of Worldly Gray) makes a better connection – HOORAY FOR HAPPY MEDIUMS!
FULL Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Versatile Gray
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of taupes & grays rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
Balanced Beige is definitely touch-and-go and HIGHLY dependent on your cabinets, the amount of YELLOW they have, and the GLAZE they have on them.
In this next kitchen, look at how flat and taupe Accessible Beige (left) looks compared to the glazed cream cabinets. And while Balanced Beige (right) is BETTER, it’s still too toned-down for the degree of warmth in the glaze – close, but no cigar!
In this next kitchen, notice how the glaze on the cabinets isn’t as WARM as in the previous version. Because the glaze is more toned-down and the backsplash is agreeable, Balanced Beige is a MUCH better fit…
Balanced Beige has an LRV of 46, which is definitely in its favor.
Read more : How To Remove an Aerator From a Kitchen Faucet
And while it’s okay with some of the MORE MUTED and lighter cream paint colors, it’s too taupe for others (including Antique White and creams with a similar depth). The reason it’s in this section is that sometimes it’s just that happy medium between cream cabinets/trim and surrounding finishes. My BEST advice is to try it 25% darker, as you’ll have a better shot by lowering its LRV. Or even better, check out the darker version, Tony Taupe.
This next photo is very small. Remember…
I rely 100% on my Online Color Consulting clients who send their photos in – I take what I can get! And while this photo is small, it’s a great example of how Antique White (trim/door) doesn’t work with Balanced Beige walls…
Notice how the cream trim/door looks even MORE YELLOW than usual compared to the Balanced Beige walls. In turn, Balanced Beige looks a bit pink/taupe-ish.
Oooo, I have a GREAT example of Accessible Beige with cream cabinets to show you, to hammer down how it’s NOT a great option…
My E-Design client hired me to fix her kitchen, but it wasn’t as easy as changing the paint color. Sure, the backsplash and paint color were well-coordinated, but the granite and cream cabinets were doing their own thing and didn’t suit EITHER of the other surfaces. Accessible Beige (and the backsplash) look too taupe/flat compared to the yellow/cream of the cabinets – it’s a bad combination that makes the cabinets look more yellow and dated.
The above is a great example of a kitchen that has beautiful finishes that aren’t well-coordinated with each other. And paint can’t fix everything when a good foundation isn’t in place. Again…
Just because YOU want a certain paint colour doesn’t mean your home agrees!
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of beiges rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
Anew Gray is a POPULAR light-medium depth greige/taupe paint colour. However, it has less undertone than some of the previously mentioned colors. This means it can look a bit washy and non-committal compared to a cream paint color – sample carefully!
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of beiges rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Anew Gray
BTW, if you’re getting paint samples, you should check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel-and-stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER, and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a FEW reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…
Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE
While Pashmina isn’t always friendly towards some of the darker or more intense cream paint colors (ones with more yellow in them), it can be a pretty compliment to a muted cream or off-white.
This next photo is a great example of Pashmina with a cream bed frame. While Pashmina has the potential to look MUCH grayer than this, it can also swing pretty darn warm depending on its surroundings and exposure!
Pashmina has an LRV of 44, making it a great depth for a variety of cream shades. As for its COLOUR, Pashmina is a greige paint color with a very slight nod towards green.
FULL Paint Colour Review of Benjamin Moore Pashmina
Comfort Gray is one of the most POPULAR green-blue-gray blend paint colors because while it certainly has COLOR, its gray base calms it right down for a more muted approach.
This next photo is such a WICKED example of a cool paint color in action with cream cabinets…
Comfort Gray has an LRV of 54, making it a bit touchy with some of the darker cream paint colors but an interesting option for slightly lighter, more muted shades of cream.
IN GENERAL, Comfort Gray with these cream cabinets is a beautiful COMBINATION. Would I like them in rooms that are next to each other? Sure. Do I want them right up against each other? It’s not that it’s not pretty, but the cool hue of Comfort Gray is making the cabinets and trim look MUCH MORE YELLOW in comparison, a look that not EVERYONE is going for…but maybe YOU ARE!
While I wouldn’t go any LIGHTER/more colorful than Comfort Gray (i.e., Sea Salt or Rainwashed), if you’re okay with this warm-cool play, it could work for you.
As an example of the type of cool color that straight-up WON’T work with cream cabinets, take a look at Sweet Bluette. Sometimes my clients need to SEE something to understand why it doesn’t work, and I’d say this gave a pretty clear eyeball on things…
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of beiges rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray
The Best Blue-Green Blend Paint Colors
Argos is a WICKED pretty, light-medium gray paint color with a green-blue undertone. HOWEVER, being a cool paint color, it WILL make your cream cabinets or trim look that much warmer in comparison. This is a pretty combo, but it needs to be the look you’re going for.
Please note, if your cabinets are Sherwin Williams Antique White or similar depth, these types of beiges rarely work – they need to be darker to humor this type of cream.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Argos
PEOPLE ALSO ASK…
In today’s average home? Yes, cream cabinets are outdated (don’t shoot the messenger!). These cabinets look more timeless in country-style, vintage, or traditional-style homes (some), particularly those with black countertops.
Aside from choosing one of the paint colors suggested above, a new backsplash can help cream cabinets look more modern. In particular, look for a 3×6 subway tile that’s the exact same cream as your cabinets.
Also, consider hardware in a finish that suits its surroundings (usually oil-rubbed bronze or black) but has a slightly more modern profile (check these out).
PHEW, we did it! Hopefully, you found the BEST paint color for you and your cream-inspired home. If not, you know who to call (or email, I never answer my phone…)
How to Update Cream Cabinets: COMMON QUESTIONS
And in case you’re wondering about some colors that I DIDN’T mention, there might be a GOOD REASON why I didn’t mention them…
And while I could go into all of the reasons WHY, by reading the above information, you’ll understand. These are colors that come up ALL THE TIME, with my E-design clients hoping to use them with their cream cabinets or trim.
OF COURSE, if your cream is on the LIGHTER side and has MUTED undertones (i.e., Sherwin Williams Creamy), you have a much better chance.
I could go on, but those are the usual offenders. If you have VERY light cream trim or cabinets, could they work? Maybe…if they do, send photos, but most of the time, they’re just TOO light or have the wrong undertones.
READ MORE
How to Update Cream Cabinets or Trim: COMMON QUESTIONS
The 10 Most Timeless Finishes for Your Home
The 12 Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colors
The 8 Best WHOLE HOME Warm Neutral Paint Colors
Get your SAMPLIZE PEEL & STICK samples of Kylie M’s 8 recommended colors from this post!
NEED HELP?
CHECK OUT MY ONLINE PAINT COLOR CONSULTING!
Chat soon,
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens
This post was last modified on 07/10/2023 03:56
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