The 15 best white paint colors that’ll make your kitchen cabinets glow

Whites aren’t just those overblown-out, uber-bright, totally bland options.

Whites can be warm, expressive, cool, expressive if you make them.

And while I’m not one for light colors, I’ve seen many-a-Pinterest post that has proved my initial preference wrong. Kitchens don’t need to have that overly bright, hospital-like vibe; they can easily have a beautiful vibe and hue with just the right white paint colors.

Why go white?

Again, I’m the last person to advocate for white, especially when we’re seeing so many overly simplistic interiors and I’m a huge sucker for dark, moody, and floral. Choosing the best white paint for kitchen cabinets is a great way to add:

1. It’s timeless: White is classic, it’s evergreen, it’s the little black dress of the kitchen world. If you feel like you could get tired of a bold color easily, white will always be in style!
2. Clean & fresh kitchen feel: A white kitchen just feels clean—even if you’ve just battled with a blender full of smoothie ingredients. And while it’s great to have all of the rooms in your home feel fresh, having your kitchen feel clean will actually make food appetizing.
3. Space illusion: If you’re working with a smaller kitchen, white can help it look bigger and brighter without having to lift a finger for a renovation.

Things to consider before painting your kitchen cabinets white

Before we get into some of our favorite white paint colors for cabinets, here are some things you’ll want to know before getting your go-to kitchen paint:

1. Quality matters.

Skimping on the quality is not what you want to do with paint, especially if you are about the toxins in your hope. Your cabinets and your family deserve the lowest toxic paint possible, which is why the picks we have are low-VOC and low-tox.

Aside from toxicity, low-quality paint will make it so much easier to actually get this color on the cabinets, rather than painting over and over again and trying to cover up streaks.

2. Finish is key.

Matte, semi-gloss, or gloss—each finish has its own charm.

• Matte is great for that soft, elegant look, but not super easy to clean.
• Gloss is for you if you want that high-shine, almost reflective finish, but seems to show all the little imperfections in the walls.
• Semi-gloss is like the in-between for these two.

3. Undertones are everything.

You probably know that white isn’t just white. It can have undertones that make it a warm white (think creamy), cool white (think crisp), or a more beige and neutral white, that’ll show up in the light even if it’s just subtly.

4. Consider how much light you have in your kitchen.

If you already have a lot of light in your kitchen, you’ll probably want a slightly darker white (yes, it’s a thing) to scale down the brightness and bring out any undertones your paint color might have. On the other hand, if you’re looking for as much light as possible, you’ll probably want to make it brighter.

5. Consider the color palette of your kitchen.

Last but not least, think about the existing colors in your kitchen and the color scheme you’ve created. Your new glowing white cabinets should play nicely with your walls, backsplash, accessories, and the secondary colors that make up your kitchen. (You’ll have a few ideas to choose from below, don’t worry!)

The 15 best white paint colors that’ll make your kitchen cabinets glow

Sherwin Williams

Many of the Sherwin Williams white colors (and pain in general) are low-VOC and have anti-microbial agents, which means you can breathe easier when enjoying your beautiful new kitchen space. They offer water-based and oil-based paints, as well as specialized cabinet coatings in case you don’t want to have to do the painting.

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore also offers low-VOC, zero-VOC paints, and paints that resist mildew—super important in a kitchen where you’re cooking up a storm and things can get steamy. They have lots of different finish options, including metallic finishes if you’re looking for an even more unique touch to your food-making spot.

Backdrop

Backdrop puts environmental friendliness at the forefront of its mission, offering low-VOC, water-based paints. Plus, their cans are made from 100% recycled plastic. Though they have a smaller selection of paint colors, it’s kind of like they’ve already narrowed it down for you.

Clare

With zero-VOC and GREENGUARD Gold certified you can paint to your heart’s content without stressing about indoor air quality with Clare’s paints– even though you might not have heard of them, yet. They focus specifically on interior pain, easy application, and durability. Plus, their paint is self-priming, meaning you can totally skip that step and get straight to the fun part.

Farrow & Ball

Farrow & Ball paints are water-based and low in VOCs, and they’re committed to being as eco-friendly as possible, they have emulsion paints, highly durable paints, and a signature Estate line. Plus, they have beautiful wallpapers that could complement a white kitchen beautifully.

Color palettes to match the white for kitchen cabinets

No matter what color for kitchen cabinets you choose, make sure that it sparks joy whenever you pass by it. A Pinterest photo looks great on Pinterest, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to make you happy whenever you step inside the place you make your tasty creations.

Grab some paint samples, mix up some colors, and have fun with these colors so your kitchen cabinetry can ooze everything that you love.

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