Posted on March 26, 2023 by KylieMawdsley
POPULAR SHADES FOR ANY CABINET
When it comes to painting any type of cabinet, there are SO many awesome colors to choose from! But in particular, vanities and islands offer GREAT opportunities for some serious PERSONALITY.
Why?
Because it’s easier to commit to something a bit different and ‘out of the box’ on a smaller scale vs. a large scale project like an ENTIRE KITCHEN, which can be costly to redo in five years if you’re tired of the color (or five months if you’re like me).
However, personality doesn’t always come in the form of a wild and wonderful color; many neutrals add interest to a room without tipping the scales. We’ll be touching on some of these days, AS WELL AS, a few wicked, wonderful brighter, darker shades of green.
But why does this blog post focus on gray, greige, and green only?
Some of the most popular shades of gray have green undertones; others are balanced between the two colors and are open to perception. As for greige, greige is neutral with green undertones (whereas taupe has violet undertones). For this reason, partnering these three colors in one blog post makes sense, so you can decide which DEGREE of green you want to see!
However, there are a few great gray options that don’t have any green undertones at all!
And a HUGE thank you to my E-design and local clients, for sending me their ‘after’ photos – I couldn’t do this without you!
THE BEST GRAY VANITY, CABINET, OR ISLAND COLORS
Gray is a great way to add interest to a bathroom or kitchen without going over the top. And while light gray cabinets are no longer trendy, dark grays, especially those with interesting undertones, are still going strong.
As for the grays listed below, most have either a little or a LOT of green in them.
1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ROYCROFT PEWTER 2848
If you like a gray that’s a bit of a chameleon, look no further than Roycroft Pewter. With its unique blend of blue and green undertones, Roycroft Pewter is a unique take on gray due to its undertones, which can shift between green and blue depending on your PERCEPTION and surroundings.
Roycroft Pewter has an LRV of 13, making it a medium-dark color. And don’t expect those undertones to sit passively, as they will DEFINITELY show up to the party!
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Roycroft Pewter
LRV & Paint Colors: The Ultimate Guide You Need to Read
2. BENJAMIN MOORE CHELSEA GRAY HC-168
Chelsea Gray is a solid, medium-toned gray that has been a fan fave for years. And while it’s FRACTIONALLY warm (you’d hardly know it), it acts more like a standard charcoal and can sometimes pick up a SUPER vague green undertone.
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray
3. BENJAMIN MOORE METROPOLIS CC-546
Metropolis is a beautiful medium-toned WARM gray (almost taupe), with a subtle purple undertone – that’s right, there’s not a wink o’ green to be found in this bad boy! When it comes to homes built in the early 2000s, particularly those with granite countertops, Metropolis is a popular choice as it often suits the TYPE of gray found in these finishes.
See the AWESOME before and after of the above bathroom HERE
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Metropolis
4. BENJAMIN MOORE AMHERST GRAY HC-167
Amherst Gray is similar to Chelsea Gray but is darker, and the green undertone in Amherst Gray can sometimes show up just a wink more (depending on the products you partner it with and your lighting/exposure).
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray
5. SHERWIN WILLIAMS GAUNTLET GRAY 7019
Gauntlet Gray is one of the darkest, warmest grays available. As some warm grays darken, they pick up too much brown – not Gauntlet Gray. While it has some warmth, you’re still left with an overwhelmingly GRAY paint color.
As for undertones, Gauntlet Gray is flexible between green and purple, meaning it doesn’t commit to either. If you’re nervous of ANY undertone and hope for that ever-elusive ‘gray with no undertones,’ Gauntlet Gray (and Dovetail, listed next) could be as close as you get.
This next kitchen is still being completed, but is a great shot of Gauntlet Gray…
The 9 Best Benjamin Moore Gray Paint Colors
FULL REVIEW OF SHERWIN WILLIAMS GAUNTLET GRAY HERE
And remember, when you’re choosing the best gray paint color for your vanity, you need to pay CLOSE attention to the needs of your tiles and countertop. Find out which undertones you’re working with and coordinate your gray paint color from there! Every gray will have undertones, and you’ll want to ensure they partner up!
6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS DOVETAIL 7018
Dovetail is like a lighter version of Gauntlet Gray. This means that it’s also a warm gray with flexible and non-committal undertones. As for LRV, Gauntlet Gray sits at 17, whereas Dovetail is a good dose lighter at 26, putting it in the medium depths.
Sherwin Williams Dovetail Paint Color Review
7. BENJAMIN MOORE KITTY GRAY 1589
With its blend of green, blue, and gray, Kitty Gray is a great way to make a statement without going over the top with color. This is because while Kitty Gray does cater a bit more to green, it’s heavily grounded by gray, and has blue mixed in for moderation.
Compared to the others, Kitty Gray is DEFINITELY more colorful, without dipping right into the green pool.
THE BEST GREEN COLORS FOR VANITIES, CABINETS, OR ISLANDS
Whether it’s a green-blue blend, emerald-inspired, or leaning into the mossy end of things, green is definitely one of today’s more popular cabinet colors!
1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS EVERGREEN FOG 9130
If you’re looking for a more subtle take on green, Evergreen Fog is a medium-depth green with just the right amount of gray to calm it down without taking away the ‘green’ of it. As for temperature, Evergreen Fog doesn’t lean overly warm or cool, giving off a more ‘smoky’ look.
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog
2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ISLE OF PINES 6461
Isle of Pines is a gorgeous green. While it winks at the Kelly Green end of things, it’s not as intense and is more emerald-inspired.
Click HERE or on the above image to see available packages
3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS RIPE OLIVE 6209
Ripe Olive is a dark shade of green with a rich undercurrent. When it comes to cabinets, Ripe Olive offers a commitment to green without going anywhere NEAR Kelly or Emerald Green.
As shown in this next kitchen, Ripe Olive’s LRV of 6 is striking with off-white quartz countertops. And sure, you see GREEN, but it’s not punchy…
4. BENJAMIN MOORE SALAMANDER 2050-10
Salamander is one of Benjamin Moore’s most popular green paint colors for cabinets, color-washing, and front doors. This dark shade of green has a slightly cool tone (green-blue) and a reasonable saturation, meaning it’s not just dark (with an LRV of 5.72 ), but it’s also reasonably colorful.
Remember that you should never pick paint colors based on how they look horizontally or at an angle. ALWAYS place them 100% vertically so you can see how the light (natural and artificial) bounces off them.
Here’s Salamander and a few other popular shades of green (again, they should be totally vertical)…
The Best Medium & Dark Green Paint Colors
THE BEST GREIGE COLORS FOR CABINETS
Greige is another great choice and can sometimes work better than gray if you’re trying to transition out of the beige end of things. I say ‘sometimes’ as some bathrooms just CAN’T pull off gray or greige – it all depends on the existing finishes and what they can tolerate!
1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS URBANE BRONZE 7048
Urbane Bronze is a WICKED gorgeous, super dark greige paint color. Some of my Online Paint Color clients see the green undertones and love them; others don’t see them at all – it just depends on the surrounding environment and your perception.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
The 4 Best Gray and Greige Paint Colors for Cabinets and Vanities
2. BENJAMIN MOORE KINGSPORT GRAY HC-86
Kingsport Gray is an awesome medium-toned greige paint color, planted nicely between gray and beige with an allegiance to beige/brown over gray.
However, while some greiges commit hard to their green undertone, Kingsport Gray comes in way more muted, so the green isn’t noticeable unless you partner it with finishes with an opposite (purple-pink) undertone.
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Kingsport Gray
3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS KEYSTONE GRAY
Keystone Gray is one of my top greige paint colors for cabinets. While it’s similar to Kingsport Gray, it’s a bit lighter and less warm. It also has SUPER passive undertones that are hard-pressed to flash any green at all.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Keystone Gray
SAMPLIZE offers peel-and-stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER, and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots.
- samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1 BUSINESS DAY
- they’re considerably more affordable than the sample pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling
Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE
4. SHERWIN WILLIAMS AGREEABLE GRAY
If you want light or off-white depth cabinets and love the subtle greige look, it’s hard to beat Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray. IN FACT, I wrote an entire blog post on it!
Agreeable Gray is a light depth greige with an LRV of 60. And while this might be a bit darker than you had in mind, remember that the sheen of cabinet paint (satin) can make a color look a bit lighter than expected. Check out Agreeable Gray in this beautiful kitchen…
Agreeable Gray has flexible undertones. While there’s a touch of green in it, it’s so subtle that it rarely shows up to the party in a big way. On the other hand, it also doesn’t flash overly green or violet, either!
We did Agreeable Gray in this budget-friendly kitchen remodel…
READ MORE
The Best White Paint Colors for Cabinets, Trims or Walls
Farrow & Ball’s 10 Best Blue Paint Colors
How to Choose the Best White Paint Color for your Cabinets
The 12 Best Navy Blue Paint Colors for Cabinets, Islands, Front Doors & More
The Best DARK Greige & Taupe Paint Colors
LET ME PICK YOUR BEST COLORS FOR YOU!
Check out my Online Color Consulting packages; I’d love to help!
Chat soon,
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN JULY 2019, UPDATED IN 2022
Share this!
Comments
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
More Posts
How to Turn Your House Into a Home: A Case Study
5 WAYS TO CREATE A HOMEY-HOME: A case study of OUR house! Between Pinterest, HGTV, Instagram, and design magazines, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s trendy and hipShare
Read More
KYLIE M’S 5 COLORS OF THE YEAR: 2024 Collection
REAL HOMES, REAL PEOPLE, REAL COLORS! When choosing my top colors for the year, I’m looking for colors that INSPIRE. Colors that talk to people (mind you, every color talksShare
Read More
Are White Walls, Cabinets & Exteriors Still Trendy for 2024?
Is the ALL-WHITE HOME still in style? Is white still in style as a paint color and interior finish? Are people still doing white cabinets, countertops, walls, and exteriors? AreShare
Read More
I’m doing my walls in SW Alabaster but was thinking about my cabinets and trim in PPG Delicate White. I want a very shuttle difference .
I’n my powder room I am thinking about SW Black Magic for the vanity. Your thoughts?
Author
Hi Dianne, I’m just not familiar with the PPG brand to really put those all together, but if it were me, I wouldn’t do a different white on the trim and a different one on the cabinets, as they will only expose each others undertones – I would stay consistent and do the same for sure.
I love these colour ideas Kylie! I will contact you when I replace my cabinet doors in the kitchen.
I can’t tell you how relieved I am to see this post!!! I’m having custom cabinetry done for our master bathroom and chose BM White Dove. As I often do, I start doubting my choices after searching the web for anything on White Dove which leads me to comments about it being(or turning) too yellow or too creamy, which i didn’t want. Any insight on that? I loved it’s look when i was at the cabinet shop due to it’s softer appearance. I’m planning on using it on all the trim since the crown molding around the top of the linen closet/cabinet is the same as the cabinets. I’m doing a white subway tile shower with almond color penny tile on shower floor and Marazzi Lounge 14 in cosmopolitan color. Would you go with white dove on the walls or add a neutral color? I’m stuck at that point. The bathroom faces N/NE.
Author
Hi Lisa! Well I know that I wouldn’t put another white in the mix with White Dove, I’d keep going with that so if you want white walls, stick with White Dove. And it can be a warmer, creamier looking white, but it’s more subdued than the others (Cloud White for example). You might notice the warmth of it a bit more up against a pure white subway tile, which is why I ‘might’ consider a neutral on the walls, just to break things up a bit :).
Great Post Kylie! But none of these beautiful colors will work for me. I have a travertine floor that was put in my bathroom
in the 90’s. It has a creamy undertone that leans a bit yellow (I think!) or maybe it is pink beige. The floor has to stay because the shower is also travertine and the shower has 2 clear glass panels. My wall color looks nice and is SW Patience. The problem is the oak vanity (medium brown) and it kind of ugly. Thought I should paint it since it is still in okay condition and get new hardware. I have beautiful brushed gold Kohler faucets that are fairly new. If I paint my vanity some shade of white, will that work? Or should it be the color of my walls? I’m thinking the vanity should be white, but it has to be the right undertone because of the travertine floor. The current countertop is travertine tile but that is going to go and I’ll get quartz with new undermount sinks. I’m doing everything to update this bathroom to a more current look because we want to downsize and sell in a few years (we are empty nesters!) Thanks for any help can offer.
In general -What are the best vanity colors with beige countertop? that countertop is like bone in my throat… do I need to repeat counter color in Shower accent in mostly white the bathroom or just ignore it !
We recently painted our bathroom in SW Essential Gray and want to paint our vanity. Our cermaic tile floor is tan and tub tiles are a lighter shade of beige. Vanity top is off with with light splashes of beige. Can you recommend a color for our vanity? Thank you!
Hello, Is the green on the vanity in the picture above Isle of Pine? If not, what is the name and manufacturer? Thank you
Author
You bet it is!
Hello! What SW griege is used in the photo with the arrow print and white knobs? I don’t think it’s urban bronze. Thanks 😊
Author
Ahhh, that’s Benjamin Moore Kingsport Gray 🙂