Thoughts on painting canity cabinet a different color than doors

Roxanna
by Roxanna
I have an old house with custom built-in bathroom vanity that I can't replace right now. I've gone with soft gray on the walls and I was thinking of dark gray on the 'case' or housing then a lighter shade on doors and drawers. I wanted input on doing this 'look'. I thought this would allow me to change color of trim and walls when I wanted without changing the doors each time.
  19 answers
  • Julie Julie on Mar 09, 2015
    It's only paint - go for it! To incorporate your idea consider going with the darker case but I would not recommend bringing in too many colors. The doors painted the same color as the walls would provide continuity to the space. I'm assuming your trim will be white?
  • Victoria Victoria on Mar 09, 2015
    I agree with Julie!
  • Nancy Nancy on Mar 09, 2015
    Yes you can. I painted my cabinets in both bathrooms white and the doors the coordinating color of the walls and they came out great. Have fun.
  • Ramblin rose Ramblin rose on Mar 09, 2015
    sure!!
  • Trudy Hibler Trudy Hibler on Mar 09, 2015
    I would definitely go for it. If you're not crazy about it, it can always be repainted. To be sure the colors blend well, I would recommend using colors from the same paint card or going with a fully neutral base then adding a pop of a complementary color to the doors and drawers. I did the latter with my kitchen and it's the one room in the house I absolutely love!
  • JoAnn JoAnn on Mar 09, 2015
    What other colors are you going to use in the room? you could use one of those colors for the doors.
  • Sandra Sandra on Mar 09, 2015
    I agree with with everyone else. I recently used the same colors in my bathroom. I opted to paint the vanities all the same color. Good luck!
  • Maureen OGrady Maureen OGrady on Mar 09, 2015
    If that is a look you like , go for it. Personally cabinets I have seen like this have looked very DIY.
  • Buster Evans Buster Evans on Mar 09, 2015
    You "could" paint the base of the cabinet one color. the a different color ont the square outer edge of the doors and even a third color or match the center square of each door to the cabinet.. I enjoy contrast and breaking up the color like that.
  • Lonnie Hester Lonnie Hester on Mar 09, 2015
    Dont be shy, go for it!! I just painted my kitchen cabinets white on top and eggplant on the bottom, and it looks awesome.......
  • Melly Melly on Mar 09, 2015
    It is only paint. That said, I wouldn't do it. Why call attention to cabinetry that you don't really like. Paint it all one color.
  • Sherry Fram Sherry Fram on Mar 09, 2015
    I did that in my kitchen and I love it!
  • Nancy Rhodes C Nancy Rhodes C on Mar 09, 2015
    Personally, the less clutter in my bathroom the better I like it. I would paint the cabinet all one color.
  • Sunshineinthenw Sunshineinthenw on Mar 09, 2015
    Sounds like a well planned update for your bathroom, good luck!
  • Duv310660 Duv310660 on Mar 09, 2015
    I have an old house too - it has 2 kitchens: one 'real' one downstairs, and one upstairs when there was an apartment. Both had - still have - those mid century plywood cabinet doors: thin with a slight rounded edge. The rest of the house is from the 1870's and is a little grand, but this part - put in on the cheap when they finally got running water in 1960 - looked like junk. As opulent as the Victorians could be, their kitchens were no-nonsense. The upstairs cabinetry reminded me of a potting shed, so I used warm white, terra cotta and moss green. Downstairs I used bone (from an old armoire), classic brown and off-white. Counter 1 colour; doors one colour; cabinet a third. The secret in both places was to further "the story" of the colours with some other kind of eye distracting embellishment. Upstairs potting shed got large wrought-iron look hardware; down stairs I installed faux tin ceiling tiles behind the sink and tiny LED lights to illuminate the counter and put sparkle in the 'tin'. I think it works, and if I never get to redoing it, I can still live with it 25 years later. A colleague was frustrated with a kitchen in a house she was going to purchase once blurted out in my living room: "WHO paints their kitchen cabinets 2 colours? WHO??... Apparently she fancied the sleek, hide all flaws in one-tone... But she had never been consciously vexed by either of my mismatched, 3-toned kitchen cabinets!
  • Julieanne Blaik Julieanne Blaik on Mar 09, 2015
    try painting them in a colour to match your decor. eg.. silver kettle = silver doors, red cannisters= red doors . <3
  • Rebecca Platt Rebecca Platt on Mar 09, 2015
    I have a home over one hundred years old and we are thinking of painting our kitchen cabinets as well. However, I agree with those that suggest you them all one color. I think the other look draws attentions to the unattractive part of the cabinet. Good luck
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Mar 09, 2015
    (Am not quite getting how a lighter colour on the doors would save repainting them when/if you changed trim and wall colour.) Agree with the darker colour. One colour would make the unit more cohesive. 2-tone would give some interest..
  • Leslie Leslie on Mar 10, 2015
    Personally, I would go with one color. Two shades are going to give it a 'busy' look.