What color should I paint these wooden cabinets to brighten the room?

Jude_ly
by Jude_ly
We have a red marble tile floor, mahogany colored under counter cabinets and a black galaxy granite counter top. The floating, unpainted cabinets are my concern. If I paint them with mahogany color too, it might get dull/dark and if I use white then too pale? What color should I paint these floating wooden cabinets to brighten up the room and make it more fresh and inviting?
Our unpainted kitchen cabinets
Our red marble tiled floor looks like this...
  48 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Feb 04, 2016
    In my opinion a light soft gray may work to tie your colors together.
  • Dixie Gossien Dixie Gossien on Feb 04, 2016
    A soft cream white. new hardware for the doors or try finding some used handles and paint those. Maybe paint the backsplash or tile it
  • Dixie Gossien Dixie Gossien on Feb 04, 2016
    Trim out with some molding
  • Sharon Sharon on Feb 04, 2016
    The color I think would be stunning is lightest grey you can find. sharon
  • Suzie Henderson Suzie Henderson on Feb 04, 2016
    White with some creamy undertones. Some under cabinet lighting would do wonders to brighten up the space. You might also want to paint the cabinet doors down below to bring in my light reflecting surfaces.
  • MN Mom MN Mom on Feb 04, 2016
    I agree with a cream color. Anything with with an obvious undertone (grey can be too blue/brown/pink) will compete with the already bold flooring and countertops
  • Desiree' Desiree' on Feb 04, 2016
    To offset the red and mahoney, white paint may help make it brighter and beautiful. Creamy white can do the same if you dont want it to go pure white.
  • Barbara Barbara on Feb 04, 2016
    I agree with Suzie And Barbara S. I'd go soft creamy tones. We have creamy white cabinets (tops and bottoms) and the black onyx countertop and it's striking in contrast. I also had the kitchen painted a barely there blue to lighten up the room and add reflective light (former homeowner painted dusty pea green).
  • Country Design Home Country Design Home on Feb 04, 2016
    Wow- that floor- amazing!! I think I agree with the above comments- creamy white would look amazing. Then adding some dark hardware to complement the granite and marble, as well as a back splash that will tie it all together.
  • CK CK on Feb 04, 2016
    I'd try a pale gray with slightly green undertones. If you can paint the lowers too that would be great. If not, the pale gray will coordinate nicely with the reddish tones of the floor and of course work very well with the black countertop. I'd also like to suggest that you paint the uppers, backsplash and entire walls in the kitchen the same color (whichever you choose) all the same lighter color. With fewer "definition of lines", your room will look bigger and brighter....even if you leave the lower cabinets 'as is'. Get actual paint sample from the store. Paint it on foam board and hold it up by the uppers to see how they look in the room. Don't make your final color choice in the store because their lighting isn't your lighting :-) Pick some pretty accent pieces in metallics to use/display (maybe stainless steel to work with your faucet)...but keep the countertops and those under-counter shelves neatly arranged and not too busy. That too will help your room look fresher and more up to date. Some shiny nickel hardware will work well too. Can you change the celing light fixture? Something more contemporary will play nicely with your straight-lined cabinets too. Also, you might consider above cabinet lighting. If you don't want to hire an electrician, you can buy simple rope lighting and plug it into an outlet if there's one available. Have you considered taking off a couple of the upper's doors? That often lightens the room too. We're all hoping you post 'after' photos! Best of luck!
  • Funnygirl Funnygirl on Feb 04, 2016
    What about painting the center cabinets in the mahogany color,the cabinets on each side a creamy vanilla.would also repaint the lower cabinets painted white ,into the same creamy vanilla.Also,consider a mural on top of the white creamy white with the mahogany color to tie it all together.Ivory white has a beautiful richness to it,less contrast.
  • Diana of all Trades Diana of all Trades on Feb 04, 2016
    Depending on what the general style of your home is, a soft butter yellow could be really nice. It is seen a lot in French decor and Early American. By using the right accent pieces, such as a vase or two and a teapot, you could make the whole room blend together. If that doesn't work, I'd go with the gray. I think white will be too much of a contrast for the floor and cabinets.
  • Dfm Dfm on Feb 04, 2016
    pick the lightest color from the floor tile, find a chip strip(s) of paint colors in that tone. many paint stores have 2 oz. testers for just a buck or so...paint a poster board in the color you think you like, hang it on a cabinet and live with it for a week or so. lighting makes a big difference in paint tones/ colors... since the upper cabinets have flat panel doors .....pin-striping in the deep red could be cool once the base coat has been decided. I'm also thinking painting the lower cabinets as well- the lighter color, may be one or 2 tones darker than the uppers- could brighten up the space. and paint out the white areas in the cabinets the same as the cabinets... it's kinda making the room look choppy. if you put door handles on the cabinets- go with knobs. wooden- can be painted kind. that's where i'd do the red as an accent. plus, the knobs leave only 1 screw hole, so changing the knob type later won't be an issue if you decide to repaint.
  • Anne Howell Anne Howell on Feb 05, 2016
    Don't paint clear varnish to bring out the wood patterns lovely warm look too
    • Pam Pam on Feb 05, 2016
      @Anne Howell I totally agree; I would go with a clear coat polyurethane on the uppers for durability. I would go one more step and make the under counter cabinets one color to eliminate the white stripes that break up the expanse. My preference would be black, then I would paint over the white walls with a warm honey color or something other than the stark white.
  • Pis2225486 Pis2225486 on Feb 05, 2016
    I would consider painting the wall a grey green and then painting the cabinets a cream color. Because the cabinets take up most of the wall space and the counter and floor are very dark, this would brighten the room significantly. You could also add some black hardware on the cabinets or some mahogany stained trim to tie it into the rest of the kitchen
  • Dee Lowe Dee Lowe on Feb 05, 2016
    I love the idea of a off white w/ new hardware, maybe in black. I also would consider different lighting. Then I would add a little yellow w/ accessories-canisters, a yellow pitcher w/ red flowers-you need another bright pop of color to help the over all darkness. Would love to see the final decision.
  • Tre3955719 Tre3955719 on Feb 05, 2016
    I would use a soft or 'antique white for the cupboards. You could add energy to the scheme by painting the wall in the open part of the cupboard a zingy lime green or turquoise blue
  • Bernadette Bernadette on Feb 05, 2016
    I would do them white with a pink undertone. It would all tie in nicely
  • Debbie Debbie on Feb 05, 2016
    I was partial to yellow but I am no decorator or maybe a soft green
  • Lolla Lolla on Feb 05, 2016
    What about a light gray or a whitewash?
  • Susan Rutter Susan Rutter on Feb 05, 2016
    To give a little more brightness to the cabinets I would paint them white or 2 shades up from white running into very, very light grey. Or off-white.
  • Jay Jay on Feb 05, 2016
    As the floor is dictating the style (modern), I would also stick with a white or soft white with cabinetry. Maybe some undercounter mirror squares all around to reflect any light.
  • Alicia Lopez Alicia Lopez on Feb 05, 2016
    I would go with white.
  • Ellen Ellen on Feb 05, 2016
    I would paint them within the colour group of the floor and bottoms, but much lighter, it would be a statement but still not dark and depressing. get some colour chips from the paint store and put them around, you'll soon find the colour you like and it will be fabulous.
  • Ann Ann on Feb 05, 2016
    Don't forget to paint the walls a different color too.
  • Cg Witherell Cg Witherell on Feb 05, 2016
    I agree with white for the cabinets. But, I would redo the base cabinets as well. Maybe light gray for the walls. And, some "pot" lighting. Love the open shelf under the cabinets. I would have so much fun with them! But, then my kitchen floor is purple...a little off the "norm". :-)
  • Melissa Leach Melissa Leach on Feb 05, 2016
    I love the combination of red and yellow. Paint your cabinets yellow! Yellow is so happy and welcoming. Keep your wall color neutral, off white or white.
  • 2012902668 2012902668 on Feb 05, 2016
    Definitely paint your cabinets eggshell
  • Ellyn Ellyn on Feb 05, 2016
    I'd paint the cabinets white but echo the floor by painting just the bottom shelf in a matching matte red. I'd also add a flat molding to the top of the cabinet and paint it a matte black. Keeps the modern feel and adds visual interest.
  • Terry Frank Terry Frank on Feb 05, 2016
    White or very light grey
  • Anne Howell Anne Howell on Feb 05, 2016
    yes sounds good
  • Kari Roberts Kari Roberts on Feb 05, 2016
    Your favorite color.
  • Karen Ezrre Postil Karen Ezrre Postil on Feb 05, 2016
    I would paint all the cabinets white even the bottom cabinets, I notice the white dividers and end piece on the bottom cabinets. I would actually paint those either Mahogany or black. That would give you a tie into either your counter or floor. i do not see any cabinet hardware, but I would add a dark hardware, pulls or knobs for added contrast.
  • Marra Marra on Feb 05, 2016
    There's a pale yellow or beige vein running through the tile. I would use this as the color for all of the cabinets and then follow oellyn's suggestions. That would tie in the flooring and brighten the room while staying coordinated
  • Em Em on Feb 05, 2016
    I agree with Marra3333 grey is not even remotely in the palate of the granite. The light vein of warm beige of a butter yellow will lighten and compliment the floor
  • LD LD on Feb 05, 2016
    Since you have dark lower cabinets, counter tops and floor you need to go with a light color on the walls and a medium light color for the upper cabinets. Take close up pic of the floor and lower cabinets, and head off to a paint store (i.e., Sherwin Williams) so you can look at the paint chips in those color ranges.
  • Linda Pearce Linda Pearce on Feb 05, 2016
    I would go with the color of the lighter vein in the flooring for all cabinets. I think it will make your flooring and countertop pop.
  • Duv310660 Duv310660 on Feb 05, 2016
    colour is a very personal thing, and when you find your combo, you'll know it! however since you asked my opinion, I'll tell you: to highlight that fabulous floor, there is a colour combo that was signature around the early 1900's that I just love: dark red book-binding leather and a paler green, somewhere between mint and sage (not greyish, just complex). Maybe call it pistachio. I very nearly did my home in this, but opted for a warmer pallet because my house is so cold! It sounds kinda unusual, but you may be familiar with it. It is so restful and assured - a time when the world was for exploring and marveling at! Anyway, grab some pstachio-esque paint chips and spread them out on your floor, & see what you think.
  • Evelyn Evelyn on Feb 06, 2016
    White.
  • Jean DeSavage Jean DeSavage on Feb 06, 2016
    I agree with Evelyn. I would use a white on the creamy side, and the paint both the cabinets and the walls the same color. That way the cabinets will blend in and give the room more of a sense of openness. Will you be changing the lighting at all? If not you might think about putting rope lighting on the top of the cabinets, it would send more light to the ceiling and brighten the whole room. I would have the ceiling a white white. I love the colors of your lower cabinets, floor and counter tops!
  • Julie Julie on Feb 07, 2016
    I might suggest that you consider changing the color of the lower cabinets while you're looking at paint colors for the top. I appreciate your liking of the red but being a small space the dark lower cabinets against the floor tile lessens the impact of that floor. Additionally bringing too many colors into this room will only make it look more disjointed. I would suggest pulling a color from the tile and unifying the kitchen with that color on both the top and bottom cabinets so your floor really POPS! Door hardware would really add nice touch. You could bring the tile color up into the upper cabinets by painting the shelf that color or with accessories. Paint the current white areas on lower cabinets the same as the cabinets - again to unify the cabinetry. Good luck! Would love to see finished pics when you're done! :)
  • Em Em on Feb 08, 2016
    you can see from the photo the white on the lower cabinet is very stark against the red marble. The same color as the beige vein in the marble will not look so harsh. Red is warm and so would the beige or tan with a slight yellow hue would also be warm.
  • Linda 4 Real Linda 4 Real on Feb 09, 2016
    I would also suggest considering changing the lower color. I love the red marble floor and the mahogany color takes away from the beautiful floors. I actually love the wood grain and color of the bare wood cabinets with the granite and red floor. I would consider sealing it with a clear finish or very light stain color. If you must paint you could try a white wash which gives a little color but not stark white. For the lowers you could go with a light grayish color or even a brown gel stain to look like wood stain. If you change the color, I recommend a deglosser highly!!! I used it in my last kitchen to go from stained to a gray latex paint and it didn't scratch off a bit when the deglosser was used. I would show off the floor and counters by contrasting to lighter cabinets. If a white is boring you can also do a cabinet glaze in a chocolate or gray for depth of color
  • Angelene.childers Angelene.childers on Feb 10, 2016
    Rust-oleum has hammered metal look in silver. You just roll it on, nothing complicated and the outcome is amazing! I have done this on kitchen cabinets in my previous home and everyone loved them. It will brighten without being too harsh. Good luck
  • B. Enne B. Enne on Feb 10, 2016
    I agree with the people who said to pull a colour from the marble floor, and to paint out the bottom cabinets in that colour as well.
  • Carol Carol on Feb 12, 2016
    think this color line would warm up the area and would go w/the red, and you can accent in reds & creams.
  • The Redesign Habit The Redesign Habit on Feb 12, 2016
    I'm looking at your marble floor and it looks like there is the tiniest bit of gray in there. You could do a soft gray on both uppers and lowers and it will look amazing with both your red floor and your black granite. You could do something like Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray, which is a warm, rich gray color. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/amherstgray Check out this link to see the color and what it goes well with. It even shows your red as a good combination with this color!
  • Liliana Wells Liliana Wells on Mar 13, 2016
    You can never go wrong with white or a very light grey for all cabinets as indicated in posts above.