White or cream cabinets

3 months ago

TL/DR : do cream cabinets work with white doors and trim or should we just do white cabinets?

We are building a house and are planning cream cabinets in our kitchen. it is an open kitchen/great room lay out. we will have dark wood flooring through out. we are also going to have wide, extra white trim through out the house. i now have a couple concerns about going with cream cabinets 1. will they clash with the white trim and doors (this is new build, we cant change that unless we paint it after which i really dont want to do) 2. what color to paint the walls with cream cabinets and white trim so close to each other? the house comes painted white, or at a reduced peice we can have the whole house painted Sherwin Williams Agreeable Grey or Repose Grey. im not sure either goes with cream, but i dont like the idea of pure white walls throughout the house. so considering having the house painted and just repainting the kitchen wall

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 months ago
IMO you go white or some color creams are hard to work with to get right mixed with white . What is your issue with white cabinets? If you are on here often you will see posts where someone has cream trim all through the house and they want white cabinets and then to problems begin. Yes you can mix the 2 but IMO not wrth the hassle of finding the perfect fit.
jackowskib
3 months ago
You just need to choose the right white for trim that compliments the cream shade for cabinets (in your lighting), and the rest of the house. A neutral white. No different than painting walls a color with white trim.
Related Discussions
Pls help, mosaic doesn't match with wall tiles, how can I salvage this
Q
Comments (13)
Hi Rubypumps. Unfortunately you have made the common mistake of mixing undertones. I see this a lot as a colour consultant. Mistakes with your hard finishes are the worst kind because they are very costly to change. Right now your walls have a pink undertone and your walls behind the tub and counter are clearly blue grey. Since blue is complementary to pink, it brings out the pink in the tile even more and the clean blue makes the tile look dirty. It may be hard for you to see this, but this is what's happening and this is probably why you don't like your bathroom. Since you chose such a busy mosaic, it has become the boss (and focal point) of the room and I would now keep your other finishes as simple as possible. If you can, down the road, change the beige tile. Because unfortunately, there is no magic colour combination that will make it disappear. Working with what you have, I would most likely go with a more neutral cabinet like Uniboard G21 Viva Walnut. It will help warm up the space. Black is too stark for this bathroom.
...See More
How can I hide an existing column in the kitchen
Q
Comments (5)
You could use the column for something useful like hanging utensils or cooking tools if you have the height or a towel rack or if you want to just hide it you could put fairy lights on/around it to give a homely feel.my personal opinion would be if there is a ledge you should get some vintage alcohol bottles and put them there as decoration and it works nice in most households.if no ledge just get a wine rack and screw it to the column
...See More
Cabinet colors
Q
Comments (0)
In looking at the other Q and A's I think the color of the island is BM Hale Navy and the color of the glass cabinets is BM Harbor Gray. Is that correct? Also, what color white did you use for the rest of the cabinets? Thanks so much for sharing. This kitchen is beautiful.
...See More
Kitchen cabinets in rustic country style without laminates and gloss
Q
Comments (1)
HI, love your taste. We would love to help you. This is what we recently did for a client of ours. It was sprayed white of course as you can see. Would love to hear from you.
...See More
bjstem
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
If you really like grey, then I suppose grey walls and white cabinetry would work, but I feel like grey has sort of been done to death, and you may end up wanting to change it. Is it not an option to go with a creamy color on the walls, and a white cabinet that matches your trim? I think cream cabinets are quite pretty, but white may be easier.
American Colonial Revival · More Info
PRO
Norwood Architects
3 months ago
Personal preference is crisp white for trim and cabinetry.
la_la Girl
3 months ago
I have been pondering this as well for a new lake build - I love the softer look of cream cabs! but i think i have landed on white cabs that match the trim and then having creamy walls throuhgout — it’s less likely to go wrong and waaaay less stressy for me amidst lots of decisions (it’s also what i have in my current house and I am happy with it)
HU-918119203
3 months ago
I think cream cabinets and white paint can look great. The key is for both colors to have the same undertones (so in general, the white should not be cool since cream tends to have a warm yellow undertone) but the difference between the cream and white be significant enough that it looks deliberate, rather than a failed attempt to match.

I would stay away from gray walls, especially in a new build with bright white trim. That ship has sailed, unless you really like the look.
kandrewspa
3 months ago
Most cabinet manufacturers will have at least two whites to choose from, an "Arctic" white (it's not always called Arctic, but it will be a blindingly white, cool white) and a warmer, more neutral white. I would go with the warmer white. You could easily have those cabinets for decades, and this type of white will never go out of style. Has the builder shown you samples to choose from yet? Since they want to just paint the whole house white you can always consider it to be like primer and paint (maybe just some of the rooms) different colors over time. If you decide to choose one of the grays, I wouldn't do every room that color, and I would choose Repose Gray over Agreeable Gray because it's warmer. But only do that if you really like gray and your furniture goes with it. Some people like gray regardless of whether it's "in" or not. Agreeable Gray has been very popular over the past decade. Accessible Beige is also a nice color. All colors look different depending on the light, so get some Samplize samples and take them over to the unfinished house and look at them there before you decide. Paint chips aren't very useful because they're so small.
cat_ky
3 months ago
I would paint the cabinets and the trim, the same white. Use the cream on the walls.
PRO
Kylie M Interiors
3 months ago
I consult with clients on a daily basis who are trying to update their outdated cream cabinets. They’re especially tough when you have white trim and it can make the cabinets look that bit creamier in comparison. I 100% wouldn’t do it if you want longevity and ease of coordination ☺️
Elle
3 months ago
With light gray walls and dark wood floors, I would consider blue cabinets.

French Country Estate · More Info