What color should I paint old kitchen cabinets in order to appeal to most home buyers?

[Jenrae]

I would love your opinion!!

 

I desperately need to do a complete kitchen remodel, but right now we are choosing not to. Down the road, if the cabinets don't look great, we may decide to do that, but for now, we are in the process of painting very, very old kitchens cabinets. We still have the ugly old soffet above as well. ughhhh....

 

We are contemplating listing the house for sale, but not sure at the moment. Taking that into consideration, what would be the best color to paint? If you have a paint name to recomend, please share!

 

white

off white

cream

grey

espresso

 

 

Next question:

 

I think I should paint the inside, but that is a lot of work, and I wonder if the paint will actually hold up over time with the placement of dishes, pots and pans on the shelves over time. If I do paint inside, I think I will wait until the outside is completely finished so I can see if we will actually be keeping these cabinets or moving onto a remodel in a few months.

 

If you painted your cabinets, did you paint inside? Did they hold up or chip due to the placement of pot and pans, etc?

 

 

Edited to add:

 

I will decide upon wall color and counter color after I choose the PAINT color for the cabinets. (unable to stain the cabinets)

 

The counter will NOT be high end, as this is just a fixer 'er up to sell, or until we do a major remodel and replace cabinets and knock a wall down between kitchen and dining area.

 

My house is just a cookie cutter, nothing special old 40 year old house. Nothing special, but a nice back porch and a huge back yard. We use the formal dining room as our dining room as we have added two free standing pantry cabinets in our eat in kitchen years ago.

 

Edited again: Changed poll question to show that I am trying to determine what color would appeal to most home buyers.

[SunnyDays]

I would say it completely depends on what the rest of your kitchen looks like.  What color are your counters, floors, and walls?  Or if you're changing those, what are you selecting?  Hard to say without knowing that.

 

And no, I wouldn't paint the inside of the cabinets if you just don't like the color... I would clean them out well, and perhaps you could put shelf paper inside if you just want to freshen them up??

[Spryte]

I've painted kitchen cabinets with Annie Sloan chalk paint. Twice. :)

 

Easy to do, almost no prep. But choose your color carefully. My second experience was fixing a poor color choice.

 

You need to consider your wall and floor colors, and anything else visible. I couldn't possibly vote.

[Spryte]

Oh! Paint the inside of the doors, but I wouldn't mess with the shelving, inside the boxes. :)

[luuknam]

Like others said... it depends on the rest of the kitchen, AND on the rest of the house (you don't want to walk from one room into the next and have some sort of culture shock experience). In our previous house (which was over a 100 years old, and the cabinets were also old), we painted the kitchen walls yellow and the kitchen cabinets light green. It looked pretty good. We saw an article in "This Old House" magazine (or some title similar to that) that had a kitchen painted quite similarly.

[Annie Elle]

Fourteen years ago, I painted our avocado green cabinets a soft white and only painted the inside of the doors. The soffets which were wood paneling, I painted the same color as the walls. The counter tops were butcher block Formica. Last year we remodeled the kitchen to get rid of the last of the seventies that lingered in the house. :-)

[alisoncooks]

We have cheap-o, builders grade cabinets. We painted the front and back of the doors, but left the inside and shelves unpainted (wood laminate, I assume).

 

I like the idea of gray cabinets. We did espresso in our master bathroom, and they look great, but whenever something gets dinged/scratched, the much-lighter wood underneath shows up badly.

 

We did brick red in our kitchen. :D

[idnib]

I recommend chalk paint if you're going to do it yourselves because it's considered easier.

 

If you're going to have someone paint them or if you're handy with regular paint, I recommend Benjamin Moore Cloud White semigloss to quite a few people and it's worked for all of them. It would be handy to see a picture of your kitchen. I guess this is my answer if you decide on white, but I don't have enough info to say whether gray or espresso would be better.

[Northwoodsmama]

I want to second using chalk paint, but definitely research DIY chalk paint. Annie Sloan paint is super $$$$ but you can achieve an *identical * finish using flat paint mixed with plaster of paris. Chalk paint gives a beautiful smooth finish! Search "chalk paint kitchen cabinets" on Pinterest and you'll get tons of ideas!

[Lady Marmalade]

We were at Ikea last weekend, and I think that was the first time I stepped in a kitchen with grey cabinets, and omg, did I LOVE it.  I'm a white cabinet girl usually, I love the white painted woodwork look, but I lingered a little longer in the two kitchen displays they had that were grey.  It was unexpected and soothing- it made me want to just sit down and have a cup of coffee right there.

 

Here's one of them:  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/tools/conk/roomset/20153_cosk02a/

 

If you're considering painting the inside of the cabinets, and plan on doing yourself, it would be worth it to get a paint sprayer.  I can't imagine how tedious it would be brushing/rolling the inside of cabinets, but I could see why you'd want to do it.  Mine could use a coat of paint to freshen them up.  

[luuknam]

Are the appliances going to stay with the house? If so, what color are they?

 

I don't like *white* for anything interior design. White looks dirty too quickly. Cream is okay. I like colorful colors. I've read though that realtors don't like those. I think the size of the kitchen would matter too... don't use a color that's going to make a small kitchen look smaller. If it's a big kitchen, it may not matter all that much.

[Corraleno]

I would go with an off-white — I agree with the earlier suggestion of Ben Moore Cloud White, which is a nice, neutral, warm-but-not-yellow off white. If you go with a stark white, it can make other whites (like appliances, trim, vinyl windows) look dingy. I do like gray cabinets, and they're quite trendy right now, but for resale I think your best bet is off-white. Also, if you go with gray it will limit your color options for the countertops.

 

I would definitely not paint the interior of the cabinets. I did that once a long long time ago (the previous tenants had painted them bright orange inside and out!), and it was a total PITA that I would not want to repeat. 

[Happy]

I love, love, love Annie Sloan chalk paint. My fav crush right now is Chateau Grey--and lovely green/gray color. I'm doing my dining room buffet in it now. Love it! My sis in law did her kitchen cabs in it...which is where I got the idea.

 

 A quart of chalk paint goes a long way.

 

You'll need two coats for sure, then seal with a couple of coats of the wax. There are some good ideas on Pinterest.

 

Other color--ASCP Cream is a lovely soft white. I'm dallying with the idea of doing my kitchen cabs in it, then darkening with the dark wax for an old country cottage look.

 

And, lastly, I see a lot of older homes in my real estate work. A fresh creamy color on everything really brightens and freshens a house.

[merry gardens]

Paint them a neutral color that's found in the rest of the house, then paint the soffits the same color as the cabinets. Kitchen cabinets can look great but make the rest of the house look in need of updates to all the woodwork and paint if they don't blend with what's already there. If your house has white woodwork, paint them the same shade white. If your house has outdated wood trim that you don't plan on changing, I'd go with a cream that blends. If the rest of the house has gray carpet, light gray cabinets that matches could modernize the kitchen while still leaving a cohesive look with the rest of the house. I wouldn't go with espresso or dark gray, as then you'd need to examine your kitchen's lighting to make sure the room wasn't too dark.

 

We painted the outside of our kitchen cabinets years ago and then just a used wall paper boarder against the walls in the interior cabinets. It added a nice finished look to the inside.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I'd go with off white or White (if you're going to sell soon) Off white to Cream if you're going to stay for awhile(lighter colors are more forgiving of mistakes in the painting process).  I would paint the inside, then put down contact paper or a shelf liner because paint (even what seems to be dry) sticks to dishes and boxes, ask me how I know.  Painting the inside will make it seem cleaner, I've not rented a particular house because of older cabinets that seemed musty (FWIW I do have a slight germ phobia).

 

 

[Jenrae]

I would say it completely depends on what the rest of your kitchen looks like. What color are your counters, floors, and walls? Or if you're changing those, what are you selecting? Hard to say without knowing that.

 

And no, I wouldn't paint the inside of the cabinets if you just don't like the color... I would clean them out well, and perhaps you could put shelf paper inside if you just want to freshen them up??

I edited my original post to show that the color of walls and counter will depend upon the color I choose for the cabinets. I guess I am actually trying to get the opinion on what do most home buyers want when it comes to color of cabinets if they are painted.

 

edited to add: I wish I knew how to do multiquote and anwer more than one person at a time!! I am on an Ipad and multiquote doesn't seem to be working.

[Jenrae]

I've painted kitchen cabinets with Annie Sloan chalk paint. Twice. :)

 

Easy to do, almost no prep. But choose your color carefully. My second experience was fixing a poor color choice.

 

You need to consider your wall and floor colors, and anything else visible. I couldn't possibly vote.

I did edit my original post to explain that all the wall color and counter will be chosen once I determine the color of cabinets. I am just trying to figure out what most people think a home buyers would find pleasing, considering they will be painted.

 

I had never heard of it before a few days ago. Are they chalky feeling? Dull or a little shiny? It is so hard to tell in pictures on pintrest.

 

We have already used Kilz on the cabinets, so this may not even be a possibility.

[Jenrae]

Like others said... it depends on the rest of the kitchen, AND on the rest of the house (you don't want to walk from one room into the next and have some sort of culture shock experience). In our previous house (which was over a 100 years old, and the cabinets were also old), we painted the kitchen walls yellow and the kitchen cabinets light green. It looked pretty good. We saw an article in "This Old House" magazine (or some title similar to that) that had a kitchen painted quite similarly.

Yes, that makes sense. I bet your kitchen looked beautiful! I love that style of decorating, but yes, that wouldn't fit the character of my home.

 

I am just wondering what color most home buyers would like if the cabines are painted. I'm thinking an off white may be best. Thanks so much for the reply!

[Jenrae]

Can't vote without knowing what the rest of your kitchen looks like.

 

I used Gel Stain in an Espresso color at my grandmothers house. I figured it would hide scratches and dirt better than white which was my second choice. I loved it.

I painted everything but the inside of the cabinets. That's too much trouble and it looked good with the espresso.

 

If they are really old and you plan to sell, white might be a better choice since it's neutral and clean in appearance. You could make them look more updated with cabinet pulls or knobs.

 

this might give you some ideas.

Pinterest search

Yes, my preference would be a stain, but because of the trim that we removed and the color of the wood, they must be painted instead. I am leaning towards the off white. Yes, new nobs and hinges as well. Thanks for the reply!

[Jenrae]

Fourteen years ago, I painted our avocado green cabinets a soft white and only painted the inside of the doors. The soffets which were wood paneling, I painted the same color as the walls. The counter tops were butcher block Formica. Last year we remodeled the kitchen to get rid of the last of the seventies that lingered in the house. :-)

I bet you loved getting rid of the 70's! I know I would!!

 

I saw a picture where the soffets were painted the same color as the cabinets, so I am going to try that, and if I don't like it I will then paint it to match the walls.

[Jenrae]

We have cheap-o, builders grade cabinets. We painted the front and back of the doors, but left the inside and shelves unpainted (wood laminate, I assume).

 

I like the idea of gray cabinets. We did espresso in our master bathroom, and they look great, but whenever something gets dinged/scratched, the much-lighter wood underneath shows up badly.

 

We did brick red in our kitchen. :D

Did you use a cabinet kit to do the espresso, or just paint? If paint, did you put a glaze or anything on as a topcoat? I think there is a kit at Lowes that has a top coat in it but not if you choose to do white. So the next step once I decide on the color is to determine if we need to put a top coat or glaze as a finsher.

 

Wow, brick red! SOunds like something I would do if I wasn't concerned about selling. I has burgandy red walls years ago and loved them!

[Jenrae]

I recommend chalk paint if you're going to do it yourselves because it's considered easier.

 

If you're going to have someone paint them or if you're handy with regular paint, I recommend Benjamin Moore Cloud White semigloss to quite a few people and it's worked for all of them. It would be handy to see a picture of your kitchen. I guess this is my answer if you decide on white, but I don't have enough info to say whether gray or espresso would be better.

We have already begun with the TSP and Kilz. I am a spontaneous person and just couldn't help myself!! Not sure if the chalk paint is an option now, so I wil have to look into it. What makes you like that paint? Is it just the ease of use or does it look much better than regular paint?

 

Hmmm...Benjamin Moore? I was going to use a Behr paint, but not set in stone. I'll have to look at the Cloud White. It may be what I had in mind for an off white. I have never painted cabinets, and we use semigloss on our trim, but were worried it might be too shiny for cabinets, so we were thinking of Satin. hmmmm, may need to reconsider that.

 

My main concern was picking a color that most home buyers might prefer. I'll coordinate the counter and wall color to the chosen color. Thanks so much for the reply!

[Jenrae]

I want to second using chalk paint, but definitely research DIY chalk paint. Annie Sloan paint is super $$$$ but you can achieve an *identical * finish using flat paint mixed with plaster of paris. Chalk paint gives a beautiful smooth finish! Search "chalk paint kitchen cabinets" on Pinterest and you'll get tons of ideas!

Love the idea of a smooth finish. Is it dull or shiny. I can't tell in the pictures I see online.

[Jenrae]

We were at Ikea last weekend, and I think that was the first time I stepped in a kitchen with grey cabinets, and omg, did I LOVE it. I'm a white cabinet girl usually, I love the white painted woodwork look, but I lingered a little longer in the two kitchen displays they had that were grey. It was unexpected and soothing- it made me want to just sit down and have a cup of coffee right there.

 

Here's one of them: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/tools/conk/roomset/20153_cosk02a/

 

If you're considering painting the inside of the cabinets, and plan on doing yourself, it would be worth it to get a paint sprayer. I can't imagine how tedious it would be brushing/rolling the inside of cabinets, but I could see why you'd want to do it. Mine could use a coat of paint to freshen them up.

I sigh every time I see grey cabinets! They seem so soothing to me too! I would LOVE to go with grey, but I am a little afraid I might tire of it soon if we stay, but more importantly I am not sure if most home buyers would like it. It is so hard to know what others would like!

 

We are painting them ourselves and have painted furniture in past, so yes, long and tedious! Thanks so much for the reply!

[Jenrae]

Are the appliances going to stay with the house? If so, what color are they?

 

I don't like *white* for anything interior design. White looks dirty too quickly. Cream is okay. I like colorful colors. I've read though that realtors don't like those. I think the size of the kitchen would matter too... don't use a color that's going to make a small kitchen look smaller. If it's a big kitchen, it may not matter all that much.

Yeah, I am concerned about white or even off white looking dirty soon. I am just nervous to pick a color that many potential home buyers wouldn't like. Decisions, decisions! ughhhh

 

My kitchen is small but has lots of light, so I think I would be ok with espresso, if it appeals to future home shoppers. Thanks for the reply!

[Jenrae]

I would go with an off-white — I agree with the earlier suggestion of Ben Moore Cloud White, which is a nice, neutral, warm-but-not-yellow off white. If you go with a stark white, it can make other whites (like appliances, trim, vinyl windows) look dingy. I do like gray cabinets, and they're quite trendy right now, but for resale I think your best bet is off-white. Also, if you go with gray it will limit your color options for the countertops.

 

I would definitely not paint the interior of the cabinets. I did that once a long long time ago (the previous tenants had painted them bright orange inside and out!), and it was a total PITA that I would not want to repeat.

 

Sounds like I need to go to the Bejamine Moore store and check out this Coud White! I looked at a variety of white at Home Depot and none of them were great. I like grey, but am also hesitant, for fear I would tire of it, or it will go out os style and not appeal to home purchasers.

 

It sounds like I won't be painting inside the cabinets! I be tthat bright orange was some woman's creativity coming out at some point in time! haha...I may just give them a coat of polyurethane so that it makes them easier to wipe. Thanks you so much for giving me some ideas to think about!

[Jenrae]

I love, love, love Annie Sloan chalk paint. My fav crush right now is Chateau Grey--and lovely green/gray color. I'm doing my dining room buffet in it now. Love it! My sis in law did her kitchen cabs in it...which is where I got the idea.

 

A quart of chalk paint goes a long way.

 

You'll need two coats for sure, then seal with a couple of coats of the wax. There are some good ideas on Pinterest.

 

 

Other color--ASCP Cream is a lovely soft white. I'm dallying with the idea of doing my kitchen cabs in it, then darkening with the dark wax for an old country cottage look.

 

And, lastly, I see a lot of older homes in my real estate work. A fresh creamy color on everything really brightens and freshens a house.

I guess I need to search this out on Pintrest! You have me intrigued! I like the idea that there is a wax on it. I wonder if it holds up better than latex paint?

 

As you are in real estate, I guess you see what home buyers are drawn to. Sounds like I need to go with off white based upon this and the poll so far.

 

Thanks for your input!

[Jenrae]

Paint them a neutral color that's found in the rest of the house, then paint the soffits the same color as the cabinets. Kitchen cabinets can look great but make the rest of the house look in need of updates to all the woodwork and paint if they don't blend with what's already there. If your house has white woodwork, paint them the same shade white. If your house has outdated wood trim that you don't plan on changing, I'd go with a cream that blends. If the rest of the house has gray carpet, light gray cabinets that matches could modernize the kitchen while still leaving a cohesive look with the rest of the house. I wouldn't go with espresso or dark gray, as then you'd need to examine your kitchen's lighting to make sure the room wasn't too dark.

 

We painted the outside of our kitchen cabinets years ago and then just a used wall paper boarder against the walls in the interior cabinets. It added a nice finished look to the inside.

Yes! I heard about painting the soffets the same color as thecabinets, so I will be trying that. Figure it wouldn't be hard to change if I don't like it. I am leaning towards the off white at the moment. Thanks so much for the ideas!

[Jenrae]

I'd go with off white or White (if you're going to sell soon) Off white to Cream if you're going to stay for awhile(lighter colors are more forgiving of mistakes in the painting process). I would paint the inside, then put down contact paper or a shelf liner because paint (even what seems to be dry) sticks to dishes and boxes, ask me how I know. Painting the inside will make it seem cleaner, I've not rented a particular house because of older cabinets that seemed musty (FWIW I do have a slight germ phobia).

Yeah, it sounds like off white may be the winner.

 

I am considering painting the inside of the cabinets for exactly the reason you mentioned! I hate old and dingy looking stuff, ecspecially if it is other people's stuff. So I worry that a new home buyer might think like me!! haha...

 

The inside is dark and old looking, so I thought it would make it look more appealing, and cleaner. I may try it inside the cabinets above the frig and see how difficult it is. I thought the least I would do is use a dark stain that has polyurethane in it. I thought it would freshen up the dinged areas and make it easier to wipe out and keep clean. more decisions.....Thanks so much for your thoughts!

[Corraleno]

Sounds like I need to go to the Bejamine Moore store and check out this Coud White! I looked at a variety of white at Home Depot and none of them were great.

 

I've used Behr Premium Plus for kids rooms, where a clear bright color is what I want, but for more subtle colors I would go with Ben Moore or Sherwin Williams because their pigments are a lot nicer and more complex/less artificial looking. BM Advance water-based enamel is supposed to be good for cabinets, but I haven't personally used it yet (still trying to decide whether to paint or replace the cabinets here).

 

When we moved to this house last year, I actually painted my dining room and downstairs hallways with Behr Antique White (because it was Sunday and I was impatient and the Ben Moore store was closed :tongue_smilie: ). It looked fine on the chip but once it was on the wall, you could clearly see the yellow, red, and black in it — it had a peachy-gray undertone to it that looked kind of plasticky and definitely not "antique." I repainted with BM Cloud White and it looks a million times better. Looks great in all light, and it's warm without having any yellow or peach undertones. BM White Dove is another  warm white which is really popular for cabinets — if you search Pinterest or Houzz you'll see tons of cabinets in White Dove. BM Simply White is a nice, fairly bright white that is still warmer than stark white. I've used that a lot for trim and ceilings.

[Jenrae]

I've used Behr Premium Plus for kids rooms, where a clear bright color is what I want, but for more subtle colors I would go with Ben Moore or Sherwin Williams because their pigments are a lot nicer and more complex/less artificial looking. BM Advance water-based enamel is supposed to be good for cabinets, but I haven't personally used it yet (still trying to decide whether to paint or replace the cabinets here).

 

When we moved to this house last year, I actually painted my dining room and downstairs hallways with Behr Antique White (because it was Sunday and I was impatient and the Ben Moore store was closed :tongue_smilie: ). It looked fine on the chip but once it was on the wall, you could clearly see the yellow, red, and black in it — it had a peachy-gray undertone to it that looked kind of plasticky and definitely not "antique." I repainted with BM Cloud White and it looks a million times better. Looks great in all light, and it's warm without having any yellow or peach undertones. BM White Dove is another warm white which is really popular for cabinets — if you search Pinterest or Houzz you'll see tons of cabinets in White Dove. BM Simply White is a nice, fairly bright white that is still warmer than stark white. I've used that a lot for trim and ceilings.

Impatient huh? Sounds like something I would do! I had no idea the paint quality would be so different. We have always just used Behr, and it has held up so well, that we just don't paint to often. I will check out these colors you mentioned. Thanks again!

[idnib]

Yeah, I love the Cloud White. We've got a real variety of mismatched lighting, one shady side of the house, one sunny, etc. and I love it in all those various lights. We used semigloss because it's our trim/door color but I've had friends use it on cabinets. Satin would work too. The semigloss is pretty shiny but easier to keep clean, which home buyers might appreciate. I would have gone one step down in sheen if I didn't have kids.

[Jenrae]

Yeah, I love the Cloud White. We've got a real variety of mismatched lighting, one shady side of the house, one sunny, etc. and I love it in all those various lights. We used semigloss because it's our trim/door color but I've had friends use it on cabinets. Satin would work too. The semigloss is pretty shiny but easier to keep clean, which home buyers might appreciate. I would have gone one step done in sheen if I didn't have kids.

I guess I could do the first coat in Satin to see if I like it, then move up to semi gloss if I want more gloss. Good to know this color works in all lighting! Thanks again!

[Seasider]

Not reading all the replies. 

 

A stark white will look like an apartment - no.

 

A cream may look yellowed - no.

 

Grey or espresso may be too niched or off-norm to appeal to buyers - no.

 

Off white - yes! I would go for a warm white, like buttercream frosting with a hint of vanilla. It will look white and crisp, but will have a richness that stark white never does.

 

Do paint the inside of your cabinets. It will make them look CLEAN! That's so important for resale. All of mine have held up with the exception of the pot cabinet bottom. Wen I repaint it I plan to put down a layer of that meshed rubber shelf lining.

 

We use the top of the line Sherwin Williams. I forget what it's called, but the advantage is that it is something like a "leveling" paint; your brush strokes will not show since it evens itself out before drying. This gives a much more professional look. Get on the S-W e-mail list, and you will receive coupons for as much as 40% off per gallon several times a year.

 

 

[Peaceful Isle]

White seems like the popular color lately, :)

[Seasider]

We were at Ikea last weekend, and I think that was the first time I stepped in a kitchen with grey cabinets, and omg, did I LOVE it. I'm a white cabinet girl usually, I love the white painted woodwork look, but I lingered a little longer in the two kitchen displays they had that were grey. It was unexpected and soothing- it made me want to just sit down and have a cup of coffee right there.

 

Here's one of them: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/tools/conk/roomset/20153_cosk02a/

 

If you're considering painting the inside of the cabinets, and plan on doing yourself, it would be worth it to get a paint sprayer. I can't imagine how tedious it would be brushing/rolling the inside of cabinets, but I could see why you'd want to do it. Mine could use a coat of paint to freshen them up.

Our first attempt was with a sprayer. It was such a challenge that we finished by hand painting everything.

[lynn]

My neighbor did her cabinets in cream color, I love how bright it makes her kitchen.

[Spryte]

I did edit my original post to explain that all the wall color and counter will be chosen once I determine the color of cabinets. I am just trying to figure out what most people think a home buyers would find pleasing, considering they will be painted.

 

I had never heard of it before a few days ago. Are they chalky feeling? Dull or a little shiny? It is so hard to tell in pictures on pintrest.

 

We have already used Kilz on the cabinets, so this may not even be a possibility.

With the soft wax on top, they are very slightly shiny. I'm not sure shiny is the right word, it's more of a sheen. The paint goes on, and looks a bit chalky. The wax bonds with it, creates a harder finish. It darkens very slightly. I adore the look. We found chalk paint because DS is sensitive to VOCs, and we needed a paint that wouldn't set off his asthma. What a happy find!

 

It can go over KILZ, in fact, that's a good primer. I finished our kitchen with one quart when we did duck egg blue. Two coats. A little goes a long way. If you're doing a white or cream, then over the KILZ you'd probably just need one coat. Then wax.

 

You can get samples of the colors. :) We settled on a slightly off white and love it. Very warm and inviting. I distressed them slightly, but that's not necessary.

 

BTW, our ceiling and trim is Ben Moore Cloud White. And we like their Aura paint - low VOCs, great quality!

[Jenrae]

Not reading all the replies.

 

A stark white will look like an apartment - no.

 

A cream may look yellowed - no.

 

Grey or espresso may be too niched or off-norm to appeal to buyers - no.

 

Off white - yes! I would go for a warm white, like buttercream frosting with a hint of vanilla. It will look white and crisp, but will have a richness that stark white never does.

 

Do paint the inside of your cabinets. It will make them look CLEAN! That's so important for resale. All of mine have held up with the exception of the pot cabinet bottom. Wen I repaint it I plan to put down a layer of that meshed rubber shelf lining.

 

We use the top of the line Sherwin Williams. I forget what it's called, but the advantage is that it is something like a "leveling" paint; your brush strokes will not show since it evens itself out before drying. This gives a much more professional look. Get on the S-W e-mail list, and you will receive coupons for as much as 40% off per gallon several times a year.

Thanks for the tips! It's good to know the paint doesn't chip too much on the shelving. Husband is pulling me away from painting the inside, so we will see. I DO think it will look cleaner and newer because they are very dark inside and a little scraped up.

 

The Behr top level does just what you are describing, but I'm not impressed with the colors they offer for off white. I'll be looking at Benjamine Moore or Sherwin Williams for sure!

 

The rubber shelf mat sounds like a good idea for my pot shelf too! Thanks!

[Jenrae]

Our first attempt was with a sprayer. It was such a challenge that we finished by hand painting everything.

Yeah, we are just using a paint brush and small roller. We will test this out on a few doors first.

[Jenrae]

So those of you that used latex paint, did you use some sort of glaze or topcoat?

 

The reason I ask is becasue Lowes/Home Depot sells a kit, called Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation Kit and the final step is a TOP coat. (I am not considering using this, but wonder if I need to put some sort of top coat on the cabinets?)

 

I will ask again and google it, but wondered what your specific experience has been.

 

 

Another question concerning the Chalk paint......Do you have chipping on your cabinets at all? How long can I expect it to last?Do you apply the wax AGAN after 6 months, or once a year?

[Ewe Mama]

Listening in on all these great ideas...

[Happy]

Thanks for the tips! It's good to know the paint doesn't chip too much on the shelving. Husband is pulling me away from painting the inside, so we will see. I DO think it will look cleaner and newer because they are very dark inside and a little scraped up.

 

The Behr top level does just what you are describing, but I'm not impressed with the colors they offer for off white. I'll be looking at Benjamine Moore or Sherwin Williams for sure!

 

The rubber shelf mat sounds like a good idea for my pot shelf too! Thanks!

Home Depot can do any Ben Moore or Sherwin Williams paint color in Behr brand. I do it often. There may be some difference in quality, but most of the time I'm very happy with Behr paints. I usually use the top of the line stuff.

[Spryte]

So those of you that used latex paint, did you use some sort of glaze or topcoat?

 

The reason I ask is becasue Lowes/Home Depot sells a kit, called Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation Kit and the final step is a TOP coat. (I am not considering using this, but wonder if I need to put some sort of top coat on the cabinets?)

 

I will ask again and google it, but wondered what your specific experience has been.

 

 

Another question concerning the Chalk paint......Do you have chipping on your cabinets at all? How long can I expect it to last?Do you apply the wax AGAN after 6 months, or once a year?

 

I did ours about a year ago - almost exactly a year.  :)  No chipping.  I haven't reapplied the wax at all.  They've been easy to keep clean - I was worried about that, with the light color we chose, but it's been fine.

 

Annie Sloan says the wax needs to cure for a few weeks - so we were gentle for the first few weeks.  After that, normal use (and I'm pretty sure the kids were only gentle for the first day or so!).

 

Oh, actually, I have one area that I didn't wax - the inside of a cabinet door, over our kitchen craft area.  Where it hits the cabinet box, when closed, has chipped a tiny bit.  But I don't often notice it, due to the location.  I just missed that inner door when waxing, and don't care enough to pull out the wax and do it!  To be fair, that's the cabinet that sees the roughest kid-use (it's where we keep craft supplies).   The waxed inner doors never had this issue, so I'm chalking it up to the lack of wax.  (Bad pun!)

[Northwoodsmama]

Also if you make your own chalk paint, you can use anyone's brand/color. Adding the plaster of paris doesn't affect the color. FWIW- I did an old church pew yesterday that we use for our dining room in chalk paint, and waxed it. We've already used it for 2 meals with no hint of wear.

[pehp]

I vote off white, but not anything even remotely approximating yellow!.  I like Benjamin Moore's paints....

 

When I painted my cabinets in 2009 I used latex paints and did NOT paint the inside of the cabinets. The inside of the doors, yes, but I would never paint the inside of the boxes.  Too much work.  And I don't care if they are white! 

 

I'm sorry to say that I will likely be tackling this entire project again this summer, and I am probably going to use oil paint.  Latex was easy to use but I think it's inferior.  My father painted all the trimwork in his house w/ oil paints a year or two ago and it was a PAIN but it is gorgeous and durable. It leveled so well and wipes clean so nicely and just looks--superior.  I did coat mine with some sort of non-yellowing polyacrylic something, two coats of it.  They are still chipping.  I don't really care and I would ignore it completely--I am a happy imperfectionist in my home and embrace flaws-- except that we just had our cabinetmaker make two beautiful doors to replace 2 that had been broken, and I have to paint them (they are unfinished) and I am leaning to just redoing the whole shebang.  

 

Anyhow, I definitely think a non-yellowy off-white would be the way to go and I would not paint the inside!