What colour would you paint these kitchen units?!

3 years ago

We are looking to update the current kitchen with new appliances and also try to update the kitchen units under a strict budget. If at all, what colour would you recommend painting the kitchen units. The granite top is black with blue eyes. I would definitely change handles if we paint the kitchen. The floor is a very neutral, natural limestone. It has lots of natural light from bifolds beyond the family room/diner. (south facing). I don't like the little tiles on the splashback but don't really fancy taking them down! I would also like approximate costings for painting the units professionally. Lots of questions, bit of a blank canvas. (the piano/sofa is not in this position longterm - just for lockdown!

Featured Answer

Sonia

3 years ago

My favourite colour at the moment is Little Greenes Slaked Lime, a slightly muddy off white. I used it in a bookcase and love it. Here it is on my bookcase (first pic) and then used in a whole kitchen.

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Comments (35)

eilidhmca
3 years ago
We recently painted our kitchen Farrow and Ball Drop Cloth, and we love it. Our worktops are granite with a green tinge and Drop Cloth in some lights looks putty coloured and greeny in others.

We painted them ourselves in the end but the number of cabinets is similar to yours, we got three quotes for them to be professionally done and they ranged from £4,500 -£5,000
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Juliet Docherty
3 years ago
The fixed elements you have are the floor and the worktop so these need to work with the new colour. I also like Slaked LIme, so could be worth looking at. Is it possible to photograph the floor and for you to work out what colour (such as a Farrow and Ball one) it is closest to in hue? There are lots of stoney colours that could work but they need to work in harmony with the floor. The island could be something different and deeper coloured.
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Janet
3 years ago
I’d agree that a different colour would work well on the island
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Jonathan
3 years ago
What about all black?
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sandringham12
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for all the comments. I will have to get a sample of the Little Greenes Slaked Lime - it does look nice, but I've never really liked the idea of black worktop and pale cabinetry? Also will try match up the floor - I don't know if you can see the splashback tiles? these are also v natural colour to try link in with. I love the look of the black kitchen - but my concern is keeping it squeaky clean! Lots of baking goes on in this kitchen, and would it show up flour and dust everywhere?

We are hoping to extend out the back which means we could change the floor also.

Thanks for all your help!
Julie Chadwick
3 years ago
I would paint the tower cabinets at the end and all the lower cabinets in a deep colour- a dark blue could work with your worktop ‘eyes’ and then choose a paler limestone shade(such as that suggested above) or to match your existing wall colour on the upper cabinets and the upper glazed cabinets between your windows. This would ‘ ground’ the kitchen and provide a nice contrast to your floor (while being more practical than a pale colour that may get knocked more often at base level) while lighter upper cabinets would make the room feel more spacious and contemporary, as they would ‘ disappear’ into the walls. The island would work either dark(more practical) or light ( more spacious) . Personally I would prefer the island light with the dark worktop contrast providing the focus. It looks like a good quality kitchen so should be well worth it and look fabulous.
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Alix W
3 years ago
Hi, really good suggestions so far. It might be a bit old hat, but I’m still a sucker for dark blue, and it could go with your worktop: stiffkey blue or Hague blue both worth a look. Really
Like the idea of keeping some cabinets lighter, too. Add brushed brass or black handles.
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Darren Blackmore
3 years ago
Hague blue or a lighter tone!
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Carole Armstrong
3 years ago
We had our kitchen professionally painted - stiffkey blue and wimbourne white.
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Lynn Cragg
3 years ago
A cream colour would make the kitchen timeless, you would probably need some professional colour advice to get the correct undertone, painting cabinets is not cheap and if you don’t get a shade which works well with the backsplash and floor it could be an expensive mistake. If you want to add colour, you could use a contrasting colour for the island. Dark cabinetry is a bit of a trend right now, but could look dated in a few years. If you add a lamp in the corner, you may feel less negative about the backsplash, it’s quite neutral and so a couple of other statement pieces will stop you “seeing” it. Black hard wear will pull the counter and cabinetry together and repeat the black in your lighting fixtures.
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163 hrd
3 years ago
Sonia, could you tell me what wall colour you have used nest to your Slakes Lime bookcase?
jackietravers61
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I painted my kitchen painted a year ago in Neptune Old Chalk. Totally transformed it.
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Sonia
3 years ago
@163 hrd, the wall colour is F&B Cromarty. Here’s more of it.
163 hrd
3 years ago
Thanks Sonia, its gorgeous!
Mel W
3 years ago
I would be keen to put a different colour on the island only as a start/test, then consider if you want to change the main walls of cabinets. I also like where the base cabinets and island are darker (such as a dark blue), with the upper cabinets a lighter complimentary colour (such as the slaked lime above, if it suits your limestone floor and the darker base colour). This will help keep the space feeling bright, and give a very different feel.
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PRO
Hawthorn Interior Design
3 years ago
Hi!

Just thought i'd drop a message here to offer our services which is 3D rendering of interior images, where we could draw some of the options up for you, so you can see what any of these might look like before you start to paint! It can be a really useful tool to visualise your exact kitchen, and how it could be! Let us know if this is something you could be interested in, our website is www.hawthorninteriordesign.com, there are some examples of our 3D work on there!

Thanks,

Claire

Hawthorn Interior Design
Carole Cuthbertson
3 years ago
Have a look at Frenchic paint and in particular their forum on Facebook. You will find so many ideas on there and see lots of examples of what people have done and what colours they've used. Ive only just discovered it myself and therefore haven’t used it yet but I cant wait to! The Alfresco is what I’d use for a kitchen and I’d use their brush to get the best effect from what is a self levelling paint. You can even paint the tiles if you wish. Good luck!
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Sarah M
3 years ago
Farrow and ball pigeon
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Sandi Robinson
3 years ago
Off white panted cupboards with modern black handles. I saw a video recently of a couple painting their kitchen cupboards and they used a product called Flotrol to the cupboard paint. This leaves no brush or roller marks!
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Jessica Comerford
3 years ago
Personally I would change the worktops if possible to a light stone
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jenny_lanaghan
3 years ago
I had this exact dilemma. Our kitchen was already hand painted cream over original solid wood but was grubby looking and tired. Its a beautiful kitchen with black granite worktops and didnt need replacing. We eventually opted for farrow and ball denimes and I adore it. everyone comments on the colour. its not too dark and really suits the black worktops. We changed to door handles too and it looks like a brand new kitchen. We are due to replace tiles during the summer. here are some before and after so you can see the cream and denimes
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jenny_lanaghan
3 years ago
We had the same dilemma. Our kitchen was alreasy painted cream with black granite worktops. The cream was tired and grubby looking. We ended up colour matching to denimes by farrow and ball and I love it. everyone comments on the colour and it looks like a brand new kitchen. Here are some before and after pics so you can see the cream and denimes
Sarah U-S
3 years ago
Jenny - that looks great! I’m in a similar dilemma - I have pale painted cupboards that are starting to look grubby, and black granite that is too goo to scrap.
Did you paint it yourself or get someone in?
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jenny_lanaghan
3 years ago
We got someone in as we wanted some glazed doors replaced with solid wood and internals of some cupboards re arranged too. Also a full time job, 2 small children and little free time. Its a large kitchen and cost just over 2k for everything. however we'd been quoted 18k for a mid range new kitchen!
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Sarah U-S
3 years ago
Thank you! I’ve been quoted around £1750 for just painting cupboards - and I don’t have many units and they’re all in one straight line. We also struggle with the time issue - but thinking for the price of the materials, I might have a go myself and then call someone in if it goes wrong. (Possibly very false economy - I know!!)
V CM
3 years ago
Jenny could you share who did yours? I want to do something similar next year, but more complicated than a straight paint job.
Chartwell 19
3 years ago
Something like this? Paint island darker, think it will blend your floor tiles and splash back tiles nicely. I would look at taking off the splash back tiles and replacing with smoked glass or something, maybe something you can do later when the budget allows. ;) Good Luck!
Interiors Portfolio · More Info
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jenny_lanaghan
3 years ago
I'm in Northern Ireland and used Dee Light Furniture Facelifts NI. He has a Facebook page with lots of photos of his work showing lots of colours so its worth a look there. His standard of work is excellent and came highly recommended by word of mouth. He also builds this tear drop caravans to order! I think it was worth paying someone as he made our existing doors and drawers look brand new filling the holes from the old handles. We could never have done that to his standard
gtracey26
3 years ago
My friend has sage it’s lovely
Sarah
3 years ago
My sister-in-law moved into a house with country-style wood units. She painted just the recess of each door and added matching colourful ceramic knobs. The effect was great, and easily changed too. You could do something similar with the shaker doors - maybe mask off a section around the edge of the centre panels and paint that. (Unfortunately I don't have a photo - sorry.)
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diddleypom
3 years ago
Do you paint the inside of the doors as well? My kitchen is the same wood colour and I think it looks dated so want to paint it but I’m unsure of the lasting quality of paint as I’m forever wiping the cupboards down.
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jackietravers61
3 years ago
Looks better if you paint the inside of the doors. They paint will chip and you need to touch up now and again. My decorator put a primer coat on first then 2 coats of eggshell (Neptune Old Chalk) as in the picture above. It all cost less than £1000.
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sandringham12
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you all for your help, we are going to tie it in with extending the kitchen next year so wont have any before and after pictures yet! If we keep the worktops I think we will go for something similar to slaked lime...thank you all!
cavgirl
3 years ago
Slaked lime is what I was going to suggest. I used it on my kitchen—ikea ash veneer cabinets which I painted myself, with Deep for the lower cabinets and mid for few uppers. I adore the colour, and the Slaked Lime deep sits so well between warm grey and cool grey.