Color has more impact when it extends to the ceiling. Here (left) it's painted Woodlawn Blue HC-147, a lighter version of the Wedgewood Gray HC-146, on the walls. Cabinets are Opaline OC-33. All by Benjamin Moore.
Kitchen color recommendations from the experts:
CLARE DONOHUE:
BENJAMIN MOORE WEDGEWOOD GRAY HC-146 AND WOODLAWN BLUE HC-147
Wedgewood Gray and Woodlawn Blue have that robin's egg vibe. I always hedge my bets toward grayed-down shades, because bright colors that look so happy in the paint store can look bizarre in real life. If you're nervous, start by painting the back wall inside the cabinets.
PAULA PERLINI:
BENJAMIN MOORE WARM SIENNA 1203
Might as well make it cozy. Everybody comes in anyway, you can't beat them out with a spoon. Plates would look great on the wall against this warm cayenne, and I'd do teak countertops and cork on the floor — very soft and warm to bare feet.
BEVERLY ELLSLEY:
BENJAMIN MOORE GOLDEN HONEY 297
Kitchens often have so little wall space you have to make the color count. This is sunshine in a can. I like a yellow with a little bit of brown in it, as opposed to a yellow with green. Looks wonderful with wood.
JOANNE HUDSON:
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS WHOLE WHEAT SW6121
It's the color of golden brown sugar. Very appetizing, with a lot of warmth. I'd use it on the walls with white trim, custard-colored cabinets, and a terra-cotta floor.
MARK CUTLER:
FINE PAINTS OF EUROPE P11130
I have one of those little green boxes from Ladurée, that Paris pastry shop, on my desk. Turns out my client has one, too, and we re-created that Ladurée green on her kitchen island. It's an incredibly complex color, a weird combination of yellow and green with this red undertone. Beautiful.
PHILIP GORRIVAN:
BENJAMIN MOORE RAZZLE DAZZLE 1348
Pick one wall. Apply two coats of Rust-Oleum Magnetic primer, paint it this yummy raspberry color, and then put up your children's artwork, school schedules, and birthday invites with magnets.
BARCLAY BUTERA:
RALPH LAUREN CREAM STONE UL54 AND WEATHERED BROWN UL44
The Home Depot Expo has some great cabinet options. Paint them Cream Stone, a muted off-white, more gray than yellow. Then use rich, taupey Weathered Brown on the walls for contrast. It makes the kitchen a little more masculine, more sophisticated.
ANN MCGUIRE:
VALSPAR SPRING SQUASH 2008-1B
You're taking a chance with orange, but it can be fabulous. It's playful during the day for kids doing projects, and at night, with the lamps lit, it glows. Start with one wall-that may be enough.
SANDRA NUNNERLEY:
BENJAMIN MOORE WOLF GRAY 2127-40
I'm so tired of all those off-white cabinets. I'd paint them this dark Swedish gray-blue, and make the whole room very Gustavian, with chalky white walls, Carrara marble countertops, and stainless-steel appliances.
JASON BELL:
PRATT & LAMBERT TAMPICO 1411
In an old kitchen where the cabinets, counters, and appliances were all mismatched shades of white, we needed a distraction. So we painted just the doors, not the frames of the cabinets, this teal-green aquamarine and replaced the cheap white plastic knobs with vintage hardware. Last touch — a black-and-white tile floor.
MICK DE GIULIO:
BENJAMIN MOORE GREAT BARRINGTON GREEN HC-122
Especially in a small kitchen, people don't think of dark colors as an option, but that's exactly where you need the drama. This is a lovely gray-green, not too dark and very soft, kind of like moss. Very elegant with white cabinets.
ERICA BROBERG:
BENJAMIN MOORE MERLOT RED 2006-10
Red is energizing, invigorating, and this is the perfect red, not too orange and not too blue. It works equally well in sunny or dark rooms and really sets off the cabinets, which we order primed, and then paint on-site with a nice brushed finish.
Red offers a vibrant contrast to clean white cabinets, painted Benjamin Moore's Eggshell 2026-70 in a semigloss finish.
