The Best White Paint For Kitchen Cabinets Sherwin Williams

This guide, the best 10 white paint for kitchen cabinets from Sherwin Williams, will help you discover the best white paint colors collection to choose from for your dream white kitchen. The kitchen is considered to be the heart of every home where the entire family is naturally drawn into because of the elemental need for eating.

Having great food is one of the measurements of having a great cooking area. It should be designed and arranged in such a way that it makes the family’s cook happy and feel accepted.

If having a white kitchen makes the family’s home cook happy, then it makes sense to transform your cooking area into a beautiful white kitchen as it will inspire the home chef to always cook a delicious meal that the entire family will surely enjoy.

The white color is a color that never goes out of style, its timeless and classic which makes white a perfect cabinet color. Therefore having white cabinets will provide a classic and timeless beauty to your cooking space. This is the reason why until now, white cabinets are still a popular color and forever will be.

If you are planning to renovate or to paint your cupboards and drawers with a white paint color but still wondering if it’s the right color for you, below are some beautiful and not so beautiful reasons why you should paint your cupboards and drawers with white:

What Are the Pros And Cons Of White Cabinets?

Pro’s Of Having White Cabinets

White cabinets match nicely with any color scheme or style from classy, boho, eclectic or a modern look.

If you have a high ceiling with wooden beams in your cooking area, white cabinets will help to highlight all the beautiful architectural kitchen features.

They can stand the test of time and it can also balance any shade of your counter whether its granite or quartz.

White cabinets also match nicely with any hardware finishes such as brash, gold, oil rubbed bronze, stainless steel, black , etc. and with any color appliances.

Your cooking area will not only look classic but will also have a clean look.

It’s the best color, if you have a smaller space, painting your walls and cabinets with white can make your space look bigger and brighter because the white color reflects more light.

White cabinets can raise the resale value of your home.

Con’s Of Having White Cabinets

White cabinets easily gets dirty and show wear and tear easily compared with cabinets with darker colors. However, a white color is easy to clean you just need to clean any splatter right away.

Your stark white kitchen has a tendency to feel clinical and cold but this can easily be resolved by adding some decorative elements that will add color and texture to your space.

White color paint comes in different shades of white and the amount of light in the room can also change how the color white paint will reflect into the space. It may look dated and dingy if your room does not have a good source of natural light. However, this can be avoided if you will take your time and test your white color options at day time and at the various times of the day using stick paint samples.

If you are almost convinced that white cabinets are for you, the next thing to consider is the best paint finishes to use for cabinets.

What Is The Best Sherwin Williams Paint Sheen For Kitchen Cabinets?

Having the right or best finish for cabinets is the key to having cabinets that will last for a long time. Cupboards and drawers are the busiest part of your kitchen as they are frequently being touched and pulled which makes them prone to paint chips and scratches. Using the right paint sheen for your cupboards and drawers can lessen this unfortunate event from happening. Below are the best finishes that you can choose from:

Semi Gloss Sheen

The semi gloss sheen has a hard-wearing surface, is durable and stain-resistant which makes it the best choice for the cooking area because they are easy to maintain and clean. Plus, it hides any flaws nicely compared to a paint with a higher gloss sheen.

High Gloss Sheen

This is another great choice after the semi gloss sheen for cupboards and drawers. This type of sheen is best to use when you want your cupboards to make a statement and you are leaning toward having a very modern style kitchen. It is also an ideal sheen to use if your cooking space is in the small category or has a limited amount of natural light coming in as it reflects more light which makes any space look and feel bigger. A paint with a higher sheen or gloss is a more durable paint. This is why high gloss sheen is considered to be the most durable and the easiest to clean. It will allow you to wipe off any oil splatter or food spillage in a breeze without leaving a stain. However, this type of paint finish also makes any imperfections or flaws more visible and therefore not recommended for any space that will be prone to a lot of wear and tear. So, if you have kids and or family that is not careful when opening or closing cupboards and drawers, better stick with the semi-gloss sheen.

Latex Paint vs. Oil Paint

Latex Paint

Latex paint is known as a best choice for most cupboards because it’s quicker to dry and has lower levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). At the present time, there are many latex paints that offer greater durability and are very resilient to scrubbing which makes it ideal for cupboards.

For cupboards made from wood, you’ll need to properly prep the surface by sanding before using latex paint if you want an even look and to make your painting project a success. Also, a water based latex formula is ideal to use if your cupboards are already painted and you have no idea the kind of paint is on your cupboards. You can use latex on oil-based paint but an oil-base paint would not adhere well over latex paint.

Cabinet Oil-Based Paint

While latex paints are known for their quick drying time, oil-based paints are known for their durability, so they may be your first choice for painting your cupboards. Aside from that, oil-based paints are easy to clean. However, it takes up to 16 hours to dry between applications and can even take days to dry the paint completely especially if your cooking area has poor air circulation. Plus, overtime, oil-based painted surfaces can reflect a yellow undertone making your cupboards look dingy and dirty especially in low lighting.

What Is The Right Sherwin Williams White Paint Color For Your Kitchen Cabinets?

The right white paint color for your cabinets is the one that will work nicely with the amount of natural light coming into the space. By using a good size painted poster board or stick sample at 5ft by 5ft (the bigger the better) will make the color undertone visible. Compare all your white paint color options and test all of them at daylight and at a various times of the day to find the perfect white paint color for your cabinets. Natural light is the best tool to use when you want to know the undertones of each of your white paint color options and which particular white paint looks beautiful in natural light. White paint colors look good in daylight and at different times of the day. They will look even more beautiful in artificial light because light variations can vary the white color paint.

The 10 Best Sherwin Williams White Paint Colors (Popular Paint Colors)

Most popular white paint colors (cream category or white warm undertones)

Dover White (SW Dover White 6385) – This has strong yellow undertones that will be noticeable when paired with certain cool colors such as green, blue and purple. However, if you do not want the yellow undertone to stand out, pair it with warm tones like red, orange and yellow.

Aged White (SW Aged White 9180) – This has a yellow beige undertone, a great white paint color option if you want to create a vintage or antiqued look.

Creamy (SW Creamy 7012) – This paint is a go-to-paint for a warmer white color. It has a creamier white color without the yellow undertones. It works very well with beige travertine floors/backsplash and granite with brown veins.

Best paint colors (off-whites or greige undertones)

Alabaster (SW Alabaster 7008) – Paint that is warm and crisp but not yellowish white. A very popular choice for trim and cabinetry and comparable to Benjamin Moore White Dove. This color is a creamy soft white because of its yellow undertone and works well with both cool and warm color schemes. This white paint really blends well with wood floors and granite with brown veins. A perfect choice if you want a white that stands out against any wall color without being too stark.

Westhignland White (SW Westhignland White 7566) – It has the right amount creaminess but without an overpowering yellow undertone. Just like alabaster, the Westhighland white gives a fresh atmosphere without being too bright white

Sherwin Williams favorite white paint colors (true whites)

High Reflective White (SW High Reflective White 7757) – This is probably the purest white color by Sherwin Williams and works well if paired with a marble countertop. To avoid being clinical and stark, add wood tone elements such as wooden barn doors or wood toned flooring.

Pure White (SW Pure White 7005) – A white paint color that is beautifully crisp but soft that is perfect for cupboards and drawers. It is under the warm white category because it has a hint of yellow undertone. This SW pure white is a perfect white color paint for you if you are planning to have gold hardware.

White paint color collection (blue whites)

Extra White (SW Extra White 7006) – This is a go-to-white paint color if you want a bright white paint color to create a classic white look. We personally used this in our hallway, wall, doors and trim and I did not see any undertones. So if you want a white paint or a “true” white paint, use extra white paint!

Ceiling Bright White (SW Ceiling Bright White 7007) – Unlike the extra white, this ceiling bright white paint has a dash of cool undertones.

White paint color with gray undertones

Snowbound – This is a white bright paint with no yellow or blue undertone which are common undertones for white paint colors. What makes this white color paint stand out is that it has gray undertones which make this paint work well with both with warm colors and cool tones. So if you are looking for a white paint with no blue or yellow undertones, snowbound is the paint for you.

Other Favorite Whites Options From Benjamin Moore

Simply White – One of the most popular white colors and was voted as color of the year in 2016. The color is a warm white and under the off-white category that gives a clean white but not overpowering white. It has a green, blue and a hint of yellow undertones that prohibits this paint from being under the cream category.

Decorator’s White – Considered as a bright and crisp white paint and under a cooler whites category. It has purple, blue and gray undertones.

Swiss Coffee – A creamy off-white paint color with yellow and a little bit of green undertones. Due to its high light reflectance value (LRV) it has the tendency to appear like a light beige at times.

Chantilly Lace – One of the brightest paint colors on the market because it has an LRV of 92. Compared with simply white and decorator’s white, Chantilly lace has a hint of a gray undertone in it but overall has very neutral undertones.

White Dove – A creamy paint color with warm gray undertones which keeps this paint from displaying a yellow undertone which is a common problem with warm-toned whites.

Other Popular Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors

If you like the idea of having two-toned cabinets that your upper cabinets will be painted with white while the base cabinet will be painted with different color just to add a visual interest to your kitchen. Below are the other popular cabinet paint colors:

Shades Of Blue

Blue Note by Benjamin Moore – saturated navy blue
Olympus Green by Benjamin Moore
In The Tropics by Benjamin Moore
Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore
Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball

Shades Of Gray

SW Dorian Gray 7017 – A true warm gray that would not look blue.
SW Pussywillow 7643 – Timeless gray color.
SWPavestone 7642 – Considered under a greige category and has a warmer tone. A great color for a kitchen with a good source of natural light.
Benjamin Moore Gray Horse 2140-50 – Light gray color, a perfect color for smaller kitchens.
Benjamin Moore Gray Owl 2137 – Top gray color of Benjamin Moore.

I hope that this guide, best white paint for kitchen cabinets from Sherwin Williams provides a good selection of the of white paint colors that you can use to create your dream kitchen.