Color Matching Our Kitchen Cabinets (+Painting Tips)
I get two questions in my direct messages and inbox multiple times each day…. #1: Do you use teeth whitener and what kind? and #2: What color are your current kitchen cabinets? Haha! The teeth question always gives me a good giggle (I’ve never whitened and just use plain toothpaste- so I think most are disappointed in that answer), but I felt the second, design-related question, deserved a blog post. After thousands of requests for my kitchen cabinetry color, I thought having a permanent resource link to share would be helpful for everyone. In this post, I’ve color matched my kitchen cabinetry using multiple popular paint brands and I’m also sharing some cabinetry painting tips. Click through for the colors and for my tips!
To be clear, my kitchen cabinets were NOT painted. I designed them and selected a stock color (called Maritime) from the Diamond Cabinetry line available at Lowe’s. You can read all about the process here. I even share my favorite readymade cabinetry paint colors from Lowe’s in this blog post. You can also see my complete kitchen reveal and tour here, that includes lots of before and after images!
Color Matched Swatches
The following swatches are a close match to Diamond Cabinetry “Maritime” (the cabinet color I have in my kitchen). If you’re trying to replicate the color, these are your best bet…
- Benjamin Moore // Navy Masterpiece
- Sherwin-Williams // Mount Etna
- Behr // Submarine Gray
- Valspar // Chimney Smoke
- Glidden // High Salute
I wanted to show you a pulled back version of our kitchen, so you can get a feel of how the color works in the entire space…
You can see examples of each swatch throughout this post, but all are very close! Keep in mind that paint reflects its surroundings and can look different in your home than it does in mine… that’s why swatching is so important.
As promised, I wanted to share some cabinetry painting tips, if you’re planning to tackle the project yourself…
Tips for Painting Cabinetry
- Lightly sand the cabinets before painting.
- Use a good primer.
- Always order a swatch and test the paint before committing.
- If possible, spray the cabinetry to apply paint.
- Use a paint specific to cabinetry, or opt for lacquer or enamel (for durability).
- If you can’t spray the cabinetry, use a high density foam roller and apply the paint in thin layers, applying multiple coats.
I know white and bright kitchens are far more popular than dark and moody ones, but I couldn’t resist this deep, rich color when designing our kitchen a year ago. I’m so happy with the decision I made and would choose this color over and over again. It’s unique, feels like us, has so much depth, and really tells the story of our aesthetic. This space has become my happy place, and the color is a big part of what makes it beautiful.
Hopefully this post was helpful for those of you wondering about the color! If you have any questions or thoughts, I’d love to hear them in the comment section below.