Cabinets and Colors

When it comes to finding the right color combination for your new kitchen or bathroom makeover, start with the cabinets and don’t reinvent the wheel. Find a color wheel and use it.

Many people start with wood or wood-grain colored cabinets, either custom or stock. They find a style they like, and they think that’s the end of the redesign. But then comes the walls the cabinets will match with, and the sometimes puzzling decision of paint color scheme. For all but the lightest of wood, white is a safe complementary choice. But you might not want to be “safe” in your new room redesign. You might be looking for more of a bold statement than a neutral backdrop. Either way, remember the complementary color wheel.

You can be bold, but maybe you should start with conservative before you go bold. Most cabinets are brown, or in the range of yellow-ish to orange-ish, with brown in between on the standard color wheel. Opposite that range? Sometimes surprisingly, it is the blues and greens. Makes sense, really; what is nature but browns and greens contrasted with the blue of the sky? The big decision is: Do you want your complementary color to be “cool” or “warm”? Soft blues and greens, or bright blues and greens? Either will work, but stay away from too much of a bright, warm color or it will dominate rather than complement

The first step, remember is deciding on your cabinet style and that leads to the complementary and contrast wall and trim colors. And remember, if you’re looking for cabinets, think CSHardware and its Ready to Assemble (RTA) product line of kitchen and bath cabinets!

Thanks, as always.

Ken, for CSHardware