Best Paint Colors for Kitchens in 2025

The best kitchen paint colors right now: warm whites, soft sage greens, and warmer grays (not cool ones). The "right" choice depends on your cabinets, your countertops, and how much natural light you actually have.

Here's the thing about kitchen paint: you're going to live with it for a long time. Kitchen repaints are a pain—you've got cabinets to tape around, appliances to move, and grease spots that need cleaning first. Pick something you'll still love in five years.

The colors that work right now

Warm whites (still king)

Everyone wants a white kitchen. But there's "white" and there's white.

Cool, stark whites look like a laboratory. Warm whites look like a kitchen you'd actually want to cook in.

Simply White OC-117 (Benjamin Moore) — LRV: 91 The designer favorite. Warm enough to feel cozy, clean enough to feel fresh. Works with literally any cabinet color.

Alabaster SW 7008 (Sherwin-Williams) — LRV: 82 Slightly creamier than Simply White. Better if you're worried about looking too stark.

White Dove OC-17 (Benjamin Moore) — LRV: 85 A bit more depth than pure white. Great if you want white walls but not "sterile-white" walls.

Sage green (the Pinterest darling)

Sage has been trending for three years and shows no signs of stopping. It adds personality without being overwhelming, works with wood tones, and somehow feels both modern and timeless.

Softened Green SW 6177 (Sherwin-Williams) — LRV: 57 A true sage. Not too blue, not too yellow. Works on cabinets or walls.

Saybrook Sage HC-114 (Benjamin Moore) — LRV: 45 Slightly deeper and moodier. Great for accent walls or lower cabinets.

Evergreen Fog SW 9130 (Sherwin-Williams) — LRV: 30 The 2022 Color of the Year that people are still obsessed with. Definitely test this one—it goes dark in low light.

Warm grays (not cool grays)

Gray kitchens are tricky. Go cool and you get "sad office." Go warm and you get elegant.

Agreeable Gray SW 7029 (Sherwin-Williams) — LRV: 60 Probably the most popular greige in America for a reason. It reads as warm gray without being beige.

Edgecomb Gray HC-173 (Benjamin Moore) — LRV: 63 A versatile greige that works in almost any kitchen. Warm enough to feel inviting.

Pale Oak OC-20 (Benjamin Moore) — LRV: 70 Light and warm. Great if you want gray tones but have limited natural light.

What goes with your cabinets

You have white cabinets

White-on-white can look incredible or clinical. The key is undertone contrast.

Best wall colors:

• Agreeable Gray SW 7029 — adds depth without competing
• Edgecomb Gray HC-173 — warm without being cold
• Sea Salt SW 6204 — subtle blue-green warmth (but only with good light)

Avoid: Stark white walls with stark white cabinets. You need some undertone difference or it looks flat.

You have dark or navy cabinets

Dark cabinets are already making a statement. Keep walls simple.

Best wall colors:

• Simply White OC-117 — clean and bright
• White Flour SW 7102 — slightly warmer
• Alabaster SW 7008 — creamy but not yellow

The rule: Let the dark cabinets be the star. Light walls let them shine.

You have natural wood cabinets

Wood has inherent warmth. Your wall color needs to harmonize, not fight.

Best wall colors:

• Pale Oak OC-20 — picks up the wood tones
• Revere Pewter HC-172 — a classic greige that works
• Shoji White SW 7042 — warm white that complements wood

Avoid: Cool grays make warm wood look orange by contrast. Not flattering.

You have gray cabinets

Gray cabinets can feel cold. Walls need to add warmth back in.

Best wall colors:

• White Dove OC-17 — warm white
• Creamy SW 7012 — counteracts cool gray
• Accessible Beige SW 7036 — warm neutral

The light situation

Lots of windows, south-facing: You can get away with cooler tones and darker colors. The light will warm them up.

Few windows, north-facing: Stick to warm undertones and higher LRV (60+). Cool grays will look sad. Blues will look clinical. Trust me.

Kitchen paint finish (don't mess this up)

Kitchens get greasy. Kitchens get splattered. Your paint needs to survive.

• Walls: Satin or semi-gloss. Never flat. Ever.
• Cabinets: Semi-gloss. It needs to wipe clean.
• Ceiling: Flat is fine (grease doesn't usually hit the ceiling)
• Trim: Semi-gloss. Matches the cabinet sheen.

I've seen people use flat paint on kitchen walls. You can tell. There's a haze around the stove area that won't come off. Don't do it.

Colors to avoid in kitchens

Bright red or orange: The "red stimulates appetite" thing is overstated. What red actually does is make your kitchen feel like a fast food restaurant.

Very dark walls: Grease shows more on dark colors. And dark kitchens feel smaller.

Pure cool white: Unless you want your kitchen to feel like an operating room.

Whatever color is trending on TikTok this week: Kitchen repaints are expensive. Pick something you'll love for years, not months.

How to actually choose

1. Look at your fixed finishes: Countertops, backsplash, flooring—these aren't changing. Your paint needs to work with them.

2. Consider your cabinets: They're the biggest color block in the room. Wall color plays supporting role.

3. Test in your actual kitchen: Use Muro to visualize colors on your walls first, then buy samples of your top 2-3 choices.

4. Check at different times: Morning light, afternoon light, evening under your actual light fixtures. Kitchen lighting is complicated.

5. Live with samples for 3 days: First impressions fade. You need to see it when you're tired, when you're cooking, when you're cleaning up.

So what should you pick

For most kitchens: warm whites work with everything, sage green adds personality without risk, and warm grays look polished.

Avoid cool grays, stark whites, and anything too trendy. Kitchens are expensive to repaint—pick something that'll make you happy for years.

And if you have dark cabinets? Keep the walls light. Let the cabinets be the star.