Q&A: Should I Paint My Kitchen White?

White, white, and more white. It’s everywhere. So should you jump on the bandwagon? That’s the question I am answering on the blog today!

Here’s the reader’s question:

“I have a kitchen/dining room and laundry room that need attention.

I was thinking of painting the cupboards white and [installing] a darker countertop like this photo:

I wanted to go with a gray laminate throughout the entire upstairs…the kind that you piece together so it looks like wood flooring. I was thinking of refinishing the far right hutch/china cabinet to a darker stain, but we are open. We are excited to hear your advice!”

Here’s a little background for the rest of the readers:  this a newlywed couple, and with that in mind, I’m guessing the budget is pretty tight. Here are a few things to consider for them and anyone else in their shoes:

1. The first thing to think about is the future. Will you be in this house long term? If so, will the function of your kitchen and laundry change if your family grows? I ask because if you want to blow out your kitchen in 5-10 years, maybe it’s best to do nothing at all and save for that big project. Forget what the rest of the Pinterest world is doing. This is YOUR life.
2. The next thing to think about may seem silly, but do you like white? Really? Make sure you do before jumping in. I know many people in the northern hemisphere are opting for color and warm woods because they have to deal with long, white winters and it helps break up the monotony.
3. If you love white, then here are a couple of things to think about. If you are painting over the cabinets yourself, it is going to be a bugger of a job. Like, you’ll never want to do it again once you’ve done it. It either requires pulling off all the doors, sanding them down, priming, then painting OR moving out while you spray over the stain with an oil-based primer (you can paint over the primer with any kind of paint after). My husband and I have done the latter with the oil-based primer, and it is toxic! You cannot be living in the house during that process. Also consider that the painted cabinets will chip eventually, no matter how good of a job you do. Can you live with that?

I do believe the white cabinet/black countertop combo is one of the most timeless kitchens to have. Be careful with the gray laminate floor…that is very trendy. You will need new hardware to update your kitchen as well, and I always try to mix white and stained wood together so the kitchen is dynamic.( All wood = dated and all painted = sterile). I think staining the china hutch a dark color is a great idea. Here’s one of my favorite kitchens that has a mixture of wood and white:

Your orangey-oak cabinets are never going to come back in style (sorry husbands) but make sure to go through the questions above before painting. A penny saved is a penny earned.

Also, if you need help picking the perfect white, sign up for my email list! You’ll get a handy guide that will be invaluable for any painting project.

Do you have a design question? Send it in via my contact page and you could be featured on the blog!