Cabinet Refinishing · Jan 2022
Kitchen oak cabinets to white uppers and blue-gray lowers
Kitchen oak cabinets to white uppers and blue-gray lowers. These are before, in-progress and after photos from the job, taken Jan 2022. This cabinet refinishing project was done by Larry Gaytos and the My Personal Painter crew. We are based in Florence, Kentucky, and our work is covered by a 2-year touch-up warranty.
Before and After Photos
Oak Kitchen Cabinets Painted White Uppers With Blue-Gray Lowers and Peninsula
This kitchen opens into a living area under a vaulted ceiling. The before photo shows honey oak cabinets with cathedral arch doors, an oak peninsula base, oak door and window trim, and an oak ledge rail running high along the wall. Protective paper is already taped over the floor. The in-progress photos show the whole open room wrapped in plastic, from the furniture to the hanging light, with patch spots drying on the walls. A later shot shows the walls and ceiling repainted gray while the oak trim has turned white. In the finished kitchen, the upper cabinets are a clean white that brings out the arched door panels. The base cabinets and peninsula are a medium blue-gray, and the open end shelves and pass-through window frame are white too. Speckled granite counters, stainless appliances and wood-look floors stayed in place, and they look brighter against the new two-tone cabinets.
How We Painted This Two-Tone Kitchen and the Open Living Area
- We taped paper over the floors and wrapped furniture, light fixtures and appliances in plastic. In an open plan like this, dust and spray can travel far past the kitchen.
- Cabinet doors and drawers came off and were labeled so each one went back in its spot. Hinges and hardware were bagged and kept with the matching door.
- Every cabinet surface was degreased, then scuffed and sanded. Oak has deep grain and a slick factory finish, so this step is what helps primer bite in.
- We patched nail holes and dents in the walls and trim, sanded the patches flat, and caulked gaps where the oak trim met the drywall.
- A bonding primer went on the cabinets and trim. Then the uppers, shelves and trim got white, and the base cabinets and peninsula got the blue-gray color.
- Walls and ceiling were painted in the open room. After the cabinet finish cured, we rehung the doors, adjusted the hinges and cleaned up.
Paint Colors Similar to This White and Blue-Gray Kitchen
Homeowners wanting this white and blue-gray look can sample these close matches, keeping in mind they are lookalikes and not this kitchen’s exact paint.
Sherwin-Williams Extra White SW 7006
A crisp, bright white close to these upper cabinets and trim. It keeps arched door panels looking sharp next to gray walls and granite.
Benjamin Moore Newburyport Blue HC-158
A deep slate blue for base cabinets and a peninsula. It sits close to the darker side of the lowers in this kitchen.
Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray SW 7015
A soft light gray for the walls around two-tone cabinets. It ties the white uppers and blue-gray lowers together without competing.
Questions About Painting Oak Kitchen Cabinets Two Colors
Will the oak grain show through painted cabinets?
Oak has open grain, so some texture may still show after painting, especially in raking light. A grain filler can smooth it out if you want a flat finish. Many homeowners like a little texture, since it reminds you the cabinets are real wood under the paint.
Which cabinets should be the darker color in a two-tone kitchen?
Most people put the darker color on the base cabinets and island or peninsula. Dark lowers hide scuffs from shoes and feet, and white uppers keep the room feeling open. Flipping it can work too, but dark uppers make a kitchen feel heavier and smaller.
Do you paint the trim and walls at the same time as the cabinets?
We can, and it often makes sense. Oak trim next to white cabinets can look unfinished, so many homeowners paint them together. Doing walls, trim and cabinets in one project also means the room only gets covered in plastic once.
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