White Dove and Urbane Bronze Painted Cabinets

I apologize in advance if you get tired of seeing my cabinet painting jobs – so if you’re overloaded, feel free to skip this one.  I have a lot of jobs in the pipeline, so just a heads up that there will be more of this coming in the future (because some of the makeovers are just that amazing).  This kitchen cabinet makeover qualifies for the “wow” factor that I’m talking about here.  The homeowners replaced their tile floor (and carpet throughout the main floor) with a beautiful new wood laminate floor, and it just takes everything to a whole new level.  The perimeter cabinets were painted in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and the island is in Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze.  I think you’ll all agree that this kitchen transformation is a beauty!

Before

Like I said, there was a lot going on in the way of renovations in this kitchen.  The before is like many out there – lots of brown.  Brown flooring, brown cabinets, brown(ish) countertops.  Why do so many builders go so overboard with the brown finishes that you can’t easily remove?  Note to builders: neutral doesn’t mean that everything has to be beige or brown.  But, transforming these beige/brown kitchens is great because I can share with you how you can update your space without tearing it down and starting from scratch.  

So, let’s take a look at the before, shall we?

Here you can see what I mean about a sea of brown.  It’s just what was done when this house was built.

When I took down the cabinets, they were in the process of removing the old flooring and installing the new.  Total chaos, but the upside is that you get it all over in one fell swoop.

But I have to say, it looks like they lucked out in tearing out the tile.  It didn’t look to be as much of a nightmare as I would have expected.

Since there are still some existing finishes that aren’t changing – granite and tile backsplash – we had to make sure the colors that we chose worked with what was staying in place.  Note: if you’re looking to do a kitchen facelift, and are replacing the countertops, choose the countertops and other surfaces first (i.e, flooring, backsplash) if you can.  It’s much easier to choose a paint color based on a countertop than it is to work in the reverse order.

After

Since there were some browns to work with in the island and backsplash, we opted for a warmer white – Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, and a warm island cabinet color as well – Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze.  I adore Urbane Bronze – it’s gorgeous on walls (we have it on the walls of our built-in bookcases), but it’s equally stunning on cabinets.  

Urbane Bronze still gives you a rich gray look, but also works beautifully with warm colors like browns and beiges.  Don’t fight the finishes you have – work with them and find colors that will complement them.  You’ll be much happier with the end result.  I’m sure you’ve seen homes where the homeowners go all in with the “gray trend” but completely ignore their other finishes (i.e., stained trim).  It leaves the room looking off, like something just isn’t quite right.  It’s not that you can’t go with the trend, you just need to find the right gray colors to work with what you have.  

I’ve share my love for Urbane Bronze before – you can read more about this versatile color here.

The flooring is a wood laminate from Oasis, and the color is Rhapsody.

I’ve used White Dove on a lot of cabinet jobs, and it’s a great option for a warmer white that isn’t so warm that it’s an antique white.  It’s a great option if you’re looking for a good “go to” white.  I love that it plays well with others – that says a lot for a paint color, don’t you think?

If you’re looking for more paint color and cabinet painting ideas, check out these posts:

My Favorite Non-White Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro

Tips and Tricks for Painting Oak Cabinets

Like I said, more to come, and I just took down a kitchen with absolutely stunning countertops that lend themselves to a color other than white.  Hooray!  Stay tuned…

Jenny