Cream kitchen cabinets are so popular, and with good reason – they are warmer than a true white and not as stark as gray. Cream colored kitchen cabinets are the prettiest way to create a warm and inviting kitchen!
Learn about the custom paint color we created for our cream cabinets, and find out how to recreate this look in your own kitchen.
Today I’m sharing the answer to one of the most frequently asked questions about our kitchen: What paint color did you use on your cream kitchen cabinets?
Oh, if only it were that easy to share with you. Finding the exact paint color you want can seem impossible at times! For our kitchen renovation, I envisioned a warm, deep cream color for the shaker style cabinets. A shaker cream kitchen just feels so cozy and traditional to me!
In our previous home, we had white kitchen cabinets, but at times it felt a bit stark. This time, we knew we wanted a richer, more traditional and timeless look.
Cream Kitchen Cabinets
Cream kitchen cabinets feel warm, but still offer a light, breezy feeling. They’re perfect for a North or South facing room that tends to read blue – especially in winter.
That’s why I’m sharing with you today. You’ll find the exact code for our custom cream kitchen cabinets, as well as a few of my other favorite cream colors that might work well for your own cream colored kitchen cabinets!
Colors like antique white tend to look too dingy or yellow in our home, although they are different for everyone. I love a light yet warm cream paint color which can be difficult to achieve.
You can see my favorite cream paint colors and the best warm whites here, but I wanted something a little different for this kitchen. I knew that even though I wanted something richer than a bright white, it still needed to have a high LRV to help bounce the natural light around.
The cream cabinets needed to blend with the adjacent breakfast nook and mudroom that are painted Navajo White. However, this color is not quite as “yellow”.
The color also had to blend with the neighboring living room, which is Zurich White… a dustier cream.
A Custom Cream Color
The color we chose also had to complement the Olympia Danby marble without making it feel too white or too gray. Small feat, right?
So I took the easy route. I had Lacanche send a swatch of the range I had on order and had it color matched. It took a few attempts, but I think it’s absolutely perfect.
Our cream kitchen cabinets are not too white, too bright, too dusty, or too yellow. So what should I call it? Just Right White? Lacanche Cream? Sugar Cookie? I had to work sweets in there somehow.
Whatever you want to call it, I thought I’d share the color code for those who want cream cabinets that remind you of a sugar cookie.
This color would make the perfect furniture paint color, too! After all, our kitchen cabinets were designed to look like furniture.
You can use it on your kitchen island, though we chose to compliment it with a wood island.
This color is perfect for a traditional kitchen, but also works well for a modern, contemporary or country kitchen. It is a beautiful contrast to hardwood floors. You can also find subway tiles similar in color or opt to use a beadboard backsplash and paint it in the same color.
Tips
- If you use the same color for your walls as your cream cabinets, your kitchen will instantly appear larger. We chose a true white ceiling paint, though, as we wanted the cabinets to appear truly cream!
- Read more about painting walls and trim the same color here.
- Check out this post about how to paint interior doors – these tips work well for cabinets, too!
Not sure what to paint the walls with your cream cabinets? The same color works well for both walls and ceiling, if you’d like. For walls I like to use eggshell sheen and for ceiling, flat.
Our Shaker Cabinet Rails and Stiles
As you can see in the photo below, our rails and stiles are 2 and 1/8 inches all around. Learn more about custom cabinetry here!
Our Custom Cream Kitchen Cabinets Color
I had this color matched at our local Sherwin Williams.
The following information is exactly how our label reads on a one gallon can of paint. Download this free printable color code card to take with you to the paint store!
Quick tip: I have heard from several readers that occasionally someone at their paint store will be confused about this formula, and I’m not sure why that is. If you get someone new that seems unsure, perhaps ask to speak to a manager for clarification!
Sherwin Williams Pro Classic Semi-Gloss (diluted for sprayer)
CCE*Colorant OZ 32 64 128
B1 – Black – 1 – –
R2- Maroon – – – 1
Y3-Deep Gold – 2 1 1
More Cream Kitchen Cabinet Colors
Of course, our custom color won’t be for everyone! Luckily, we’ve got an incredible guide to Cream Paint Colors with my top 10 favorite cream colors detailed.
Because custom colors can be difficult to replicate, we’ve matched our cabinets to four specific colors that are closest to ours.
- Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
- Benjamin Moore White Down
- Sherwin Williams Creamy
- Sherwin Williams Westhighland White
Frequently Asked Questions
Cream is a truly timeless color. You can never go wrong with choosing cream kitchen cabinets. In fact, I’d argue that they will look current for longer than any wood tone that you might choose instead.
Consider Danby Marble or Quartz Countertops in a warm white tone. While the cooler gray colors of marble can work beautifully with cream cabinets, many of the quartz options have more of a greige or brown undertone to the veining.
Yes, this is a combination we’ve used in many rooms of our home. A combination of grays, greige tones, and creams are beautiful, fresh, and still timeless.
You can see more of our new kitchen design with pendant lights and unlacquered brass hardware here!
Hi Julie – which cream color do you recommend using for kitchen walls with Oak cabinets?
Planning on painting the adjacent colors to the dining area Navajo white BM and Perhaps a Manchester tan for the family room. Thanks.
At the lake I used Farrow and Ball White Tie with oak cabinets and I feel it works pretty well. This color is adjacent to two rooms painted in Navajo White and is a nice transition. I hope that helps!
*Which paint in the sw line?
Sherwin Williams
Good morning! Your kitchen is beautiful! I am in the process of installing a new kitchen. I only have a few whites to choose from. What do you think of simply white? I am choosing the inset beaded doors with some flat drawers. I am also doing toe kicks and simple corbals spread around with a couple of antique glass doors. I will also use exposed hinges. I was thinking of 4×4 glazed neutral backsplash. And for the floor a porclein white and light beige/ yellow checkerboard. I am having the panels installed on refrigerator and dishwasher as well. This is difficult but exciting process. The kitchen store also offers a color Named marshmallow, I feel like it may have a grey undertone. And the other whites are to stark. For the countertops I’m thinking a quartzite because I love natural stone but confused as to what color? I would absolutely get marble however I cook alot and afraid I will destroy the countertops. If you can please help me I would appreciate it. Thanks
Hi Traulane,
We love Simply White so much- in fact, we have a whole post dedicated to this color.
It’s such a complicated process, but so rewarding. I hope you love the way your remodel turns out!
Have a wonderful day,
Julie
Such a beautiful & inviting kitchen,the soft cream is such a pretty change from all the bright whites that i see.Don’t get me wrong i love white kitchens but that cream is just divine.Fantastic range too,it must be a pleasure to use. If it were me i would organize first then decorate but maybe you could just add a few simple decorations for starters so you have something pretty to look at while you organize:) We are just starting to come into spring here in Australia & yesterday i picked some beautiful pale pink camellias & put them in a vase & they just lift the whole room(I’m sure you know this already 🙂 )
Oh ,i just had to share with you i found this beautiful cut crystal lamp base at the dump,i thought it must be glass since someone had thrown it out but i bought it anyway because it was too pretty to leave it there but a lady i know had a look at it & said that it was definitely crystal so that was my happy find of the week:) Have a great weekend Julie xx
It sounds so beautiful! What a lucky find!
Is that beadboard for your backsplash?
Yes! You can read all about it in the beadboard post. Enjoy!
Love it! It will look so good with some fall touches (if you decorate in the kitchen). Copper, brass, warm browns and deep reds will pop against the cabinets. Can’t wait to see what you do 🙂
I decorate everything, even if just a hint! I already have my eye on some beautiful branches to snip. Are you ready for fall?
Very pretty and serene. And that stove…whoa! I love the complexity of the stove juxtaposed with the simplicity of the cabinets. Design genius!
Thanks, Linda! I was going for simple, timeless and functional – I think it worked. I love that the range is the centerpiece of the kitchen!
Just beautiful!! Love it all!
Thank you, Angela!
My walls are North Hampton Putty think of painting cabinets creamy by SW granite is a verde butterfly, s little anxious, may paint walls next
I have pale beige ceramic tiles in my kitchen and entrance.I need a colour with a beige undertones most warm whites and cream colours have a yellow undertones Iam looking @sw ivory lace We are replacing our kitchen cupboards.We are facing north
I am doing an update in the kitchen as well and using a Natural Linen with Oak Cabinets. Benjamin z Moore cc 90. Do you this this is a good puck🤔