Choosing the right cabinet color is one of the most exciting — and most important — decisions in any kitchen transformation. The right color can make your kitchen feel larger, brighter, more modern, or more warm and inviting.
At Willow & Wick Cabinet Coatings, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners across Columbus, Mansfield, Marion, Toledo, and North Central Ohio find their perfect cabinet color. Our team offers complimentary design consultations — including basic design mock-ups — with every refinishing project. Here’s the expert guidance we share with every client.
1. Start with Your Kitchen’s Fixed Elements
Before you fall in love with a color on Pinterest or Instagram, take stock of the elements in your kitchen that aren’t changing — your countertops, flooring, backsplash, and appliances. Your cabinet color should complement these fixed elements, not compete with them.
- Warm-toned countertops (beige, cream, butcher block, brown granite) pair beautifully with warm whites, sage green, soft greens, and earthy tones.
- Cool-toned countertops (white quartz, gray marble, blue-gray stone) work well with cool whites, navy blue, charcoal, and slate.
- Dark flooring benefits from lighter cabinet colors to keep the space from feeling heavy or closed in.
- Light or neutral flooring gives you maximum flexibility — both light and dark cabinet colors can look stunning.
2. Consider Your Kitchen’s Size and Natural Light
The amount of natural light in your kitchen dramatically affects how a color will look once it’s on your cabinets. A color that looks perfect on a paint chip can look completely different in a dark, north-facing kitchen versus a sun-drenched, open-concept space.
- Small or dark kitchens: Lighter colors — crisp white, soft cream, light gray, or pale sage — will help the space feel larger, brighter, and more open. Our 100% spray process delivers a flawless, light-reflective finish that maximizes this effect.
- Large or well-lit kitchens: You have the freedom to go bold. Deep navy, forest green, charcoal, or even matte black can look absolutely stunning in a kitchen with good natural light and generous square footage.
3. Explore the Most Popular Cabinet Colors Right Now
Not sure where to start? Here are the cabinet colors our clients are loving most right now — all of which we’ve executed beautifully on projects across Ohio:
- 🤍 Crisp White & Off-White: The perennial classic. Bright, clean, and timeless — white cabinets work in virtually every kitchen style from farmhouse to modern.
- 🔵 Navy Blue: Rich, sophisticated, and bold. Navy has become one of the most requested colors in our studio — and for good reason. It pairs beautifully with brass or gold hardware and white countertops. (See our Blue Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing project in Ontario, Ohio.)
- 🌿 Sage Green & Olive: Warm, earthy, and on-trend. Green cabinets bring a natural, organic feel to the kitchen and pair beautifully with wood accents and stone countertops.
- ⬛ Charcoal & Matte Black: Dramatic, modern, and surprisingly versatile. Dark cabinets make a bold statement and photograph beautifully. (See our Black & White Cabinet Refinishing project in Lexington, OH.)
- 🎨 Two-Tone Combinations: Light uppers and dark lowers — or any creative combination — add depth, dimension, and a custom, designer feel to your kitchen. (See our Two-Tone Cabinet Refinishing project in Mansfield, Ohio.)
4. Think Long-Term: Timeless vs. Trendy
Cabinet refinishing is an investment, and you want to love your color for years — even decades — to come. While it’s tempting to chase the trendiest color of the moment, consider how it will age alongside your home and your lifestyle.
That said, don’t be afraid of color. A well-chosen bold color — like a deep navy or a rich forest green — can be just as timeless as a classic white. The key is choosing a color that feels authentically you and works harmoniously with your kitchen’s existing elements.
5. Test Before You Commit
Always test your top color choices in your actual kitchen before committing. Paint large swatches on a piece of cardboard and hold them up against your cabinets at different times of day — morning light, afternoon sun, and evening artificial lighting can all make the same color look dramatically different.
At Willow & Wick, our design consultations include basic design mock-ups so you can visualize your new color before a single drop of paint is applied. For more complex projects, we also offer advanced design consultations for a flat service charge.
6. Don’t Forget the Hardware
Cabinet color and hardware go hand in hand. The right hardware finish can elevate your cabinet color from great to extraordinary:
- Brass & Gold: Warm and luxurious — pairs beautifully with navy, white, and sage green.
- Matte Black: Sleek and modern — works with virtually any cabinet color, especially white and gray.
- Brushed Nickel & Chrome: Clean and classic — ideal for cool-toned kitchens with gray or white cabinets.
- Oil-Rubbed Bronze: Warm and rustic — pairs well with cream, off-white, and earthy green tones.
Willow & Wick’s Cabinet Refresh service can also update your hardware, add soft-close hinges and drawer slides, and install custom crown molding — the perfect complement to a fresh cabinet color.
How We Bring Your Color to Life: The Willow & Wick Way
Once you’ve chosen your perfect color, our proven process ensures a flawless, long-lasting result. Here’s exactly what happens from start to finish:
Step 1: Clean and Prepare
We begin by removing all doors and drawers and labeling them as well as your hinges and hardware. Then we start degreasing, scrubbing, and rinsing all your cabinets and the workspace to prepare surfaces for best adhesion.
Step 2: Creating the Bubble
Your entire kitchen and project area will get covered and protected. The walkways into the space, the floors, walls, backsplash, and countertops will be taped off and covered in plastic and paper. Plastic walls will be created to trap in fumes, dust, and protect against overspray.
Step 3: Sand and Prep Surfaces
We will sand down all your cabinet boxes, then shop vac and wipe them down again to prepare the surface for painting.
Step 4: Prime & Fill
After spraying the first coat of primer we will fix blemishes. Everything then gets sanded and wiped down again before we spray the final coats of primer.
Step 5: Spray Finishing Coats
We will spray multiple finishing coats of our industrial grade, Low VOC, water-based lacquer. This product is not only durable and rated for kitchen usage but it creates a beautiful ceramic finish. We also do stains and dyes if you are looking for a more natural wood tone.
Step 6: Transport Doors & Drawers Back to Our Shop
After your bases are completed, we remove the paper and plastic and clean up the work area. You will have access back to your space while we spend a few days working in our shop. All your doors and drawers will get taken back to our shop — if we are upgrading hardware or hinges, we will drill out for those in shop as well.
Step 7: Repeat the Refinishing Steps
We clean and degrease, sand, and fill your doors and drawers. We then spray multiple coats of primer and multiple coats of our industrial grade water-based lacquer for a flawless, durable finish.
Step 8: Install Day
We bring all your doors and drawers back, install hardware and hinges onsite, make sure everything is level, and install door bumpers.
Step 9: Touch Up and Clean Up
Our team will do a thorough review after install and complete any needed touch ups. We will clean up the work areas and ensure everything is left in better condition than when we arrived.
Step 10: Quality Check and Final Walk Through
We always do a final walk through with you to ensure you are 100% happy with the finish on your cabinets. We’ll leave you with care instructions and a 1-year workmanship warranty.
Let Willow & Wick Help You Find Your Perfect Color
Choosing a cabinet color doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Our team at Willow & Wick is here to guide you every step of the way — from color selection and design mock-ups to a flawless, factory-smooth finish using our 100% spray process and low VOC industrial-grade coatings.
We proudly serve Columbus, Mansfield, Marion, Toledo, and all of North Central Ohio. Contact us today to schedule your free in-home consultation and let’s find the perfect color for your kitchen.
📞 Call or text: (419) 982-2209
📧 Email: info@willowandwick.com
🗓️ Schedule online at willowandwick.com
