Repainting Wood Kitchen Cabinets Before and After: With Help From Ai
Today, we decided to try brainstorming just how it would look to take a kitchen with honey-oak shaker cabinets and transform it by repainting them different shades with the help of AI for ideas and inspiration. This kitchen already starts out feeling warm and welcoming, with its inviting wood tones, quartz counters to help keep it bright, and the island to give it a luxe feel. It’s the kind of kitchen that looks nice as-is, which is exactly why it’s fun to daydream a little. Below, we took this same kitchen and imagined it in a bunch of different “before-and-after” directions, without changing the bones. You can see how it looks with the same layout, same angle, same light, same counters, and backsplash. The only thing we’re playing with is cabinet and island paint colors and the hardware finishes, so you can really see how a simple refresh changes the entire mood.
[To create these design ideas, we use state-of-the-art AI interior design software to generate and refine most of the makeovers.]Blue-Gray Cabinets and Deep Navy Island with Brushed Brass Hardware
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This kitchen design cools things down with a more refined cool-tone palette with blue-gray cabinetry and a deep navy island, warmed up by brushed brass for a tailored, designer finish. For a similar blue-gray paint pick for the cabinets, try using Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray HC-165, or Sherwin-Williams Smoky Blue SW 7604. For the island, you can try a deep navy hue like Sherwin-Williams Naval SW 6244 or Benjamin Moore Hale Navy HC-154.
Creamy Off-White Cabinets and Warm Greige Island with Brushed Nickel Hardware
This application gives a warm, inviting makeover, pairing creamy off-white cabinets with a greige island for a cozy-neutral look, finished with classic brushed nickel hardware. You can try a creamy off-white for the cabinet by using Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008, or Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17. For the island’s warm greige style, try out Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray HC-173, or Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige SW 7036.
All Greige Cabinets and Island with Satin Nickel Hardware
This plan goes for a streamlined monochrome update where the cupboards and island are painted the same modern greige to give a calm, cohesive, designer-neutral feel. Look at a Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172 or a Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray SW 7029 for all of the units.
Bright White Cabinets and Navy Island with Brushed Brass
This design offers a high-contrast classic bright white perimeter with cabinetry that sharpens the space, while a navy island anchors the room with rich color and brass. To get this bright, white effect, try using Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW 7005 or Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace OC-65. For the navy blue, try a Sherwin-Williams Naval SW 6244, or Benjamin Moore Hale Navy HC-154 for warmth.
Warm White Cabinetry and Forest Green Island with Antique Brass
This combo offers an upscale, cozy mix with warm white cabinets and a deep forest-green island, complemented by antique brass for a timeless glow. To get something similar, try whites like Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008, or Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17, and deep forest green hues such as Benjamin Moore Essex Green HC-188, or Sherwin-Williams Ripe Olive SW 6209.
Soft White Cupboards and Satin Black Island with Matte Black Hardware
This is a modern, dramatic repainting featuring soft white cabinetry along the sides and a satin black island for a bold contrast, which is tied together with matte black hardware. For the soft white, try Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008, or Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17. To get something like the satin black shade, go with a Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black SW 6258, or a Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron 2124-10.
Mushroom Taupe Cabinets and White Island with Champagne Bronze Hardware
This collab goes for a soft, earthy neutral look with the mushroom taupe cabinets and a very clean white island, elevated by champagne bronze hardware for a subtle sheen. For a similar mushroom taupe take a look at Sherwin-Williams Shiitake SW 9173, or Benjamin Moore Pashmina AF-100 and for the clean white tone try Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW 7005, or Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace OC-65.
Sage Green Cabinets and Warm-White Island with Aged Brass
This is a friendly, on-trend refresh that combines sage green cabinetry with a warm white island, and is finished with aged brass for a relaxed, vintage-leaning touch. To get a sage green like this, consider Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog SW 9130, or Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage HC-114. For the warm white try Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008, or Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17.
Sage Green Cabinetry and Natural Wood Island with Matte Black Hardware
This pairing creates a balanced, mixed-material look, with sage-painted perimeter cabinetry highlighting the warmth of the natural wood island and grounding it with matte black hardware. To get a sage green like this, try Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog SW 9130, or Benjamin Moore October Mist 1495. For the natural wood look with no paint, consider Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C “Pure” for a natural/raw wood look or Bona NordicSeal for a light, slightly whitened fresh oak appearance.
Dusty Light Blue Cabinets and Soft-White Island with Brushed Nickel Knobs
For a brighter and airier makeover, this design goes for a dusty light blue on its cupboards with a soft white island, to create a fresh coastal vibe with brushed nickel accents. For the dusty light blue hue, try painting with Sherwin-Williams Misty SW 6232, or Benjamin Moore Breath of Fresh Air 806. The soft white looks like Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008 or Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17.
Soft White Cabinets and Charcoal Island with Matte-Black Hardware
This idea features a crisp two-tone repaint that keeps the kitchen looking bright with soft white cabinets, while the deep charcoal island and matte black hardware pulls add a more modern contrast. To get paint colors for a similar look, you can try using Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) for a warm, popular soft white look on the main cabinetry. Try Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn (SW 7674) or Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore SW 7069 for a classic neutral charcoal on the island.
All Soft Black Cabinets and Island with Warm Brass Knobs
This creation goes for a bold designer look using soft black, but not jet black, on all cabinetry and the island, with warm brass hardware adding to give it an elegant pop. For this dark shade, try Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore SW 7069, or Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron 2124-10.
White Painted Cabinets and Deep Teal Island
For a bright refresh of the honey-oak cabinetry with a crisp white, you might want to check out this pairing with a rich, deep teal island that becomes the bold focal point, finished with warm brass hardware. For the white, use something like Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW 7005, or Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17, and for that deep teal hue, try Sherwin-Williams Riverway SW 6222, or Benjamin Moore Aegean Teal HC-155.
Warm White Painted Cabinets and Terracotta Island
This welcoming and cozy, trend-forward update pairs warm white cabinets with a terracotta/clay island for an earthy pop of color, that’s tied together with brass hardware. For the warm white tone, look toward Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008, or Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17, and for the terracotta/clay, consider Sherwin-Williams Cavern Clay SW 7701, or Benjamin Moore Terra Cotta Tile 2090-30.
Which of these redesigns is your favorite- would you change the honey-oak or go with something else? Leave your comments below to share your thoughts.
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