Perfectly Paired Paint Colors That Bring Out the Best in Cherry Cabinets

Cherry wood cabinets lend a timeless, elegant warmth to any kitchen. With their rich red-brown tones, these cabinets infuse spaces with cozy rustic ambience. Yet over time, that striking cherry finish can start to feel tiresome. You find yourself longing for a change--something brighter, cleaner, lighter. You're itching to liven up your kitchen, transform the energy...but aren't ready for a full cabinet demolition. So you wonder--what colors can I paint the walls to revive my cherry cabinet kitchen without a gut renovation?

Fear not! A fresh coat of lively paint is all you need to bring out the best in those cherry cabinets. By choosing colors that either contrast beautifully or coordinate seamlessly, you can make that cherry pop in ways you never imagined, creating a kitchen that looks and feels completely new. Read on for our tested tips on selecting perfectly paired paint to let your cabinets shine.

Understand Cherry Cabinet Red Undertones

Before choosing any paint color for your kitchen, examine those cherry cabinet boxes closely under adequate lighting. Make notes on precisely what tones you see. True cherry wood contains rich red-brown pigments, evoking a feeling of warmth and welcome.

As you analyze the undertones, decide whether you want your wall color to emphasize or minimize them. Boosting the existing red can really intensify the coziness, while cooling it down creates cleaner contrast. Once you choose your goal, keep those undertones in mind as you evaluate potential paint colors.

Emphasize Warmth

If you want to emphasize the innate warmth and redness of cherry cabinets for serious hygge appeal, look for wall colors containing orange, terracotta, or golden yellow undertones. These will bring out and intensify the natural rich redness. For wood with particularly deep undertones, don't be afraid to sample some daring paint choices like carrots orange, crimson, or garnet.

Minimize Redness

Do your cherry cabinets skew more towards flat brown than juicy red? Or has the existing finish simply grown too bold for your taste? Cool it down with relaxing blue and green undertones. The right tones can neutralize aggressive redness while still letting the cabinets' beautiful woodgrain show through.

Use Complementary Colors for Contrast

What are complementary colors? Simply put, they are direct opposites on the color wheel. Red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple. When placed alongside each other, they create maximum vibrancy as each makes the other one "pop". This contrast creates liveliness while allowing both hues to shine beautifully. It's one of the most dynamic options for colorful cabinet and wall pairings.

Best Green Choices

Green is a classic complementary pair for cherry cabinets. Whether pale sage or deep emerald, the right green can bring out gorgeous dimension and texture.

• Sage - For mute cherry, muted sage greens provide gentle yet lively contrast
• Lime - Vibrant lime greens make lighter cherry cabinets sing
• Forest - For deeper cherry wood, deeper forest or jade greens emphasize the richness
• Celadon - Soft, gray-tinged celadon offers a more neutral take on green

Best Blue Choices

Like green, shades of blue offer endless opportunities to complement cherry beautifully. From pale sky blue to navy, there's a match for every cabinet shade.

• Navy - For very dark cabinets, rich navy accentuates the saturation
• Robin's egg - This soft pastel perks up red undertones playfully
• Periwinkle - Pretty and purple-tinged, this creates a cheerful ombre effect
• French blue - A gray-green blue for muting very warm wood

Pick Harmonizing Neutrals

Not feeling daring enough for high contrast? Neutral wall colors can also let your cherry cabinets shine through beautifully. The key lies in choosing a neutral that enhances rather than competes with the existing finish.

Look for soft, muted earth tones that will gently harmonize with those warm wood undertones. Primarily beiges, taupes, and warm-leaning grays. Stay away from stark bright whites and inky dark neutrals like black or charcoal, as these create jarring opposition.

When comparing paint swatches, pay attention to the undertones. You want something smooth and muted rather than metallic, bold, or clashing. Hold samples next to cabinet doors at different times of day and visualize how they'll look with your floors and counters as well.

Best Neutral Bets

• Warm grays - Dove, ash, granite, weathered stone
• Beiges - Almond, sand, vanilla, linen
• Taupes - Clay, mushroom, greige

Consider Other Kitchen Finishes

When finalizing your perfect paint for cherry cabinets, it's not just about the cabinets themselves. You need to evaluate the complete kitchen environment. Elements like floors, counters, backsplashes and lighting fixtures intermingle, changing the way we perceive colors.

As you test potential paint colors, examine sample cards alongside existing finishes. Then paint swatches directly onto cabinet doors, walls or cardboard sheets to mimic the actual room.

Neutral countertops and backsplashes allow bolder wall colors, while patterned stone and tiles balance softer hues. Dark cabinet hardware makes warm paint colors recede, so adjust tones accordingly. Getting a sense of the cumulative effect helps prevent a disjointed, overwhelming room.

Dealing with Different Finishes

• Bold backsplash? Soften wall color
• Dark floors? Brighten walls so space doesn't look too heavy
• Stark white counters? Choose a lively wall color

Evaluate Lighting Conditions

The way a color looks changes drastically throughout the day as light shifts. Cool blue tones can read soothing and airy in daylight, then flattened and dreary at night under warm bulbs. Meanwhile a vibrant hue might energize in sunlight but overwhelm in evening lamplight.

When deciding on cabinet paint colors, scrutinize choices carefully under all potential lighting scenarios. Examine swatches by day near windows, then switch to overhead lighting at dusk. Note how perceptions change and select the most universally flattering. Install color-matching bulbs if needed to prevent drastic mismatches.

Lighting Considerations

• North light = consistent cool light
• East light = warm morning, cooler afternoon
• West light = hot evening sun

Sample Paint on Cabinets Before Committing

The best way to predict how a potential wall color will look? Test it out in the real kitchen! Paint samples directly onto cabinet doors, side panels or walls to see first-hand how the tones interact in your unique space.

Sampling helps avoid major mishaps. You can quickly rule out mismatches before they happen. Custom mixing sample quarts also allows you to tweak. Adjust the swatch to be a bit warmer, cooler, duller or brighter if it's just slightly off.

When happy with a sampled hue, be sure to use the same exact brand and type of paint for the final coat. Differences between paint bases mean the color won't translate identically across paints.

Tips for Testing Paint

• Try multiple swaths to compare
• Check different lighting
• Examine next to all finishes
• Be sure to use same final paint brand

Unsure where to even begin with your paint planning and overwhelmed by all the options? Meet with professional kitchen design experts for personalized color consultations. With decades of experience envisioning gorgeous kitchens, they can discuss your goals, examine the space, and suggest tailored dynamic or soothing cherry cabinet wall color pairings.

Kitchen remodelers like Kitchen Magic offer free in-home visits to assess your current kitchen, then provide computer 3D renderings demonstrating precisely how different paint colors could modernize the look while working with your existing cabinetry and layout. They can play with limitless variations to realize your dream aesthetic.

For homeowners in the Lehigh Valley, PA area seeking kitchen transformations without extreme demolition, Kitchen Magic is an invaluable paint planning asset. With exceptional attention to detail, innovative solutions, and premium materials, they create kitchens that families cherish for decades. Schedule a design meeting and actualize the revived cherry cabinet kitchen you've been envisioning!