20 Best Sherwin Williams Gray Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets of All Time

Choosing the best Sherwin Williams gray paint colors for kitchen cabinets doesn’t have to be so hard! But if you’ve started looking for ideas and inspiration, you already know there are plenty of options, and picking the right one seems daunting. This guide will narrow things down, give you access to samples that make it easy to test your options in your home and help you choose the best gray paint color for your kitchen.

Gray kitchen cabinets are a great option because gray is peaceful, clean, and warm. But if you’re not careful, a kitchen where everything is gray can look dull and cold. Selecting the best gray color for your kitchen cabinets sets the foundation for the most beautifully designed kitchen of your dreams.

Let’s look at the best grays from Sherwin Williams.

Best Sherwin Williams Gray Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets

Here are the 20 best gray paint colors in no particular order:

1. Reflection – 7661
2. First Star – 7646
3. Modern Gray – 7632
4. Crushed Ice – 7647
5. On The Rocks – 7671
6. Popular Gray – 6071
7. Agreeable Gray -7029
8. Passive – 7054
9. Gray Screen – 7071
10. Repose Gray – 7015
11. Worldly Gray – 7043
12. Lazy Gray – 6254
13. Colonnade Gray 7641
14. Light French Gray 0055
15. Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray – 7016
16. Anew Gray – 7030
17. Amazing Gray – 7044
18. Dorian Gray – 7017
19. Dovetail – 7018
20. Gauntlet Gray 7019

Why Gray is a Good Color for Kitchen Cabinets

If you’re waffling between colors to paint your new cabinets, you’re not alone. It’s a big and costly decision if you pick something you don’t love and change the paint color down the road.

All types of colors are popular these days, with gray, white, and wood tones being some of the most common. Some other popular options are combining colors and wood and doing something more colorful such as green or blue.

Gray Paint Hides Dirt

Painting kitchen cabinets gray has its benefits. Gray is one of the best colors to hide dirt. Have you ever owned a white or black car and could never keep it looking clean, but if you looked at a gray-colored vehicle, it always looked much cleaner? It’s not that the gray car is actually cleaner; it is just the gray hides dirt. And the same applies to your kitchen cabinets.

Listen, I love white, but the kitchen is one of the messiest places in the home between cooking splashes and kid’s crumbs. Keeping the counter and floor clean is a full-time job, yes? Using gray paint on your cabinets is one way to hide the dirt, so you’re not constantly feeling like your kitchen is a disaster.

Gray Paint is Versatile

Gray paint is also very versatile.

• There are many undertones and shades to choose from that will work with any color palette for wall colors.
• This versatility also includes pairing cabinet hardware. Gray looks good with all the options; gold, brass, black, silver; you name it; they all go well with gray.
• The same goes for coordinating countertops. Quartz, butcher block, laminate, granite, concrete; you name it, gray-painted kitchen cabinets will look amazing with all the options.

The Most Popular Gray Paint Sherwin Williams

Sherwin Williams has so many different paint colors, and I agree it is overwhelming when trying to narrow things down. What is helpful is that they put together their collections and Top 50 Colors. This list includes mostly whites, grays, and a few darker colors like Sherwin Williams Iron Ore.

The best Sherwin Williams gray paint for kitchen cabinets list of twenty was populated using their top sellers. Even having 20 options is still too many, but out of these, you may recognize a few of these colors, and that is because people use these more often than others.

According to the makers themselves, their first most popular color is Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray, and the next is Sherwin Williams Repose Gray.

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray vs Sherwin Williams Repose Gray

The two most popular paint colors are Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray. And beyond that, these two colors are pretty different, and depending on your lighting and preferences, either is a great option.

• SW Agreeable Gray has beige undertones and is their most popular gray paint color
• SW Repose Gray has two undertones and, depending on the lighting, will pull either light purple or blue.

I really want to love and use both of these colors in my home. But every time I put a sample up on the wall, it was just not the one for me, and I felt like it was on the darker side. 

Why Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray Didn’t Work for Me

One of the factors that contributed to this is the height of my ceilings, which, since my home is from the 1960s and both the ceilings and floors have multiple layers (yep, two layers of drywall on the ceilings, odd, I know!) they were not even eight feet. When I see these colors used in newer homes with taller ceilings, it looks lighter, especially when paired with a mid to light-tone wood floor. It’s stunning, and it’s no wonder they are so popular.

Another factor that significantly affected how dark the colors looked in my home was the amount of natural light. Now, if you’ve seen pics of my home, you might think that I have a lot of natural light because I have an entire wall of windows across the front of my house.

But, the position of the home was so that the sun did not come in through these windows, only for a small part of the morning. Beyond this small amount of time, the surrounding trees shaded the home most of the time. Great for keeping things cool in the summer but not so great for some of my paint color choices.

Warm Gray Sherwin Williams Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets

Narrowing down to the shade of paint is helpful when trying to find the perfect gray paint for your kitchen cabinets. There are warm and cool tones, and one is not better than the other; it’s all personal preference. What matters is that you select one to be consistent with this throughout the rest of your home.

Warm vs Cool Undertones in Gray Paint

The one mistake I made when using gray in my home was, I didn’t know about undertones, and the color I selected was a cool tone. It looked beautiful on the walls, but after moving in and living with the color, the space always felt cold. I mean, my hands and feet are literally always cold, but you know what I mean?

The cool tones made the area feel precisely that, cold. What I realized and would have done differently is opted for a warm tone to help my home feel cozier. 

Sherwin Williams Warm Gray Paint Colors

Out of the best gray paint colors, here are the warm ones:

1. SW Modern Gray
2. SW Popular Gray: a light gray with clay undertones
3. SW Agreeable Gray: beige undertone
4. SW Repose Gray: a light gray that pairs well with Eider White
5. SW Worldly Gray
6. SW Colonnade Gray: a muted stone gray
7. SW Mindful Gray: a warm light gray
8. SW Amazing Gray: a versatile gray with green undertones
9. SW Dovetail: a warm soothing gray that is considered a color palette cleanser
10. SW Gauntlet Gray: a dark gray with warm greige undertones

Cool Gray Sherwin Williams Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets

Despite my love of warm undertones and negative experience with cool undertones, they certainly have their place; otherwise, they would not have made the top 50 list. You’ll find more blue undertones with cool grays, which pair amazingly well with a coastal or beach design style. Certainly, in a place where the outside temps are sky-high, a cool color inside the home would work well!

Sherwin Williams Best Grays with Cool Undertones

The cool undertone colors from the Sherwin Williams gray paint colors on the best list are:

1. SW Reflection: a blue-gray neutral
2. SW First Star: a cool white with a hint of gray
3. SW Crushed Ice
4. SW On The Rocks: a bright gray that pulls cool undertones with bright light
5. SW Passive: has blue undertones
6. SW Gray Screen: another cool gray with blue undertones
7. SW Lazy Gray: a light gray that is almost blue

How to Pick the Perfect Gray Paint for Kitchen Cabinets

The best way to find the perfect gray paint color for your kitchen cabinets is to try each of the ones you like in your kitchen and, ideally, on your cabinets.

Paint colors are incredible because they change based on lighting, the direction the wall faces, and surrounding colors. You may think you found the perfect shade but only make a final decision after seeing it in your own home and at different times of the day.

You could quickly go broke sampling paint colors if you don’t narrow things down. To prevent yourself from going insane and getting stuck in analysis paralysis, narrow your choices down to three to no more than five colors. 

Narrowing down before you purchase a sample saves you money and frustration, trust me! To more easily narrow down the colors you want to sample, here are two things you should decide on right now:

• Pick a shade – warm or cool.
• Choose either lighter or darker.

The Best Way to Sample Paint Colors

When shopping for any new perfect color, I turn to Samplize. They have the most genius product that helps you find the best paint color without any mess. Their peel and stick paint samples are the easiest and most accurate way to trail paint colors. Say goodbye to the small sample jar of paint that has no use and say hello to a more fun and less wasteful way of sampling paint.

The Easiest Way to Sample Paint Colors

Here is what I truly value about using Samplize:

• I no longer have an excessive amount of sample jars that I have no clue what to do with
• Not having to wash my paintbrush hundreds of times between each color and each coat
• The paint sample squares are easy to move around, so I get an even better idea of what the color looks like
• I can reuse the samples on more than one project

I’ve used Samplize for more projects I can keep track of, but these were particularly handy for painting kitchen cabinets. There are very specific steps to follow when painting kitchen cabinets which make trialing paint samples directly on your cabinets a little tricky. 

But with Samplize, I didn’t have to worry about this. I slapped a sample sticker on the cabinets, left it to see the color in all the different lights, moved it around a few times, and then picked my favorite one.

Pro Tip for Using Samplize

My tip is to save the sample backing, so you have something to store these on, or parchment paper also works! This way, you won’t have to buy new samples every time. I’ve used my sticker samples in numerous projects, and although they are losing some of their stick by this point, they still get the job done!

Kitchen Design Ideas Gray Kitchen Cabinets

Grey kitchen designs will be around for a while because this look is so versatile. From modern to farmhouse to traditional, gray-colored cabinet works for all these styles. 

Gray Kitchen Island

One way to incorporate gray into your kitchen is by making your kitchen island gray and your other cabinets a different color or wood-toned. Another way is to paint your upper cabinets gray and leave your lower cabinets wood, or vice versa.

Gray Cabinet Countertop Ideas

Countertops with gray kitchen cabinetry are easy to pair, from white to something with veining to brown granite. Gray kitchen cabinets match these all. Some gorgeous color combinations are light gray cabinets with butcher block counters—or dark gray shaker cabinets with white quartz with veining. 

Gray Cabinet Backsplash Ideas

The best backsplash for gray cabinets is personal preference, but the go-to choice for most is a white backsplash. Marble is another great choice because most have gray and subtle blue undertones, but some marbles have a green hue. A marble backsplash can be the perfect option for your kitchen design by complementing the undertones and shade of gray you use on your gray kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen Decor with Gray Cabinets

The kitchen wall decor you incorporate also plays an essential role in your overall design; the good news is this is also the most affordable way to add warmth and character to your kitchen.

Using things such as a gallery wall, floating shelves, wicker baskets, and plants are a few ideas to incorporate into your design that will tie everything together.

Gray Kitchen Cabinets with White Walls

Gray kitchen cabinets with white wall color are a timeless combination that creates an inviting atmosphere in the kitchen. Both are a neutral color and complement many styles, from traditional to modern.

Gray paired with white walls is an excellent choice for kitchen cabinets because they provide a slight contrast to the walls yet blend together seamlessly. If you’re remodeling your existing kitchen or building a new one, this classic color combination will not disappoint you.

What Wall Color Goes with Gray Cabinets?

White walls with gray cabinets are a great combination because they create a blank canvas that allows other design elements, such as a gray cabinet color, to be the star of the show. This color combination can make small spaces, such as your kitchen, look bigger.

Gray Cabinets and White Walls Are Versatile

Gray kitchen cabinets with white walls also offer a lot of versatility in terms of design. For example, you can choose from shades, from light and soft to a darker shade that is more dramatic. You can also add other elements, such as black countertops, stainless steel appliances, or colorful backsplashes, to create a custom look that is uniquely your own.

Gray Walls and White Kitchen Cabinets

Another option for a timeless kitchen design with a classic look is to use the same paint colors but swap where you apply each color. If you love the color gray and white kitchen cabinets, go for it. Using gray on your kitchen walls will create enough contrast to have the white cabinets pop. You can’t go wrong with this color combination. 

However, just like gray, white paint colors options are abundant. If you need help narrowing down what color white to use for your white kitchen cabinets, check out this helpful post on the best white paint colors from Sherwin Williams. 

Gray Kitchen Cabinets with Gold Hardware

Gray kitchen cabinets and gold hardware make for a stunning and sophisticated combination. Gold is a rich and luxurious kitchen cabinet hardware option that adds warmth and elegance to your kitchen design. The neutral tones of gray are the perfect backdrop to make gold hardware stand out and shine.

Another reason why gray kitchen cabinets and gold cabinet hardware look so good together is that they create a sense of balance. The gray tones provide a calm and relaxing atmosphere, while the warm and rich tones of gold add sophistication and luxury. This color combination is sure to impress and create a functional and beautiful space.

Greige Paint Colors

What is a Greige Paint Color?

The term “greige” describes paint colors that are not fully gray nor entirely beige but fall somewhere between these two colors. It usually has a warm gray or cool beige undertone, making it incredibly versatile and a neutral paint color. 

Accessible Beige (SW 7036) and Alpaca (SW 7022) are two popular greiges from Sherwin Williams. 

Is Greige a Popular Color?

Greige is also a popular choice if you are looking for a calming and soothing color. I speak from experience when I say this because I used a greige in my bedroom, and it ended up being a perfect choice because it was stark or cold; it was bright yet still felt inviting, warm, and cozy.

Greige Undertones

It is important to consider undertones like any other color when selecting the best greige for your space. Remember to test the paint color in your kitchen before making a final decision.

Even if you’ve used the color in another living space in your home, you can’t assume you’ll also love it in your kitchen.

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray Coordinating Colors

This paint color is one of the best colors for good reason. Agreeable Gray is incredibly versatile and a great color for open-concept home designs, so it flows from the living room to the dining room and into the kitchen.

Since this is a warm paint color, Sherwin Williams suggests pairing it with Incredible White and Extra White.

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