While Benjamin Moore doesn't designate an official single #1, White Dove (OC-17) and Hale Navy (HC-154) are the most popular choices for cabinets. White Dove offers a warm, soft white finish for classic, timeless kitchens, while Hale Navy is the top choice for bold accents or dramatic two-tone designs.
Our List of Top Benjamin Moore Cabinet Paint Colors:
Kitchen design is shifting toward warm, "emotionally stable" neutrals, earthy tones, and rich wood grains. The top trending colors for kitchen cabinets emphasize natural serenity, timeless warmth, and "quiet luxury," moving completely away from the sterile, stark whites and cool grays of past years.
Benjamin Moore ADVANCE® Interior Paint
Perfect for modernizing your cabinets or creating a seamless look. Finish options: Available in satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss for customized looks.
For kitchen cabinets, satin is generally the better choice. It provides the ideal balance of durability, cleanability, and aesthetic appeal. Eggshell is softer and has less shine, making it less durable and harder to wipe down in high-mess areas like a kitchen.
Kitchen cabinet colors that feel dated include stark, clinical all-white, cool minimalist grays, and red-toned woods like cherry or honey-oak. Flat, one-dimensional brown-on-brown color schemes and overly bright primary colors have also fallen out of style.
The best professional-grade paints for kitchen cabinets are hybrid alkyd enamels and waterborne polyurethanes. They deliver a tough, self-leveling, and chip-resistant finish. Top industry choices include Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel, Benjamin Moore Advance, and INSL-X Cabinet Coat.
Avoid high-maintenance stark whites, trend-heavy brights like candy apple red or lime green, and oppressive jet blacks which highlight every fingerprint. Instead of fleeting fads or clinical shades, opt for muted, versatile tones that bring warmth and longevity to your space.
The absolute best paints for cabinets are hybrid alkyd enamels. They apply as smoothly as traditional oil paints but dry quickly with a durable, hard, and non-yellowing finish.
Joanna Gaines’ dedicated product line is called Magnolia Home Cabinet & Furniture Paint by KILZ. It is a specialized water-based acrylic enamel designed to provide the durability of an oil-based paint. It features superior self-leveling, remarkable durability, and a sleek, hard finish.
An Overview of the Top Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends This Year. If you just want the quick list: warm “new neutrals” (cream, warm white, mushroom, warm stone), deeper greens, inky blues, soft blacks, and carefully planned two-tone combinations are leading the kitchen cabinet color trends for 2026.
White remains the most popular kitchen cabinet color, but design trends are favoring warmer, earthier variations. Top choices include:
Neutral colors remain the top choice for kitchen cabinets because they provide a blank canvas for buyers. Whites, grays, and beiges are popular because they create a clean and fresh look. These tones also pair well with various design styles, making them a safe investment for resale.
Benjamin Moore’s kitchen color trends focus on warmth, grounding darks, and nature-inspired layering. The highlight is the 2026 Color of the Year: Silhouette AF-655, a luxurious espresso brown with charcoal undertones, which provides a moody, timeless look when applied to kitchen cabinets.
White Dove is more creamy while Chantilly Lace is more neutral. White Dove has an LRV of 83.16, Chantilly Lace has an LRV of 90.04. White Dove is a warmer white while Chantilly Lace wins for the whitest white. White Dove looks best in southern or northern exposures.
The most popular Benjamin Moore white for kitchen cabinets is White Dove OC-17. It is a universally loved, soft, off-white that balances warmth and crispness, making it highly versatile for almost any kitchen style without looking sterile.
Ben Moore Advance Washability
If you are considering painting your kitchen cabinets, you won't be disappointed using BM Advance Satin. The washability of Advance is fantastic.
Choose satin for a balance of durability and easy cleaning in busy kitchens. Its low-luster, smooth finish resists moisture and easily wipes down without showing every smudge. Choose matte if you prefer a modern, non-reflective aesthetic and are willing to touch up or clean more frequently.
Oil-based paints have been used for decades because they dry to a very hard, durable finish. They resist scratches and give cabinets a glossy look that lasts for years. However, they do come with drawbacks. They take longer to dry, have a stronger odor, and require paint thinner or other solvents for cleanup.
Kitchen cabinet colors that feel dated include stark, clinical all-white, cool minimalist grays, and red-toned woods like cherry or honey-oak. Flat, one-dimensional brown-on-brown color schemes and overly bright primary colors have also fallen out of style.
Cool gray is being replaced by "mushroom" neutrals (warm taupes and greys with subtle green or violet undertones), warm earthy khakis, and soft, natural sages.
Neon and Overly Bright Colors
“Shades like fuchsia, hot pink, bright orange, and lime green all fall into this category." These colors create too much energy, making a bedroom feel lively and loud when it should feel restful and quiet.
For a flawless, factory-like finish, the absolute best paints for cabinets are hybrid alkyds or water-based enamels. These formulations combine the smooth, durable finish of traditional oil paints with the easy cleanup, low odor, and non-yellowing benefits of water-based paints.
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel is a modified acrylic urethane featuring faster dry times, excellent UV yellowing resistance, and high durability. Benjamin Moore Advance is an alkyd-hybrid that levels beautifully like traditional oil paint, offering a buttery, high-end, silky finish but requiring a longer recoat and curing schedule.
White kitchens are not out of style, but the stark, "all-white" monochromatic look is. Designers are shifting toward softer, warmer whites, paired with organic wood tones, natural stone, and contrasting elements to add depth and personality.