Stay in neutral territory. Red walls may be tempting, but white, gray, and charcoal shades are your best bet. "Go calm and light—you're in the kitchen all the time, and you can grow tired of a bright color," says Carrier, who prefers whites with gray undertones like the paint on these cabinets. Stark white can feel institutional, he says, and beige can look dirty.
Paint, Wickham Gray, Benjamin Moore.
