When it comes to choosing the best kitchen cabinet color, most people’s first instinct is to go with a light or white color… but guess what? Not everyone wants white kitchen cabinets. It’s true! Dark kitchen cabinets are still going strong and today’s post is a prime example of that. I am going to be showing you how I painted these beautiful dark espresso kitchen cabinets using ‘General Finishes’ Dark Chocolate!
I know, I know, it might seem hard to believe, but not everyone wants white (or gray) kitchen cabinets!
Say whaaaa??
That honestly kind of blew my mind when my client approached me with wanting to darken her kitchen cabinets instead of lightening them.
White cabinets are my personal favorite because I love a really bright, light-filled home. With that being said, I’m totally loving this kitchen we just finished painting for our clients!
The homeowner wanted dark kitchen cabinets and this espresso color ties the new countertops, appliances, and backsplash together perfectly.
I’m so happy how it all turned out!
Choosing An Espresso Color For These Dark Kitchen Cabinets
When it came to choosing a paint color, I knew I wanted some sort of glossy dark brown without it looking TOO dark or closer to black. After showing my client a few different color swatches, we finally landed on a color: General Finishes Dark Chocolate with Milesi 2k poly clear topcoat.
It’s definitely one of those colors that how portrays what it is called. When I first started painting these cabinets using this brown paint, it really came out looking like dark chocolate.
Isn’t it beautiful?
Espresso Kitchen Cabinets: Before and After
Here’s a quick before and after so you can see what a HUGE difference it made when we painted these espresso cabinets.
They really did turn out amazing. The homeowners were so happy with the results!
FAQs
Here are a few frequently asked questions I wanted to answer about this project…
What other paint colors can I use in place of ‘General Finishes’ Dark Chocolate for espresso cabinets?
If you can’t find this color or just want some different options, I recommend Benjamin Moore’s Espresso Bean (CSP-30). This color is very close to what I used in this kitchen.
Why didn’t you stain the cabinets darker instead of painting them?
Great question!
To fit within our homeowner’s timeline and budget, painting the kitchen cabinets was the best option.
Re-staining the cabinets would’ve included sanding every single bit of the original finish completely off to bare wood in order for the new stain to penetrate. And that would’ve cost a whole lotta money.
PLUS, before we started, I showed the homeowner photos of cabinets that were stained dark vs. cabinets painted dark, and she preferred the look of the painted cabinets more.
So… win-win for everyone!
Tip: If you’d like to know more about the tools, primers, and paints I use when painting cabinets, You can download your FREE copy of my paint supply list HERE!
Ready To Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets On Your Own?
Are you finally as obsessed with this paint as I am? Why not take the leap and paint your own cabinets in a dark espresso color?
You can do it- I’ll show you how!
All you need are some basic supplies, some time, and my DIY Cabinet Painting 101 class with you so that we can paint our own cabinets together and save some money in the process while still getting that high-end finish.
Trust me, it’s well worth your time to get the kitchen of your dreams!
Until next time!
xo Kayla
More Posts To Read:
- The Best Colors For Gray Kitchen Cabinets
- The Best Colors For Blue Kitchen Cabinets
- Sherwin Williams Pewter Green: Paint Guide
- Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue: Paint Guide
- Espresso Kitchen Cabinets In ‘General Finishes’ Dark Chocolate
This post was originally published on March 23, 2019, and was modified/updated on November 27, 2021.
What color paint did you use for the kitchen walls and the room off of the kitchen with the table?
Great work! These are beautiful cabinets!
I’ll do one better than not wanting white cabinets: I don’t want painted cabinets at all!
This is why it is so hard for me to find a house I want to buy. Everyone has already painted their perfectly stained wooden cabinets. I find this trend utterly horrifying.
AK, I thank you for taking time out of your day to sprinkle some kindness in mine! Best of luck in your continued home search -Kayla
Kayla,
did you use a primer under the general finishes dark chocolate on the kitchen cabinets? also did you brush or roll the paint and sealer?
Thank you
Yes I used BIN shellac primer. We sprayed the clear coat on the doors and drawers and i brushed it onto the frames! xo
When I clicked on the link for General Finishes Dark Chocolate paint, it comes up as a milk paint on Amazon. Did you use a milk paint? The cabinets look great, and I would like to achieve that look.
General Finishes Milk Paint is NOT true milk paint. It’s an acrylic paint. Needs clearcoat for sure. But good question, not a milk paint. xo
I started painting my cabinet using the general finished dark chocolate, first coat looks black instead of dark brown. I’m not sure what to do. I like the dark brown but not black cabinets. Help!
the GF dark chocolate is super dark brown. if the lighting in your kitchen is dim, i could see how it might look black to you. the only way to remedy this is to add some GF white paint to the brown paint until you reach a shade youre happy with. xo