They Painted the Dark Espresso Cabinets Swiss Coffee and Smokey Taupe, and the Kitchen Took on a Custom-Built Look
Dark espresso cabinets covered almost every wall of this kitchen, surrounding the stainless steel appliances, range hood, and large window above the sink. The island carried the same dark finish, while espresso hardwood flooring made the cabinetry and floor appear almost continuous.
The kitchen already had granite countertops, raised-panel doors, crown molding, glass-front corner cabinets, and a professional-style range. Replacing the cabinets would have meant giving up substantial cabinetry with details worth preserving.
Pezzotti Painting transformed the existing cabinets with two Benjamin Moore colors: Swiss Coffee on the perimeter and Smokey Taupe on the island. Unlacquered polished brass hardware replaced the silver pulls, while the granite, backsplash, appliances, and flooring stayed in place.
Dark Espresso Cabinets Covered the Kitchen From Floor to Ceiling
The original kitchen had dark espresso cabinets extending from the refrigerator wall around the range and toward the sink. Matching cabinetry wrapped around the island, leaving the gray granite countertops and white backsplash as the main breaks in the dark finish.
Three woven counter stools, oversized glass pendants, and an arched window gave the room lighter elements, but the cabinet color dominated the view from the adjoining living area.
The refrigerator sat between tall cabinet sections, with built-in ovens to one side and a stainless range beneath a large metal hood on the other. Glass-front corner storage and crown molding gave the cabinetry a fitted appearance before the painting began.
Silver bar pulls matched the stainless appliances, but offered little contrast against the espresso doors. The dark finish also continued across the upper cabinets above the range, making the entire cooking wall read as one large block of cabinetry.
The Original Island Had the Same Dark Finish
The island contained a wide bank of drawers, cabinet storage, and an undercounter beverage refrigerator. Its dark finish matched the perimeter cabinets and the hardwood floor beneath it.
Long silver handles crossed the drawer fronts, while the gray granite countertop extended beyond the cabinets to provide seating on the opposite side. The island had enough storage and counter space to remain part of the finished kitchen without changing its construction.
The Cabinets Were Masked and Spray Painted in Place
Before painting, the crew covered the countertops, backsplash, appliances, and cabinet openings with plastic and masking tape. The dark espresso finish was still visible on the left, while the right image shows a painter spraying the cabinets white with the surrounding surfaces protected.
The cabinet frames remained in place throughout the work, allowing the original kitchen layout to stay intact.
Swiss Coffee Replaced the Espresso Finish on the Perimeter
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee changed the entire range wall from espresso brown to a warm off-white. The raised-panel doors, upper cabinets, crown molding, and glass-front corner cabinet remained, but their individual profiles became easier to distinguish.
The stainless range and oversized hood retained their original positions. Against the painted cabinetry, the existing white brick-style backsplash now connects with the cabinet color instead of standing apart from a dark wall.
The refrigerator surround and tall storage cabinets also received Swiss Coffee, creating a continuous off-white finish from the built-in ovens to the corner near the sink.
The dark hardwood floor was not replaced. Its contrast with the lighter cabinets became much stronger, separating the cabinetry from the floor instead of allowing both surfaces to blend together.
The Existing Cabinet Details Became Part of the New Finish
Close-up photos show the original recessed panels framed by narrow decorative molding. Swiss Coffee covers the doors and trim without concealing those details.
The glass-front corner cabinet retains its divided panes and small brass knob. The surrounding cabinets now have long brass pulls, replacing the silver handles used before the makeover.
According to Pezzotti Painting, the cabinets were finished with Centurion Wood Coatings 1107 and 400 series in a 15-sheen finish, using the two Benjamin Moore colors.
Unlacquered Brass Replaced the Silver Cabinet Hardware
The drawers beside the range now have polished brass cup pulls, while the cabinet doors use matching knobs and longer handles. The hardware change is visible across the entire cooking wall, particularly beneath the granite counters.
Unlacquered polished brass has a warmer appearance than the original silver hardware and can develop a patina with use. Against Swiss Coffee, the handles stand out without competing with the cabinet molding or stainless appliances.
Smokey Taupe Gave the Island a Separate Finish
Instead of painting the island Swiss Coffee, the painters used Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe. The warm gray-beige color separates the island from the perimeter cabinets while maintaining a connection with the existing speckled granite.
The island drawers received brass cup pulls, with long handles on the upper drawers and matching hardware on the cabinet doors. The original countertop, cabinet arrangement, and beverage refrigerator remained.
The island also provides a transition between the off-white cabinetry and the dark hardwood flooring, avoiding a second large block of white in the center of the room.
The Range Wall Kept Its Original Layout
From the island, the finished kitchen shows how much of the original room survived the makeover. The sink remains beneath the arched window, the dishwasher sits to its left, and the range occupies the long wall opposite the island.
The white brick backsplash, gray granite, stainless appliances, and glass pendant lights are the same features seen in the before photos. The most substantial visual change comes from the cabinetry and brass hardware rather than a new layout.
Before and After Shows What the Two Paint Colors Changed
The side-by-side comparison shows the same refrigerator, range, hood, cabinet layout, granite countertops, and flooring in both versions. What changes is the relationship between those surfaces.
Espresso cabinetry once connected almost every part of the kitchen to the dark floor. Swiss Coffee separates the perimeter cabinets from the flooring, while Smokey Taupe gives the island its own finish. Brass hardware completes the change without replacing the original cabinet doors.
One viewer summed up the result in the comments: “Looks like a different kitchen.”
The transformation demonstrates how two coordinated cabinet colors can change an existing kitchen while retaining the materials and architectural details that already work.
Image credits: Pezzotti Painting, Harleysville, Pennsylvania.