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I love working with blue, because there are so many beautiful shades available — from pale, icy blues to deep indigos. You can add some green to it to get Caribbean Sea–inspired blues, or purple or gray for cooler, more sophisticated shades.

Blue paint picks for kitchens (clockwise from top left):
1. Sea Sparkle 5003-7B, from Valspar
2. Bali Blue KM3795-1, from Kelly-Moore
3. Blue Willow 570F-4, from Behr
4. Sonata 351-3, from Pittsburgh Paints
5. Indigo SW6531, from Sherwin-Williams
6. Symphony Blue 2325, from Pratt & Lambert
7. Blue Dusk 1644, from Benjamin Moore
8. Turquoise Tear Drops 042-5, from Mythic Paint
by Jennifer Ott
Anyone who has selected kitchen finish materials knows how overwhelming it can be to decide on and coordinate all the various selections. Make it easier on yourself by focusing on one element to begin with, such as your backsplash. Find something you absolutely love and then use it to drive the remainder of your decisions.

For instance, these indigo backsplash tiles from Ann Sacks are this kitchen's showpiece. All of the other materials work with the tiles. The color of the cabinets and drum shades are pulled from them, while the countertops and flooring were kept more subdued so that they complement rather than compete with the stunning backsplash.
by Jonathan Cutler, AIA
If you've picked out a bold backsplash tile that you love but are concerned that it will appear too busy, consider using it as an accent band within a wall of white subway tiles. This can also help you stick to a budget. There is a lot of color in this kitchen, but because the blue is such a soothing hue, it doesn't feel like a stressful overload.
by Tammara Stroud Design  
I love the drama and elegance of black and white kitchens, but sometimes they can appear too stark and cold. By adding a third color — cobalt blue in this case — the kitchen will feel livelier and have more personality. Of course, this particular kitchen is big on charm with such a fun and creative backsplash.
by Ino Getiashvili
Speaking of charm, check out this incredible kitchen island. Not only is it about the largest one I've seen, but it is also very clever to take a traditional piece of furniture and paint it such a fun and whimsical color. Classic, traditional kitchens need not be stuffy. Color is a terrific tool for adding personality.
by Ecologic-Studio, llc  
When using a bold color for your cabinetry, consider breaking it up by using white or another neutral for the cabinet frame, or mixing different colors or materials for the upper cabinets versus the base cabinets. This beautiful, serene palette of white, blue and gray is perfect for a cool kitchen in a hot climate.
by Arnold Schulman Design Group  
Not a fan of colorful kitchen cabinetry or backsplash tiles? This backsplash is made from back-painted sheet glass. It's a clean, simple, modern way to add a splash of color to your kitchen. If you are a savvy DIYer, you might even be able to create and install such a backsplash yourself, making it an affordable option too.
by Loop Design  
This is a very pretty blue and one that works with a variety of kitchen styles. Because it has lots of gray in it, it tends to read as a neutral and works well for someone who wants kitchen color that doesn't feel over the top.
by Joel Fraley  
This is such a smart way to use bold color in a space. An accent wall can be easily repainted in another fun hue or a more neutral color, depending on how your design tastes change. You could pick up one of the other colors from the backsplash tile or go in an entirely different palette direction altogether. The pretty robin's egg/sky blue used here is bold yet soothing.

Tell us: Have you used blue in your kitchen? Post a photo and share details in the Comments section below!
by Daniel Sheehan Photography  

Comments

pariscafe I had a blue kitchen in my last home and I loved it. The kitchen grew to be twelve years old before we sold the house and there was never a day I was tired of it. The colour was Wilsonart 'seafoam' a lighter shade of Benjamin Moore 'blue dusk' as pictured. When I was choosing colors for my new home I was tempted to go for a grey blue but instead went for all white. Would I have a blue kitchen again...you bet. Maybe next time.
4 months ago · ·
inaram I am totally mad about blue and still find our kitchen such a joyful place to be. I have also used red accents which is really fun.
4 months ago · ·
olldbobbi Blue kitchens are such a refreshing change from the everyday browns and beiges, they're like a breathe of fresh air. When we moved in here the floor tile was blue (well, it was gray til we cleaned it) so the color theme was already decided. I just took the ball and ran with it!
4 months ago · ·
vee22 These kitchens look fantastic, blue is such a great color, especially the turquoise island, so Mediterranean. Nice.
4 months ago · ·
sward7550 Painted blue this past fall with coordinating sea foam walls... Really soothing and fresh with stainless appliances. (This pic doesn't do it justice)
4 months ago · ·
dianebishop Just yesterday we specified blue for a kitchen. Much to our client's surprise. I can't wait to see the transformation.
4 months ago · ·
Leslie Granger I painted my kitchen walls a bright blue. I use red accents with white cabinets. Really brightened up the place. The walls were burgundy before.
4 months ago · ·
Lanie Brown My husband painted our master a pretty blue with a much darker shade in the tub surround. The idea was that the tub surround would be this sapphire jewel box, but instead it looks like Crayola. I'm wondering if I should give up on the sapphire idea and change the tub surround to a soft purple, green or even pink to set it apart from the blue bedroom.
4 months ago · ·
olldbobbi Lanie! No way, I like that look!
4 months ago ·
sas912 I used Crown Point Cabinetry and many people questioned my choice of blue for the cabinets. But once it was finished, I loved it and I've loved it every single day for the past 10 yrs. I always feel calm in my kitchen, and I use it every day plus I throw large parties and do all the food myself so this kitchen has been perfect for me. Do not be afraid of color. If your cabinets are wood and you grow tired of the color, you can always paint them.
4 months ago · ·
ladymojo Blue in the kitchen / dining room is on my to do list for February. Haven't decided yet whether to paint the cabinets, just the peninsula or simply the walls, but it will be done. I will post a photo when finished. Thanks for this ideabook.
4 months ago · ·
cdallke I have loved blue for a while because I love the com feeling it brings. I am about to paint an open living room/dining room / kitchen with a blue and I have a navy couch and black dining table set with wood cabinets. What hue of blue would you suggest?
4 months ago · ·
EuroChef USA How about a blue range? We love this kitchen that matched the peacock backsplash to the Midnight Blue ILVE range.
4 months ago · ·
ghartlage After 10 years our dark stained cherry island is now painted a blue/ green/ gray. (Benjamin Moore color #1474 Rushing River with walnut glaze.) The color works great with the Verde Peacock granite. I believe I saved every blue or green island on Houzz to an idea book for inspiration. We love the new look.
4 months ago · ·
Dura Supreme Cabinetry Here's one of my favorite blue kitchens with Dura Supreme Cabinetry...
4 months ago · ·
cmsvsteph We finished our new blue kitchen in August and I love my blue Blue star range and the green and blue spotted backsplash.
4 months ago · ·
Shavonda Gardner I absolutely love blue in a kitchen. Our walls are painte a rich navy blue and I'm really glad we opted for a non traditional color in the kitchen. You can see pictures here

http://ahomefullofcolor.blogspot.com/2013/01/design-dilemma-styling-our-open-shelves.html?m=1
4 months ago · ·
typingmonkey I've always struggled with how to use blue, but I do have a blue-painted baker's table in my kitchen which I absolutely love. Thanks for the post!
4 months ago · ·
bubblyjock @ Lanie Brown - any idea what that Jacobeanish fabric is in your blue loo? It's quite lovely!

The blue is great: I say keep it :)
4 months ago ·
anniehuffy I have always loved the color blue, in most shades. When I built my first home I wanted blue carperting in every room, but that was in the 60's and was convinced not to do it.........here is my small retirement home........can we say BLUE ! I love, love every room.
4 months ago · ·
Pascale As much as I love the look of blue cabinets, in our small kitchen it would have been too dark. When we remodeled a few years ago we used white cabinets and I found a gorgeous dark granite called "Blue Night" - mostly black with lots of iridescent, brilliant blue flecks scattered throughout - it makes me smile every time I turn on the lights and see that blue sparkle!

This also reminded me of a story my dad shared - when he was young one of their neighbors decided to surprise his wife, and painted their kitchen blue while she was out of town. Well evidently it was a very depressing shade of blue because for weeks afterwards he would come home from work to find her crying in the kitchen. :-/
4 months ago · ·
Julia Hayes My kitchen was green for 11 years and I just painted it a soft blue last week, so I was excited to see this post on blue kitchens.
4 months ago · ·
sjmom Have not used blue in the kitchen, but not because I am opposed to the color but because I have not had the opportunity. Don't think I'd want all blue cabinets but as an accent piece a free standing blue jelly cupboard would be very nice. I do like a light blue and yellow combo in a kitchen because it is both soft and bright.
4 months ago · ·
Rio Brewster I had blue in one of my kitchens. The bottom of the walls was a butter yellow, there was a white chair rail and then sky blue up and over the soffitt, I painted the ceiling a paler blue, then did a subtle color wash with white over the soffit to look like clouds - then stenciled a verse over that. I found a gigantic sun light fixture that was modern and whimsical.

I loved that kitchen, it was the best one I ever had.
4 months ago · ·
Rio Brewster @cdallke

Pose your question in design dilemmas - you will get more suggestions than you can handle. :^)

What's the exposure of your patio door? If it's southern or western, a nice grey-blue will work every time. If it's a northern or eastern exposure it will be much more tricky, but you would have to move more towards aqua or turquoise - something warmer.
4 months ago ·
Rio Brewster And I tried "Sea Sparkle" in my bath. It was way too bright. (Yes even for me!) But when i mixed it about 50/50 with Cinncinnatian Hotel Abbey, it was perfect. The bath only has one window - more natural light and it might've worked better.

Sonic Sky was actually my favorite but it didn't match my tile.
4 months ago ·
laurasmom I painted old oak cabinets white, put in a white/gray diamond pattern floor, used a blue quartz counter, white appliances, and pale blue/white walls.....the kitchen is light and airy, easy to clean (and looks clean), and after 6 years it still brings me joy to work in it.
4 months ago ·
State Wide Construction & Remodeling I too love the look of blue in a kitchen. There are so many different hues of blue to work with, it's no wonder it's very popular!
4 months ago · ·
katescollectibles I have done two blue kitchens this year! I loved it so much in our home, I used the same colors in our summer cabin in the mountains. The rooms always look fresh and clean and soothing.
4 months ago · ·
laceyr I love blue + white in a kitchen! I refreshed my kitchen last year and when from sunny yellow to tranquil "tropical surf" blue and I love the way it looks--especially in the first part of the day with all the sunlight streaming in. So fresh & airy!

http://www.laceyreimann.com/2012/04/my-pinterest-kitchen-living-room-makeover-jasper-in-photographer/
4 months ago · ·
sophiakh Lanie Brown,

If you are not quite satisfied with the way the blue came out you may want to look into plaster. you can make it much more luminescence, and even have the same color, or a layering of them. I want to do this to our bedroom in a Victorian, plus plaster is water proof and you can either learn to do it your self or have someone do it for you. check out this link.

http://www.vasariplaster.com/
4 months ago · ·
vanessaazzone I have a blue kitchen build by our contractor. I picked the color from Benjamin Moore and they got the glossy lacquered paint... the color is great but the paint is chipping.. what would be good in this article is to know which kind of paint were actually used .. for example, the glossy cobalt kitchen, which lacquered paint is it? does it chip? hope someone can provide some info...
4 months ago ·
vanessaazzone would be nice to know the brand of the paint... I need to find a strong lacquered paint that does not chip
4 months ago ·
suelsc See Clean and Functional kitchen by JB Interiors,Frederick,MD. A beautiful use of blue and white that will never be dated!
4 months ago ·
Toni Sabatino I love vivid blue as an accent. I used carerra marble and dark wood to showcase the delft tiles in this kitchen remodel..
4 months ago · ·
Rio Brewster Here are pics of the kitchen I posted about earlier. Turns out the yellow went to the soffit/picture rail. Funny how you forget details...
4 months ago · ·
njgardengal Love these blue kitchens and glad I've already selected the blue for my color scheme as trying to pick my favorite from just these few examples is boggling!

My kitchen is in the planning stages, but I have decided on uncomplicated white slab door cabinets and a recycled cobalt blue glass countertop. Besides that fact that I am a fan of the Dresden blue and white ceramics, the kitchen's major natural light source is hot afternoon sun, so the blue will cool down some of the usual kitchen heat.

I'm also glad to hear that blue calms appetite. I love to cook, painted the kitchen in my first house a wonderful sunshine yellow and never realized that was a big factor in how much extra food we all ate.
4 months ago · ·
apriltini @anniehuffy Is that all the same shade of blue? It's lovely! What shade or shades is it?

I'm thinking of painting one or more rooms in my house a light blue. I'm very picky about tones, so it's hard to find just the right color for anything.
4 months ago · ·
julieenid I've always loved blue. In our kitchen reno (from 1988 Hollywood style oak cabinets) we moved to open concept with ocean colours glass brick backsplash that I reworked to create the design I wanted
4 months ago · ·
Lanie Brown bubblyjock, I'm sorry I don't know specifically what the fabric is as my designer sourced it. But I love it too! Here's more of the master redecorate with the inspiration fabric. I also love the dragonflies on the bench at the foot of the bed.
4 months ago · ·
ragsangle Sorry I'm just the oppisite, I could not cook or eat in a blue kitchen or dinningroom...it makes me sick to my stomache , the blue makes me very nervous and it's a too closed in feeling. Green is another color I couldn't stand in a kitchen...strange how color can really affect people in oppisite directions! But the kitchens are nice minus the color blue...
4 months ago ·
sfcohen Indigo blue was the color I dreamed of when we designed our new kitchen -- and we found ways to incorporate it that are both striking and subtle. Here are two pictures that showcase our accent lights and the tile backsplash. I smile every time I'm in the kitchen now -- it's a happy space!!
4 months ago · ·
Rio Brewster Lanie - maybe a slightly greyer blue wouldn't make you think "Crayola" The rest of your bedroom looks much more muted and the "tub" blue is very saturated. Like the siding here:

[houzz=Cloud Street Residence]

Or go darker - even navy. This one is even called "Hidden Sapphire"

[houzz=Hidden Sapphire Paint]
4 months ago · ·
mrsben Blue is actually my favourite of all colours. I have various shades of it throughout my home, however even though my kitchen is currently a very soothing blue, I must admit I love it during the day time but absolutely detest it at night when one sees a very purple undertone.

The samples you have given Jennifer and those of others who have posted their kitchens are gorgeous though. ☺
4 months ago · ·
frenchdecor Blue color one of my favorite, but in the kitchen I like adorable blue accents: tile, beautiful white and blue china, Japanese cobalt blue and gold vases, blue glassware... blue looks good almost with any other color and stands out like precious gem. However, kitchen associates with food, spices, fire, wood and I prefer those appetizing and cozy colors as major. My bathrooms and laundry surely are turquoise, blue, peacock blue. Predictable, yes, but still it feels right to me.
4 months ago ·
Lanie Brown Thanks, Rio. Blue was a total compromise and my husband worked really hard over vacation days to paint the master, so I think it's staying for awhile.
4 months ago ·
kandicejo Another lover of blue! My kitchen has been 2 shades of blue. Previously it was a bright Royal blue with white cabinets. When we replaced the cabinets and went wood I switched to a softer French Blue. It coordinates with my Hadley Pottery.
4 months ago · ·
kvanlee Blue kitchens have been a tradition in my Dutch roots family for more than 3 generations. Blues can be mixed as they are in the Mediterranean and southern France, near and far East. In the US, a couple of decades ago, convention said " don't mix blues". That's silly, so it's too bad this photo vignette doesn't doesn't show two blue shades in the same kitchen so we can bust the mode. Soooo don't be afraid to "busta mode" and "you go girl" (or guy).
4 months ago · ·
mmsalg I love blue but sometimes all you may need is that one incredible blue piece like this gorgeous custom hutch. Click the link and learn more about making something awesome for yourself >> http://custm.co/hz/130
4 months ago ·
lisadh We have Corian countertops in Mediterranean with honey maple cabinets and I just love them! When we built the house, the design consultant tried so hard to talk me out of the counters, but I held firm and have not regretted it once. 15 years and counting.
This small picture is the only part of my kitchen that is clean. ;-)
4 months ago · ·
grewa002 We have a blue kitchen from when we bought the house. Blue gray cabinets and blue gray tile on the floor. While blue is my favorite color, and overall I like the kitchen, it gets a little too much to have blue cabinets in the long term. I wish the blue was an accent and not the main color.
4 months ago · ·
samsonliveshere EuroChef USA: can you please let me know the source for the peacock tile? I really loved the look of the blue with that tile. Thank you!
4 months ago ·
Boutique Provencale A deep blue and yellow color scheme is very mediterranean and can look fabulous.
3 months ago · ·
EuroChef USA Samson- the ILVE image that was posted is a display at our retailer - Forest Millwork in Asheville, NC. The backsplash is a custom installation and tiles were sourced from a local tile distributor - there is no specific designer. Here is a closer image, perhaps you can use it to source something in your area.
3 months ago · ·
Panageries Below is a Panageries interpretation of how blue can be used in a kitchen. This predominately white space allows the fun aqua blue subway tile to take center stage without being overwhelming. To see more kitchen designs by Panageries, visit our website at www.panageries.com.
3 months ago · ·
lovetosing13 We just moved into our house and our kitchen needed a lot of work on a limited budget. Fresh light blue paint on the walls and white paint on the cabinets, new laminate countertops and some bright pops of color have made this my favorite room in the house!
3 months ago ·
melissaguinness I love blue in the kitchen! I live on a boat now and have chosen Alys Edwards' Haute Bonsai Blue brick tiles for my backsplash!
3 months ago · ·
melissaguinness Samsonliveshere - If you like the oval tile posted by EuroChef USA, check out Susan Jablon's oval cobalt iridescent glass tile. Looks the same to me -- Lovely!
3 months ago · ·
melissaguinness The finished galley on our 65' M/Y
3 months ago ·
melissaguinness Galley close up! I am so pleased with this tile!
3 months ago · ·
rcaira21 Melissaguinness, what kind of wood used in your countertops? Also, what finish? Thanks!
3 months ago · ·
melissaguinness rcaira21, believe it or not, it's Formica -- except the wood part of the back splash. I don't know exactly what either are as they came with the boat and I'm no wood expert! LOL! That said, I did install wood countertops in my kitchen at our summer house and they were made from Douglas fur with an oil base urethane finish.
3 months ago ·
rcaira21 Wow! Thanks for the info- they look good!! I imagine the urethane leaves a really shiny, bar-type finish? I kind of like that-tough as nails...
3 months ago · ·
melissaguinness ricaira21, I used a satin finish so it's not too shiny, but still tough as nails! :-)
3 months ago ·
cbienvenu Does anyone have any kitchens with navy blue walls and white/ivory cabinets? I'm thinking of doing this with the navy being an accent wall color but I haven't seen much of it.
2 months ago · ·
melissaguinness cbienvenu, a bold choice to be sure, but if your kitchen has plenty of light I think navy walls are beautiful!
2 months ago · ·
Rio Brewster I had navy walls and bright white trim and loved them.

Just be careful selecting the tones of blue and cabinets. Ivory will read yellow next to a true navy. But if you go a bit greener - like BM champion cobalt 2061-20 - the ivory will be soft and pretty.
2 months ago · ·
Dura Supreme Cabinetry Rio Brewster - Very true and great advice!
2 months ago ·
cbienvenu Rio Brewster & melissaguinness -
Thank you for the advice! I was thinking SW-7602 Indigo Batik as my accent walls behind the cabinets and a warm neutral for the other walls throughout the dining room/living room (open concept kitchen). I'm nervous about the bold color choice, but once I see my cabinets in person once they are delivered I will make the final decision. Navy is just my favorite color, and the kitchen is my favorite room in my house...why not combine the two? ;)
2 months ago ·
Shelly Sageser Robinson Farmhouse room ideas
5 weeks ago ·
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