Design Trend: Blue Kitchen Cabinets
Meet the blue jeans of the kitchen cabinet world.
We had the pleasure of photographing a finished project last week—our second blue kitchen—and we can’t stop singing praises of blue kitchen cabinets. Don’t get us wrong—we love the look of the long-popular all-white cabinets, the high contrast of black-and-white tuxedo cabinets, and we can’t wait for a client to request green cabinets (maybe you??). But with two blue kitchens under our belt, we see why they’re so popular.
On the kitchen design pendulum, after a decade of beautiful white cabinets, we find ourselves wanting to inject more color into our kitchens. At the same time, memories of pink bathrooms and orange shag carpets remind us that trendy doesn’t equate to timeless (kitchen trends tend to only last a decade; we build our kitchens to last much longer than that). That’s where blue comes in.
Like a good pair of blue jeans, blue kitchen cabinets are somehow both neutral and colorful. Excellent at providing that contrast to white countertops and gray walls that makes you stop and stare (and pin), yet not so high contrast that they can only be experienced in small doses. Statement-making but not risk-taking. You can dress them up or down (if cabinets are the jeans, cabinet hardware is the jewelry), but navy blue cabinets make an especially nice background for brushed nickel and brass hardware. Blue cabinets look good with most styles—choose a shaker door for transitional or a flat-panel for contemporary. You can do all the cabinets the same shade of blue, or do a two-tone kitchen with blue base cabinets and white or lighter blue uppers to lighten the effect. Dare we say it? Blue kitchen cabinets are both trendy and timeless. Let us show you what we mean…
Our Arlington Heights family chose Hale Navy shaker cabinets and a matching island from our partner, Amish Custom Kitchens. They paired the cabinets with white marbled quartz counters, with a thicker, mitered countertop for the island, and brushed nickel hardware. The backsplash is a light blue-gray glass subway tile with a marble mosaic accent above the range. The owners completed the look with mid-century modern-inspired furnishings. This kitchen was part of a larger first floor remodel (more photos coming soon!) but it really steals the show, thanks to those blue cabinets.
Our Oak Park family also used Hale Navy, but just for their island. Hale Navy is Benjamin Moore’s best-selling dark blue, so it’s no coincidence to see it again. They paired it with Gray Screen for their perimeter cabinets, one of Sherwin Williams’ top 50 colors, which reads as a light blue. They accented their elegant transitional design with brushed brass hardware and an arabesque tile backsplash. This kitchen was part of a two-story addition, with the above photo being our most saved photo on Houzz.
We might be a little biased, but our clients have the best taste! It’s always a pleasure turning these awesome designs into reality. If you’re thinking about a blue kitchen (or if you want to be our first green kitchen, hint hint), don’t hesitate to get in touch.