Design Inspiration: 20 Blue Kitchen Cabinets

Is anyone else getting tired of the all white kitchen? I get the allure – all that brightness and light. But it’s everywhere, and to be honest, it’s getting a bit cookie cutter-ish. I like color. Bold color. The bottom half of the paint chip strip color. Lately, I’ve been loving the trend of blue kitchen cabinets.

We recently completed a mini remodel of our kitchen. We have lovely (although they’re a bit orange-y) hickory cabinets and had no intention of replacing them. But, if we were doing a full kitchen remodel, I probably would have selected a nice navy blue for the cabinets.

The Color Blue

Choosing blue cabinets is a bold step. But blue, in all its many shades, is a really versatile color. We normally connect it to rest and tranquility, especially those shades that are like the sea and sky. But the darker shades can be associated with feelings of depth, trust, and loyalty.

I disagree with associating blue with sadness – the old “feeling blue” saying. To me, blue falls on the soothing and tranquil spectrum. However, I do relate to the idea that blue shades can feel cold. Too much blue, or the wrong shade, and the overall impression is of coldness. Although, cold is not always a bad thing: homes in tropical or warm regions want those cooling feelings associated with blue.

Dark blues, like Navy or Prussian Blue, convey the feelings of elegance, richness and sophistication. The lighter blues, like Robin’s Egg or Azure, are bright, cool and crisp. Finally, the mid-tones like Cerulean or Peacock are exciting and energetic.

Just as grey transitioned to a neutral a few years ago, blue is beginning to be viewed the same way. I tend to look at it as a neutral, and just about everything goes with some shade of blue. (Heck, if the University of Illinois can pair dark blue with bright orange, you can pair blue with pretty much anything. Just kidding! We’re an Illinois family through and through.)

Blue Kitchen Cabinet Options

Selecting blue cabinets really opens a lot of design possibilities for your kitchen. Several cabinet manufacturers have stock shades of blue cabinets. Both KraftMaid and Wellborn offer custom colors that match paint colors from manufacturers such as Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams.

In addition to the various shades of blue that are available, you can also mix and match cabinet colors. You don’t have to have a monochromatic kitchen. Although, there’s nothing wrong with that!

Dark cabinets on the bottom pair nicely with light colored upper cabinets. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to keep the darker cabinets on the bottom. Otherwise, your kitchen will look top heavy and weighted down.

Or, if you’re not ready to go all blue, try using blue cabinets for the island and white cabinets for the rest of the kitchen.

Finally, if you’re really looking to mix things up, consider frameless cabinets for a sleek and modern look. If you want a more traditional kitchen, choose a standard cabinet and add some display shelves to showcase your collections.

Pairing Blue Cabinets

It can seem like there a million and one decisions to make when you’re remodeling a kitchen. Cabinet style and color. Countertop material and color. Hardware style and finish. And that’s just the cabinets. Then you have the backsplash, paint, flooring, lights, and appliances. The list seems to go on forever. These decisions usually lead to one of two outcomes: decision paralysis or defaulting to the current trend.

I completely understand that! I will sometimes get decision paralysis because I see so many combinations that I like. Narrowing it down to one, PERMANENT, choice means I have to give up the other million choices I like. I thought I would never be able to pick a kitchen countertop, but we did and I couldn’t be more happy with it.

As you look through this Ideabook, Pinterest, or Houzz, pay attention to the cabinets and countertop combinations that catch your eye. Is there a consistent look? Overall, do you like a dark cabinet or a light one? Do you like that choice with a light countertop, a butcher block countertop, or a dark countertop? Finally, look at the hardware finish. Do you like polished nickel, antique brass, or black, etc.? Paying attention to these details can really help clarify your design choices.