The Growing Trend of Blue Kitchen Cabinets

If you look through social media or home design catalogues, you’ve likely noticed a trend with kitchen cabinets: they’re blue. You’ve likely seen everything from shades of blue so light that they’re almost indistinguishable from white cabinets. Others might be a dark blue so deep that it’s almost black. There are also shades of royal blue, baby blue, and everything in between. So, what’s behind the proliferation of blue cabinets and how do you get on trend?

Why So Blue?

There are many reasons blue is trending as a color in kitchen cabinets. The main reasons are probably that blue matches the sky and is very versatile. If you want to enhance the amount of light in your kitchen, you can choose a light blue. The light blue will mimic a sunny sky without drawing too much attention to itself. If you want a dramatic pop of color, a royal blue or a turquoise can introduce bold colors. If you want to introduce some dark tones, navy blue can be used to offset bright colors elsewhere.

How to Match Blue

There are a couple of competing design schemes. One design scheme emphasizes the blue of the cabinets by matching it with other bold colors. These colors don’t have to be another shade of blue, but they can be. For example, if you have a cherry colored floor, some blue cabinets can introduce a sense of fun and brightness to your kitchen. Bold primary colors like reds and blues will create the impression that your kitchen is almost something from a comic book.

Others choose to match the blue of your cabinets with other shades of blue. For example, light blue cabinets might pair well with dark blue cabinet pulls and dark blue countertops.

Lastly, there is a scheme that seeks to make the cabinets pop by choosing muted colors or neutrals for the other parts of the kitchen. A white wall with blue cabinets will make the cabinets look very dramatic. Blue cabinets with a tan countertop can also create that striking look.

How to Achieve Blue

Some exotic woods can be blue in color; blue mahoe heartwood is an example of a wood that can be streaked with blue. These are often expensive and rare; also, they’re usually not very boldly colored. The most common way to achieve blue cabinets is either through staining the wood or painting it.

If you stain the wood, you’ll highlight the natural grain of the wood. Also, some of the natural color of the wood will likely still shine through unless you apply several coats of stain. This is the best way to achieve blue cabinets while retaining some natural look. Painting it will cover most of the grain and yield a bolder look.