Our Favorite Blue Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors

The best blue paint for kitchens is a versatile one. Even though Down Pipe is technically a grey, greys tend to present with either blue or brown undertones, which is crucial to paint color consideration and complementing other features in a room.

There are so many great blues. Blue can be light and bright or dark and moody. I tend to love dark rooms and therefore, my favorite blues are on the darker side of the spectrum.

Are Blue Kitchen Cabinets a Good Idea?

Blue kitchen cabinets are a good idea if they’re going to work for you. As with black, these dark blues are not for everyone, but can have a beautiful effect if it fits the space and your personality. The nice thing is that there are an endless number of blues to choose from, but I do have my favorites.

What Is The Best Blue Paint For Kitchen Cabinets?

My favorite blue is Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball. That paint swatch makes it look grey, but it’s blue undertones come out in bright spaces.

Want the best blue paint color for the interior of your home? Look no further than Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball.

According to Farrow & Ball, Down Pipe is “a dark lead grey, [with] definite blue undertones to it which deepen the complexity of the finish. Originally inspired by the color used to paint downpipes and guttering, it has been embraced for use inside the home with fanatical zeal! This daringly dark hue is fabulous as a background to art and extremely effective for use in halls to create a deeply dramatic entrance to the home.”

In these photos, you can see how this color changes as you move through the room, and pair it with backsplash tile that brings out the blue.

The best blue paint for kitchens is a versatile one. Even though Down Pipe is technically a grey, greys tend to present with either blue or brown undertones, which is crucial to paint color consideration and complementing other features in a room.
The best blue paint in your kitchen is one that will work in all types of light. Different angles and other materials in the room will play with the blue and make it look slightly different. Check out our favorite blue kitchen paints at ChristopherScottCabinetry.com!

This kitchen style is Traditional Farmhouse and includes touches like a farmhouse sink with a walnut drip edge to protect the front of the under sink cabinets and an island with wrap around seating. This open concept floor plan connects the kitchen to the great room.

PROJECT DETAILS

Island Paint: Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball

Cabinet Paint: White Dove by Benjamin Moore

Floors: Plain Sawn White Oak

Counter Tops: Quartz

Decor and Furnishings: Cailtin Creer

Cabinetry: Christopher Scott Cabinetry & Design

Even though Down Pipe is technically a grey, greys tend to present with either blue or brown undertones, which is crucial to paint color consideration and complementing features in a room.

Even though Down Pipe—one of the best blue paints for interior cabinets—is technically a grey, greys tend to present with either blue or brown undertones, which is crucial to paint color consideration and complementing features in a room.

PROJECT DETAILS
Cabinet Paint: Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball
Floors: Engineered White Oak
Counter Tops: Plain Sawn White Oak with an oil resin and a food-safe clear coat.
Wall: High Gloss Ceramic Subway Tile
Decorator: Cailtin Creer
Cabinetry: Christopher Scott Cabinetry & Design

My Other Favorite Blue Paint Colors

I also really like Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore. It comes across as a more straight-forward blue and is perfect if you’re a fan of what would be considered a traditional navy blue. It looks so classy paired with white and I love all blues with any wood.

Hale Navy is a timelessly classic navy blue, perfect for adding a saturated touch of color in any kitchen, bathroom, or home study.

Benjamin Moore describes it as, “a timeless classic, this deeply saturated shade of navy blue evokes rich maritime traditions and storied exploits at sea.”

Dark, moody colors are also great for small guest bathrooms. You can add more style and drama to those small spaces with less commitment—they can be a bit of a surprise and departure from the decor and colors in the rest of the home.

Hale Navy on lower kitchen cabinets still looks bright and inviting when paired with the white upper cabinets and warm wood flooring in the project below.

Hale Navy—a favorite blue paint for the kitchen—on these lower kitchen cabinets still looks bright and inviting when paired with the white upper cabinets and warm wood flooring here.

This three-tone kitchen features shaker style doors (on the lower portion of the cabinetry) and flat-slab drawers along the top.
PROJECT DETAILS
Blue Paint: Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore
White Paint: White Dove by Benjamin Moore
Floors: Quarter Sawn White Oak with dark walnut stain and a polyurethane topcoat.
Counter Tops: Solid Slab Carrara Marble
Build: Tiek Design Group
Decor and Furnishings: Studio McGee
Cabinetry: Christopher Scott Cabinetry & Design

Another of my favorite blue paint colors is Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball. It’s got a bit more green in it and I’ve used it on bathroom cabinetry to add personality and style to these smaller spaces.

Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball is another favorite blue paint of mine. It's got a hint more green in it than other choices and that complexity is what really makes it sing.

Farrow and Ball describes Hague Blue as, “a strong blue takes its name from the fantastically coloured woodwork much used by the Dutch, and still works wonderfully to ground skirtings or as an accent colour on the walls when teamed with Borrowed Light. The green undertones of this timeless, deep and dramatic blue means it sits as happily outside as it does in small dark rooms.”

Blue paint for the bathroom? Yes please. But which blue? Find out our favorites on the blog at ChristopherScottCabinetry.com!

PROJECT DETAILS
Blue Paint: Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball
Counter Tops: Carerra
Cabinet Design: CS Cabinetry & Design

What Advice Would You Give To People Considering Blue Cabinets?

If you’re considering a deeper blue for your kitchen cabinets, I have a few fair warnings to share.

First, dark colors can absolutely dominate a room and kill natural light. So, if you don’t want it to feel very dark or make your cabinets appear black, you’ll need to balance your dark blue cabinetry with light or white flooring and walls in order to create some harmony in the space.

Second, a dark blue is not going to be the most maintenance-friendly. It will show food stains like sauces or flour, unlike some other colors that can work to camouflage certain kitchen mishaps. It also shows fingerprints and dust easily. Another consideration is that, if damaged, a chip or ding in the cabinet face will clearly reveal the material beneath the dark paint.

But, if opting for a lighter blue, these issues become less apparent. A light blue kitchen cabinet or island can set a cool but cheerful tone for the right space.

What Colors and Finishes Look Best With Blue Cabinets? 

As far as colors that best compliment blue cabinetry, absolutely any wood, in most stains are going to work. That’s the beauty of a versatile blue. White also looks incredible and makes blue stand out even more.

This is one of the best blue paints for the interior of your home, hands down. Find out why on the blog at ChristopherScottCabinetry.com!

This is a refrigerator and desk area on the outskirts of a kitchen—it’s a custom-designed Colonial profile with a double refrigerator behind those white paneled doors. This design includes a blend of woods—the blue and white cabinetry is painted maple and the wood drawer fronts are white oak.
PROJECT DETAILS
Blue Cabinet Paint: Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball
White Cabinet Paint: Benjamin Moore in Simply White
Floors: Plain Sawn White Oak with whitewash oil coating.
Hardware: Unlacquered Polished Brass
Builder: The Fox Group
Cabinetry: CS Cabinetry and Design

As for hardware, brass is considered the soulmate of blue. And while that’s true, I also love polished nickel or chrome, and even monochromatically painted knobs look awesome on the right blue cabinet.\

General Paint Must-Knows

What Is Paint “Sheen” and How Does It Play Out In a Space?

The sheen of paint is how shiny or dull it is. There is an entire spectrum (see below) ranging from completely matte to glossy, and everything between. I prefer a satin sheen because it’s the perfect balance of not too dull or too shiny. Shiny paint can appear plastic or fake, but something too matte won’t wear well over time against grease and oil.

Sheen Spectrum:

Matte

Dull

Eggshell

Satin

Semi-gloss

Gloss

What Should People Know Before Picking Their Paint Color? 

You’ve got to consider what is happening with the rest of the room: flooring, walls, trim, hardware, lighting, and art will all play a part in how a room comes together. You have to ensure your paint color is cohesive with everything else as part of the overall game plan. You can’t just design a room and then drop in cabinets at the end—holistic design sense is key.

Holistic design sense is key, so using my favorite blue paint on these basement entertainment center cabinets made perfect sense.

This theater room includes a special custom feature—the lower cabinet door fronts are actually speaker fabric. I knew that in order for this theater room to give viewers the best experience, they’d need to be able to hear the high-end audio system in this room, but I wanted to maintain the polished look, so I fabricated custom cabinet doors with speaker fabric in the door panel. Added bonus—this allows infrared remotes to control electronics with the doors closed too.
We added fine details like a beaded apron above the cabinet doors and vertical groove boards around the screen to match the walls.
PROJECT DETAILS
Paint: Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball
Stage + Wood Details: White Oak, oil finish.
Floors: Plaid Carpet

You can see more of my design projects—kitchens, bathrooms, built-ins, and furniture—on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Looking for help with your custom cabinetry and layout design? You can contact me here. 

One of my favorite blue paint colors is Hale Navy. You can add a punch of style and drama to a custom kitchen, bathroom, or home office with less commitment than in a larger living space—where it might feel overwhelming or like too big of a commitment.
Want the best blue paint color for the interior of your home? Look no further than Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball.

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