Aditi Sharma
Blue kitchens are an endlessly popular design choice, and while navy blue kitchens were once the go-to, in 2025, blue kitchens are far more varied, from statement cobalt to calming aquas.
Pairing wonderfully with a neutral colour palette and offering a timeless quality, blue feels especially fitting for kitchens, and with a considered approach to the design details, blue kitchen color ideas can feel full of warmth. Below, we've rounded up a selection of our favourite blue kitchens to offer you some stylish inspiration, from playful to understated.
"Working perfectly in both traditional and contemporary homes, blue offers a timeless look to your kitchen that will transcend trends," says Al Bruce, founder of Olive & Barr. "With so many different hues – from deep and moody inky tones through to an uplifting and vibrant teal or sky blue, there's a shade to suit everyone."
1. Pair Blue With Mustard Yellow
Choose classic color combinations with blue to enhance its good looks.
Dark blue kitchen cabinets are a classic choice, but sometimes another colour is needed to add more excitement to the space. In this sleek and minimalist Pluck kitchen, the combination of decorating with blue and yellow feels playful yet considered.
"In this kitchen, the Atlantic Blue and Market Mustard yellow pop against each other, creating a vibrant, fun pairing," explains George Glasier, co-founder of Pluck. "Meanwhile, the London Plane on the upper cupboards is a softer contrast. The rich petrol blue adds weight to the design, quite literally grounding the lower cupboards with the darker hue. The grey of the terrazzo floor makes the blue appear warmer since it is not the coolest hue in the room."
2. Create a Playful Look with Terrazzo
A playful countertop can take blue from timeless to trendy.
When choosing navy blue kitchen cabinets, it's important to complement them with the right kitchen worktop. While wood will create a classic feel, going for something more daring, such as terrazzo, allows a colourful, unexpected look.
As seen in this Pluck kitchen, terrazzo serves as a focal point and gives the whole room a playful look. Pluck's George Glasier explains how the various colors in the space work together to achieve a harmonious feel: "The wood is warming, with a soft, natural texture; the white is a stark and classic contrast, the terrazzo unites them together. The blue here is the darker hue – its role is to balance the other main finishes, so compared to the white, it feels richer and yet with the wood, it feels cooler."
3. Choose Soft Blue for a Calming Kitchen
Muted shades might have less energy, but they create a calming space.
Blue kitchens are an excellent choice for many reasons, but their calming quality is one of the most significant. While kitchens are functional rooms, they often double as living spaces, so having a kitchen that feels calming amid the busyness of day-to-day life can be a smart choice.
"Blue has long been associated with calmness and serenity," says Al Bruce, founder of Olive & Barr. "Consider using soft, cool shades of blue such as sky blue, seafoam, or powder blue for your kitchen. Not only do these shades visually expand your space, but they also create a serene ambience. Combine these soothing blue hues with natural materials like wooden barstools and stone worktops to achieve a balance between nature and relaxation."
Al Bruce began his career over 25 years ago as a cabinet maker. From here, he quickly worked his way up the handmade kitchen industry, finally opening his own company in 2018. Since then, Al has developed a company that prides itself on its quality and craftsmanship, with all their kitchen made and designed in the UK. Utilising local cabinet makers, and hand-sourced materials, Olive and Barr are supplying the country with bespoke, affordable kitchen designs.
4. Add Warmth to a Blue Kitchen With Plaster Pink
Balancing warm and cool, this color palette is a modern favorite.
Since blue creates a cool color scheme, you may wish to soften it so the room feels more cozy and welcoming. Here, the light blue kitchen ideas are elevated with the marble worktops and pink accent wall. The trick is to choose shades of similar softness so that they feel harmonious and not in competition with one another.
"This soft blue works wonderfully well with oak and the modern look is further enhanced with a dramatic Patagonia worktop," shares Jayne Everett, Creative Director at Naked Kitchens. "We have incorporated texture and also combined the soft blue with an equally gentle tone of pink, which delivers a really pleasing colour palette. Blue can be perceived as being quite a cold colour; however, keeping to the lighter blue tone really helps maintain the brightness to the overall feel of the room."
5. Decorate With Blue Wall Tiles
Blue tiles can make a neutral kitchen more interesting.
Creating a blue kitchen isn't just about the wall color or cabinet colour, but kitchen tile trends, too. Going for a blue-colored wall tile adds a point of interest to the space while allowing the larger design elements to remain neutral.
"In this Ibiza kitchen, we used deep blue tiles to make a bold yet elegant statement," explains interior designer Natalia Miyar. "The color adds richness and depth to the space without overwhelming it. Warm wood cabinetry and burnt-orange bar stools create a dynamic contrast, softening the overall palette and enhancing the sense of balance."
"Opt for deep, moody blues with a hint of shine or texture," recommends Natalia. "This adds subtle movement and visual interest, helping the space feel layered rather than flat."
Natalia is an interior designer and architect based in London and Miami, with a luxurious take on design, filled with eclectic patterns and textures.
6. Make a Statement with Cobalt Blue
Cobalt brings brilliant energy to a kitchen.
If you want to make a statement with your blue kitchen, consider decorating with cobalt blue. In this HØLTE kitchen designed collaboratively with ALL Design Studio, the kitchen island takes center stage with its vibrancy.
“Cobalt blue is an incredibly impactful choice in a kitchen, particularly when used across large surfaces like cabinetry," explains Fiona Ginnett, co-founder of HØLTE. "For this project, we embraced its boldness, working very closely with Amanda Lyon of ALL Design Studio to create a space that feels both vibrant and grounded. The richness of the blue introduces depth and character without overwhelming the room – it draws the eye, yet sits comfortably within the broader material palette."
7. Create an Analagous Color Scheme With Blue and Green
Shades of blue and green, and everything in between, make for a particularly calming kitchen palette.
If you're looking for a timeless color combination for your blue kitchen idea, why not turn to green as a color that goes with blue? Soothing greens pair wonderfully alongside dark blues and provide less contrast than white.
"In our Thistlewaite project, deep blues and muted greens anchor the space with a sense of calm and depth," explains HØLTE's Fiona Ginnett. "Natural light pours in from the garden, bringing the palette to life, while off-white quartz worktops introduce a sharp, contemporary contrast. Subtle touches like the powder-coated handles in complementary tones and intentional colour blocking really elevate the design."
8. Add Just a Subtle Touch of Blue
Blue doesn't have to be dominant to be effective in a kitchen scheme.
Lots of us prefer a neutral kitchen for its timelessness and versatility, but that doesn't mean you can't incorporate blue more subtly. Here, pale blue is used sparingly to reference the natural world, resulting in a calming and soft space.
"For the Naples kitchen, we selected blue based on the relationship with nature, specifically with water in this instance," explains interior designer Andrea Goldman of Andrea Goldman Design. "While we’ve used blue in the cabinetry before, the inverse of using it on the tile and light fixtures was more playful, and the reflective surface of the tile felt like a watery reflection itself. We then pulled a colour that we thought would be closest to the tile to use in the paint finish for the light fixtures."
9. Choose Brass Fixtures to Warm Up Blue
Brass countertops make this navy blue kitchen come alive.
If you're tempted by the timeless appeal of a blue kitchen but are worried it will feel too cold, including plenty of brass fixtures and fittings throughout your room is a failsafe way to add balance.
In this navy blue kitchen designed by The Main Company, the brass worktops and Perrin & Rowe Etruscan Mixer and Rinse in aged brass add plenty of warmth to the statement dark blue cabinets and kitchen island, showing just how warming a blue kitchen can be.
10. Pair Blue With Metallic Silver
Chrome and cool metal finishes are emerging as a new partner for blue.
While brass brings out the warmth of blue, silver creates a cool colour scheme, and the result can be just as impactful. Here, the silver kitchen island is teamed with Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue on the kitchen cabinets, creating a cool-toned kitchen that, through clever details, feels welcoming and homely.
"We ultimately selected Hague Blue as the backdrop to highlight the patinated metallic silver island, which served as the kitchen’s focal point," says Allison Lynch, Senior Designer at Roundhouse. "To add warmth and texture, we carried the dark blue into the soft furnishings, using plush velvets for contrast and a touch of luxury."
11. Choose a Moody Blue in Small Kitchens
Lean into your kitchen's spatial restraints with a deep, cozy blue.
While it can be tempting to decorate with light colors in small kitchens, leaning into the smaller proportions and limited natural light can be a much more flattering design choice. Here, grayish-blue cabinets add depth to the room and achieve a moody, cozy feeling.
"This kitchen uses our color, The Mood, which is, quite literally, a moody blue," explains Emily Arthur, Chief Creative Officer at Isla Porter. "Blues can feel cold, especially when paired with gray or stark white. One way to warm up the look is to add pops of color (consider painting the interior of your cabinets a hue on the opposite end of the color wheel) or choose brass or burnished brass faucets."
12. Go for Classic Blue Shaker Kitchen Cabinets
This style of cabinet presents a blue kitchen in its most classic form.
Designing a kitchen is a costly undertaking, and it's a room that needs to maintain its appeal for many years to come. Choosing an enduring style, such as shaker kitchens, offers plenty of timelessness, and opting for a pale blue can work almost as a neutral colour in your kitchen.
In this light blue kitchen, the cabinets enhance the room's light and airy feel while pairing wonderfully with the white walls. "The Trinity Blue paint color worked perfectly – soft, muted and elegant against the pale walls and worktops," says Helen Parker, creative director at deVOL Kitchens. "This colour is proving to be a classic choice and always looks fresh but not too fashionable."
13. Pair Blue With Monochrome Tiles
Black and white make this vibrant blue kitchen cabinet pop.
Want to give your kitchen a modern, stylish appeal? Mix and match your painted kitchen cabinets with interesting kitchen tiles. The color and the pattern will create a fun, eye-catching look and make this space feel instantly elevated.
"For this kitchen, we knew our client was down to get funky," says Michelle Gage, founder and creative director of Michelle Gage Interiors. "We wanted to create a graphic vibe while feeling custom. We immediately were drawn to Blue Toile by Benjamin Moore. It’s fresh and youthful, but also something you won’t tire easily of."
14. Pair With Wood for an Earthy Look
Wood warms up a blue kitchen's cool nature.
Remodeling a kitchen and want a farmhouse kitchen look? The easiest way to pull it off s with dark paint and dark wood. Much like this space designed by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. The room with dark flooring and beams is wonderfully layered with dark gray-blue tones. This look is timeless, warm and evocative.
"The Sawkille stools felt perfect to us for this space because of their simple lines that echo the bold, simple architecture of the space, and the fact that the wood tone of the walnut is between the very dark wood of the floors and the golden oak of the island," shares Jessica Helgerson, founder of Jessica Helgerson Interior Design.
15. Add Blue Bar Stools
A way to add blue to a kitchen you can change if you ever get tired of it.
A great color that goes with metallic accents is surprisingly dark blue. In this kitchen designed by McCall Dulkys of Interiors By McCall, the juxtaposition is brilliantly played out. The neutral kitchen featuring lovely marble grains and gold-polished kitchen lighting and hardware add a high-end look to the room. To add a punch of color, the designer played with deep blue-toned stools, that add layering and break the uniformity of white.
"The marble is the star of the kitchen," says McCall. "I wanted something bold with heavy veining that would stop you in your tracks once you look at it. We ran the marble up the backsplash to contribute to that wow factor. And the chairs added a pop of color to the room."
16. Try a Bolder Accent to Blue
Burgundy as a contrast to a blue kitchen? Genius.
"The pale icy blue color of the kitchen cabinetry allowed us to have some fun with accent colors in the range, chandelier, and fabrics that we used in the room," shares Erin Fearins, partner and lead interior designer at Studio SFW. "Our client loves color and has a vibrant young family, so we wanted to give her a bright, happy, light-filled kitchen where everyone can gather and spend time together."
The color is also echoed in the kitchen island lighting, adding further layering to the scheme. Chrome and brass elements look especially prominent against a cool blue.
FAQs
How Do I Add Warmth to a Blue Kitchen?
When decorating with a cool colour like blue, you'll want to ensure a careful approach to your kitchen's design so the result is warm and welcoming and not too cold. Since kitchens are social rooms often used for entertaining guests, it's a good idea to add warmth to ensure a homely atmosphere.
Firstly, you should choose the right shade of blue paint, advises Ash McCullough, Lead Designer at Blakes London: "Avoiding grey or aqua undertones in the shade of blue, and leaning towards warmer red or purple undertones ensures that the blue does not cool the space and makes it feel inviting."
Your choice of finishes is another key factor in determining how warm your blue kitchen feels. “When using blue in a kitchen, especially stronger tones like cobalt, it's important to consider the surrounding finishes – wood, brass, stone or warmer neutral shades can really help balance the coolness," says HØLTE's Fiona Ginnett.
Lastly, don't forget about your kitchen lighting design. Choosing warm-toned, ambient lighting will soften the blue tones, whereas cool-toned lighting will likely feel overly cold or even sterile in a blue kitchen.
Is Blue a Cold Color for a Kitchen?f
Yes, blue is a cool color so it works best for a south-facing kitchen or one that receives a lot of natural light. However, cool tones will work for kitchens that receive less light too, but you need to be careful about the intensity of the shade you choose. In low-light kitchens, it's best to use lighter tones of blue.
A blue kitchen is a classic choice that can range from feeling moody and sophisticated to vibrant and energising. Whether you incorporate blue through a fresh coat of paint on your kitchen cabinets or go for statement kitchen wall tiles, blue is a calming, timeless colour that will always be a stylish choice in the heart of the home.
