Kitchen blues

Kitchen blues

 

Word has it that the blues are in for 2017 – and no, not the seasonal blues!

 

 

When we think of blue, most people might associate it with dark, damp and dreary days… cold bathroom tiles and a chill in the air. However, blue is back to show you how it truly can be the warmest colour.

 

Forget your misconceptions about bleak blue, and instead consider cloudless skies and warm, turquoise waters as your new inspiration. The right blue can be a breath of fresh air for your kitchen, enlivening the space, reducing stress and even adding some much needed contrast to what is often the warmest room in the house.

 

How to use blue in the kitchen

 

Blue is generally considered a calm colour, and is even rumoured to work as an appetite suppressant – as so few of our natural foods are blue! This might be a good thing if you want your kitchen to be a place of peace and tranquillity, filled with healthy foods and clean living.

 

If lighter blues still seems a little cold, consider a deep blue or even navy – giving your kitchen an extra touch of class with a more formal shade. Or, experiment with the trend by exploring other ends of the colour spectrum, from icy white blues, to purple or green hues of blue. Or, opt to merely dabble in the colour by updating the ever-fashionable grey palette with just a hint of blue in the mix.

 

Making a statement with blue

 

If the thought of painting your whole kitchen blue – or even just one wall – seems like too big of a commitment, there are plenty of other ways you can incorporate blue into the room without allowing it to become overbearing.

 

Instead, consider making it an interesting focal point with deep blue splashback tiles, or, if you’d rather, you could easily incorporate stunning blue hues into your kitchen – such as deep indigo – by just using a few tiles in this shade within a wall of neutral tiles.

 

Alternatively, opt for a hint of blue in your cabinets or countertops while leaving the rest of the room in a neutral shade. However, if you do decide to go this route, it’s a good idea to break up the colour block by using white or other neutral colours for either the upper or base cabinets.

 

Perhaps you love the idea of a monochrome kitchen but have always found black and white to be too stark a contrast? Blue could be your answer! A deep cobalt blue or navy gives that same monochrome feel, but is often warmer and less oppressive.

 

No matter how you decide to incorporate blue into your kitchen, the good news is that, as a soothing colour, it rarely feels like a stressful or unnecessarily busy addition to a kitchen. So, have fun with it!