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Painting Our Kitchen A Soft Blue Color: Colorado Gray

Can I get a kitchie kitchie ya ya da da? (name that song) Also, we painted the kitchen. SURPRIIIISE!

Fireplace Shot

We’ve mentioned that we’ve been flirting with the idea in our last two Listy McListersons (here and here), and when Nonna came to hang with Clara this past week we jumped at the chance to tear the kitchen apart and get to it. Just to keep it real, we grabbed this shot to demonstrate that when one room is getting love, some nearby room is getting dumped. It’s like saying “kitchen, will you accept this rose?” and meanwhile we’re sending the dining room packing (with a bunch of extra baggage). There’s usually one of these “displacement messes” going on at all times in our house. And of course this particular mess was directly behind the front door on the day that the neighbors stopped by just to chat. It’s always nice when it looks like you run a furniture and accessory agility course from your dining room, no?

Dining Room Messy

As for more about the kitchen color change, although you guys know we love grellow with a passion, it has been notoriously impossible to photograph (remember a hundred different phases of the kitchen project with “ahh, this color looks so much more subtle in person but is reading as lime green/bright yellow/neon slime for some reason”). And although that’s sort of definitely a dumb reason to repaint a room, I can’t tell you how annoying it is to not be able to share what you see in front of your eyes when you’re a home blogger.

But the main reason for the change wasn’t that the color was hard to photograph, it was that over time we realized that the grellow didn’t let the other things in the room shine as much as they might have with a different choice. Take the white cabinets and counters for example. They looked little yellowed thanks to the wall color reflecting on them – and even the cork looked a little orangey-yellow (especially at night) instead of rich and mocha.

Before Painting

So here’s how we reasoned our way to a new color pick in five bullets or less:

  • we worried that other tones of yellow and green would have the same yellowing-ish issue (say that three times fast) since they’d reflect on the counters, cabinets, and cork  – even if they were deeper or lighter, so we nixed those options
  • we wanted something deep enough in tone to provide a little more contrast, so the counters and cabinets would pop more (but nothing too dark since the room is windowless)
  • we have gray backsplash tile and a few adjoining rooms are gray, so we didn’t want to go with more gray on the walls (dark, light, or schmedium) for fear of grayverload

Kitchen Art Hung

  • we wanted an actual color on the walls (since we chose such safe things everywhere else like: brown floors, white cabinets, stainless appliances, white counters, and gray backsplash tile)
  • we wanted a color that would tie the kitchen into the four spaces (yes, four!) that the kitchen opens up to – without getting too matchy-matchy (when a room adjoins so many other rooms, the wall color should work with those rooms since you’ll see them together all the time – it’s sort of like very carefully picking a hallway color that works with all of the rooms off of it)
So after taking a good hard look at each of those adjoining rooms, we decided to draw inspiration from the powdery blues in the background of the dining room curtains (top right) and some of the blue pillows on the living room sofa (bottom left) among a few other things, like the kitchen shade, the subtle blue undertones in the gray backsplash, the two paintings I made for the kitchen, the lanterns in the living room, and some of the art in the nearby hallway o’ frames.

Hits Of Blue

And that’s how we landed on a bold, deep-enough-to-let-the-cabinets-pop blue tone. We went for an eggshell finish (still wipeable but not too shiny, since the backsplash covers the splashy spots) in Benjamin Moore’s Natura line, which we bought at a local paint shop for $52 with a Facebook coupon (we only needed around half a gallon, so we still have a lot leftover). As for the color name, it’s Colorado Gray, which made us laugh because it’s definitely blue and not gray – but it’s right next to Aegean Teal on the swatch, which is a lot truer to the name. So I vote that we rename it Colorado Blue. Or $herdog Blue. Yes, that.

Kitchen Other Side

We definitely loved having a soft blue kitchen in our first house, and we actually don’t have any blue on the walls in this house except for the deep teal in the guest room and on the back of the dining room built-ins, so it’s nice to bring in a mid-tone blue that’s sort of in the middle of the guest room and our first house’s kitchen.

Kitchen Corner

The funniest thing about this whole repainting escapade, which we realized while applying the second coat (we’re always loopy by then) was that in our first house we repainted every single room except for our kitchen and our master bedroom. And in this house we’ve only repainted two rooms: the kitchen and our master bedroom. Hilarious.

Blue Side Kitchen

 And if you count the time that we painted the fireplace area a different color for book photoshoots (only to repaint it back to normal a few days later) some parts of this room have seen four different paint jobs.

Fireplace Shot

A few of our favorite things about this color pick are:
  • it’s definitely an actual color (there’s nothing neutral about it)
  • it still feels sophisticated (even though it’s not gray or navy or chocolate or taupe)
  • it allows the white cabinets and counters to really pop (without yellowing them)
  • it’s a great balance to the warm tones in the room (like the cork floors, the wood stools, the rustic cutting boards on the counter, etc).

Office Into Kitch

Plus it ties into all of the rooms around it without being crazy matchy.

Kitchen Wide Main

So Colorado Gray Blue, I ain’t mad atcha. In fact, I want to put a ring on it.

Kitchen Corner

As for the specifics to this paint job: it took two coats and I used a brush to freehand most of the cutting in while John rolled. I actually like a good freestyle cutting in sesh (I live life on the edge, what can I say?). And we paint without a drop cloth (sealed wood or cork floors can be wiped down if there’s a rogue drip, but we mainly try to keep from overloading our brushes and rollers with paint, which eliminates most drips anyway). Oh and we didn’t repaint the laundry room because we actually think the grellow looks nice in there. There’s a big glass door and a window to let in natural light, which the kitchen was severely lacking (the window over the sink is an interior window that just looks into the sunroom) so I think that makes a huge difference when it comes to how paint reads. Plus the yellow accents in the kitchen (like the urn next to the sink and the patterned window treatment) create a nice balance to that glowing grellow doorway over yonder.

Kitchen Main Side2

Not gonna lie though, the star of this room is still that wall full of penny tile. Picture me having an as-soon-as-the-show-ends bachelor breakup with the wall paint to run back to the penny tile with open arms. And it’s not that I don’t love the wall color – I just love the penny tile more than a person should love any inanimate object.

Kitchen Art Hung

Our Favorite Paint Colors

If you’re having trouble picking the right color to paint your room, check out these detailed deep-dive posts about our favorite paints:
  • Sherwin-Williams Extra White

    • Comments

    1. debi says

      That blue looks amazing! I thought it was perfect before but looking at the pictures with it all painted blue makes it look and feel so much better!
      I swear I need yall to come redo my kitchen!

      Reply

    3. Maggie says

      Love it! Yellow tones can be really hard without a lot of natural light. Glad it still gets to cheer up the laundry room and that the kitchen gets it’s own fun hue.

      Reply

    4. Erika says

      As an *expert* in all things gray here in Seattle . . .

      It *definitely* looks blue to me! And oh so beautiful!

      LOVE it!

      Reply

    5. Emily says

      I love the blue a lot more then the other color….even though it looked great too, this one feels like it’s less forced, if that makes sense?!

      We’re always painting something, tearing something down, building it back up around my casa so the dishevled room looks VERY familiar!

      Reply

    6. Needle little Balance says

      Lovely! What a change!

      What I find interesting about your new wall color is that your kitchen has now those colors that I love and chose for our home as well: natural wood, dusty blues, light greys, linen colors, lots of white with a few sparks of color. Quite scandinavian!

      But at _your_ house I enjoyed the grellow colors so so much and I really loved the aqua barstools you had a while back. Maybe because it is so very different from our place and therefore exciting even though I wouldn´t copy it 100%. Don´t know if this makes sense to anyone else but me? ;)

      Reply

    7. CAM says

      Okay, so I love the blue. Love it. It’s gorgeous and it sets of the penny tile beautifully (complimenting the ‘star of the room’ without competing against it). But I need to share a little secret with you…the peninsula chairs? I don’t love them. I didn’t like them in the grellow kichten and I really don’t like them in the grey / blue kitchen. I know these are close to your heart so I am loathe to slam them…but to me, they are the one element of the room that sticks out like a sore thumb.

      Reply

    8. Elisabeth says

      SOOO much better!!! The yellow definitely tired the kitchen down. The contrast with the white cabinets just didn’t work in my opinion. Now, the kitchen looks impeccable: crisp, fresh and bright. Bravo!

      Reply

    9. Jessica says

      This post is motivating me to get my butt into gear and finally repaint our downstairs. I painted it this cafe latte beige when I moved in 5 years ago because I thought it would match everything. Ugh. Now I’m itching for a pretty pale gray – Benjamin Moore ‘Stonington Gray’.

      Reply

    10. Kathryn says

      It *does* look fantastic. And I love that you both have the ability to realise when something’s time has been and gone and ‘get on that’. But… I have to admit a soft spot for the grellow + blue lab stool days. (Though I’m sure my posterior would appreciate the current seating!)

      Reply

    11. Alix says

      Hey youngsters! LOVE the blue – the more I look at it the more I love all the tones and shades you’ve captured just in this one post. Looking forward to seeing more; thanks so much for sharing all that you do about your home! It is definitely an inspiration. :)

      Reply

      • Alix says

        Also, digging the barstools more and more. I was PSYCHED when they appeared in place of the science-lab-esque ones, but they’ve really stood the test of time and are awesome. Just because I’m sure you’ve been waiting on my opinion to fully enjoy them! ;)

    12. Elizabeth says

      When we remodeled our kitchen in 2010 we put in Bianco Antico granite countertops, painted our cabinets white, installed a walnut stained hardwood floor and painted the walls a medium- toned blue called Rain by Sherwin Williams. The rest of the downstairs is an off white (Divine White) or beige (Kilim Beige in the adjacent den.) I love the blue!

      Reply

    15. Aryn says

      So much better! Still hate the stools (sorry – they just don’t work for me) but the color looks great with the floors and makes all the white pop!

      Reply

    16. Joanie says

      I was a big fan of the grellow until I saw that shot of how they made your cabinets look like a cream color. AAAAHHHH
      Very good lesson for us all – the wall color casts color onto other light colored surfaces in the room. It makese sense but I never thought of it until I saw the photographic evidence. I am wandering around my house looking at cast off shades now…yikes.

      Reply

    17. maddy says

      love it! so much! I liked the grellow, but I think this is just so sophisticated and happy! I was wondering, I really want to paint my room, it is currently a really pretty pastel fresh green but it wasn’t a good paint job, I was wondering if you have any posts about how to best paint a room? taping off and advice etc? I’m just not sure how to go about it, which is weird, because I’m an art student, but still!
      thank you! xo

      Reply

    18. Jeanine says

      Wow! I’m totally in love with the new kitchen color! I was always a little on the fence with the grellow, but you guys knew how to make it work. But this new blue is perfect!!! It totally makes that beautiful penny tile pop!

      Reply

    20. harmony g says

      I have to say that i love the new color. I wasnt so sure about the yellow until you put it up but seeing the blue, its like…. wow. It really seems to let your eyes rest on the important parts of the room a lot more. Great job!

      Reply

    21. Teresa says

      Looks almost exactly like our kitchen colour..We have BM Mount Saint Anne, which was in our master bdrm in the last house (and always looked more gray there). In our kitchen it definitely looks more blue in the sunlight. I like it but I may eventually paint it Revere Pewter like most of the other rooms on the main floor.

      Reply

    24. Lisa G says

      I love it!!Glad Nonna was here to make it happen. We have a blue kitchen also and I’m so in love with the color- Jet Stream by BM.

      Reply

    25. Sherri says

      I picked up a sample of this today – but my colorado gray looks more green than blue to me? Maybe I’m comparing it to too many grays?

      Reply

    26. heather s. says

      I like the blue better than the grellow but it feels a little too soft – like a color you’d use in a little boy’s bedroom. I think I would have gone with a slightly deeper blue or blue/gray tone.

      Kudos for painting though!

      Reply

    27. Abby says

      Okay, I loved your kitchen before… the cabinets, the countertops, the appliances, your accessories, and the stools! But now I looooooove your kitchen!! It’s absolutely chic and serene! In our first home, I painted the kitchen cabinets white and the walls blue to replace the dark brown cabinets and the 70’s-green walls from the previous owners. I loved that kitchen! I am in love with my current kitchen because the layout is awesome, and I have my white cabinets again. But I’m hoping to replace the pink counters (ick)and white walls down the road… soon. :-) I love reading your blog!!! And my 3 kiddos enjoy seeing the pics and videos of Clara. :-)

      Reply

    28. Tracey says

      Love it! My husband could NEVER paint without a drop cloth – he’s a roller overloader and a wrist flicker with a brush.

      Reply

    31. Miss Charming says

      Great color choice! (My kitchen is painted a different shade of bluey-green which I absolutely love.) We’ve been in our home over 13 years now so many of the rooms have seen multiple coats of paint.

      Reply

    34. Jillian@TheHumbleGourmet says

      I’m going to go on record to say that I love the blue! I’m a big fan of cooler colors for the very reason you stated…they seem to compete less with the accents in a room. Plus, I feel like cooler colors work better with a wide array of colors than warmer colors do. Does that make sense?

      Reply

    36. HeatherM says

      Thank you for posting pictures of your messy house, as requested! It is very reassuring to see your house doesn’t always look perfect, even though it tends to on the blog.

      Reply

    37. shevy says

      wow! it looks great! i never really understood why you painted the walls grellow, but the blue looks amazing and so much more sophisticated!

      Reply

    38. nat says

      Love love love it. I never seen a ceiling speak to me but I think your ceiling is like “how about me?” Especially on that first picture. But it doesn’t want to be blue no, it wants to something else, may be light light grellow or something.

      Reply

    39. Kim Birum says

      We’re so excited around here to finally have the main floor painted after a year of white walls interspersed with crazy faux-finishing (leftover from the previous owners). Loving how color can make everything fresh and new. Your blue kitchen is lovely. Digging Colorado blue/gray over grellow.

      Reply

    40. Barb says

      At first I thought it might be too cold, but then I warmed up to it by the end of the post (haha!). I have painted my kitchen 6 (!!) times in 9 years. All Benjamin Moore (since I used to work for a dealer and after a 4 year haitus, I’m now a part owner of one.
      In 2004 I started off with Muslin.
      A few months later I added a Deep Rose accent wall to the Muslin.
      In 2005, I painted over that with Louisiana Hot Sauce.
      In 2006, I painted it Aegean Teal (which I loved!!).
      This fall I repainted it Skydive (which we used in our store (in fact I took home the paint tray and the bagged brush & roller and painted that night). I LOVE the colour at work, but it sucked in my kitchen… definitely an impulsive act. In fact while I was painting my 4 year old told me how much he hated that colour and that I should be paint it back to the darker colour (Aegean Teal).
      I lived with it until a few weeks ago when I repainted it Cinder.

      Kitchen – 6 times
      Bathroom – 3 times (though I painted the old wainscotting about 3 times before settling on the perfect white)
      Master bedroom – 4 times
      Office – 2 times
      Living Room – 3 times
      Front Entry – 2 times (soon to be a third)
      Dining Room/Hallway – 4 times
      Laundry Room – 2 times
      Kids Room – 3 times

      Only 2 of those repaints were because of unfortunate colour choices (kitchen & bathroom).

      My husband doesn’t care what I do as long as he doesn’t have to help :)

      Reply

    41. Ellen says

      Hi Sherry and John,
      Hi, I’m Ellen and I read your blog every day :) Actually I check both yours and bower power since you two mention each other so much. I always tell my husband I need to see what my two friends Katie and Sherry have been up to.
      Anyway, I love your blog and my 1 and a half year old son loves the Clara videos! But I write for the first time today because I just love the change of color in your kitchen. My favorite color is yellow and we have a yellow kitchen now. But, with not much light in our kitchen either, I know what you mean about shadows and things looking yellowish. That’s so funny to me; we’ve had the same conversations lately about our yellow kitchen problem!!
      So, thanks for sharing!! Keep up the good work. I really love reading your blog; it’s definitely a highlight of my day :)
      Take care!
      Ellen

      Reply

    45. Ashley C. says

      I never disliked the grellow…until I saw it next to the blue. Holy crap, it looks amazing! Awesome choice, guys!

      Reply

    47. Jeanna says

      Blue kitchen? Yes ma’am. In 2008 we painted our kitchen walls a slate blue/green called “Cold Shoulder” by Glidden when we moved in. Bold, gutsy and still lovin’ it! Cabinets are white and floor is maple and it gets lots of light so it feels like an ocean view cabana in there.
      Then you recommended it as an accent color in this post:
      https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/01/erica-keiths-color-conundrum/
      So, I was feelin’ like one of the cool kids (and ahead of my time, haha). If YHL recommends a color, you know it’s legit.
      Welcome to the land of blue kitchens. It’s lovely here. Your penny tile thanks you.

      Reply

    48. Brandie says

      Love this color! Of course, I could be biased since I painted my kitchen the very same color a few months ago. Such a happy color to have in the gloomy northwest! :)

      Reply

    49. Christian says

      Funny… When I first saw the picture I said to myself how great that colour looks, then you said the name and I was shocked to see that I am sitting in a room painted that very same colour!

      Reply

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