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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. Whitney Dupuis says

      I have to say that I was a big fan of the grellow, but the blue looks amazing and I can now see what a huge difference it makes on the rest of the room!

      Reply

    2. Kirsten says

      Guess I am one of the few who like the grellow more. It made the kitchen look way more warm. The blue is too cool for me. But glad you’re happy with it!

      Reply

    3. Clementine says

      This is just the kick in the pants I needed! I painted my kitchen MSL-Bamboo (which is extremely similar to BM-Sesame) and, although I love how bright and chipper it is, it has never worked with the other elements in the room. But part of me feels guilty for buying more paint, even though I know the kitchen would look so much better with a coat of Bedford Gray. Thanks (as always!) for the inspiration!

      Reply

    5. Katy says

      Oh my goodness! I’m in love and I totally see what you mean about the grellow bouncing off the walls and floors – the blue brings out the best of that beautiful kitchen. Again & again, thanks for sharing your amazing home with us!

      Reply

    6. BridgI S says

      I am in love with that color! I always used to say I will never paint a room blue, but I just painted my parents guest room blue, and, my apartment has all gray-blue walls…. Loving it! And i love that kitchen! (And, it’s okay sherry, if I was in your kitchen, I would hug that penny wall too)

      Bridgi
      Yodgi.com

      Reply

    8. Kristin says

      Sooooo much better. The grellow was just not my thing.. perhaps you are right.. it was more so about how it was photographed.

      The blue.. however.. is beautiful. Perfect choice!

      Reply

    9. Emily says

      Well, I wasn’t sure about the grellow but it totally grew on me. Fun and bright!

      That being said, the blue/white combo feels like a big “ahhhhh” relaxing sigh :) I can’t tell you why, but I like it.

      Reply

    10. Jules says

      Awww, I loved the grellow :( Although, I’m a sucker for a blue kitchen (mines blue), so I like that too. Good for you guys, picking a blue you like on the first try! I went through 3 test pots before paiting, loved the colour, hated it in my kitchen, another test pot and then repainting a few days later. The old colour I loved is going to go in the bedroom now, so hopefully I won’t have to go through any paint picking or changes in there!

      Reply

    12. Mrs.Ronso says

      L-O-V-E the new color. Perfect choice. I am super jealous of your ability to always find just the right color. If you ever feel like working your magic elsewhere, please come to my house. :)

      Reply

    13. Kim says

      WOW! Love the colour so much! It looks so great with the white cabinets. Funny story. I read the last couple of paragraphs of the post out loud because my children were distracting me and I was having a hard time reading it in my head. When I was done, I turned around and said, “I love you guys” to them. My three-year-old looked at me and said, “Well I don’t love a whole tiled wall.” lol Guess he was listening in and he doesn’t share your love of inanimate objects, Sherry!

      Reply

    15. Jessi says

      Beautiful!
      I spent the weekend painting my kids’ room yellow – all by myself. And now I’m kind of sure I don’t like it. The soft lemony buttery color of the wet paint is perfect, but it dried a shade or two darker, and it’s not quite what I expected. Totally should not have skipped the paint sample step.
      I keep telling myself “the middle makes no sense” (I’m really just halfway through with their room) and “paining a room is the easiest, cheapest way to change up a room”. So my questions is, how do you know if you made the wrong choice with a paint color? I’m planning to live with it for a while, bring in the rest of the fresh white linens I’m planning for the room, and see. But I have a feeling I might be going yellow to blue too sometime soon. :(

      Reply

    16. kristin says

      Ohhhh I love it! It feels like that’s the color the kitchen really wanted to be, you know? Just seems to tie in with everything else you have going on. It’s perfect!

      Reply

    17. Gem says

      Oh, I love it! It’s fantastic. I really liked the grellow but it’s nice to see how your style has changed since you moved in, and watching the whole house come together.

      Reply

    19. Wrenaria says

      Beautiful! It’s a very nice change. I didn’t mind the grellow, but you’re right about the cabinet reflection. Never noticed it before, but now it seems obvious, ha.

      Amazing how wall paint can so drastically change the feel of a room. Good work, Petersiks!

      Reply

    20. Pam the Goatherd says

      Love the new blue/grey! I never was a big fan of the grellow, even though yellow is one of my favorite decorating colors.
      The Sherdog Blue just seems to flow a lot better with the rest of the surrounding spaces and makes a lovely backdrop for the pops of color in the room.

      Reply

    22. Christiane says

      OBSESSED.

      (And LOOOOVE the post title. Early 2000’s- why were you so great and awful all at the same time?!)

      Reply

    23. sally says

      LOVE it. I think that it has grey undertones (thus the name) and is probably why it goes so well with the penny tile! Just beautiful – and REALLY lightens up your kitchen. ENJOY!

      Reply

    24. amy c says

      i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new color! the grellow was fine, but i’m much more into cool colors. which is odd, because i definitely just picked warmer colors for our dining, kitchen, and living rooms, but that is what went with everything. they will be the first walls we’ve ever painted (we’ve been living with builder white for 5.5 years and i’m really sick of it) just waiting on my dad to help me get started (make sure i’m doing it right).

      Reply

    25. Yadira Batres says

      Wow!!

      That shows you how much of a difference paint makes, it looks like a whole new kitchen. I love the blue, and you know they say blue makes you less hungry, so if ya in a diet (not that ya need to but, hey it will help) hahah!!

      It looks so crispy clean and while, I just love it.

      Great job guys

      Reply

    30. Scott Mineart says

      I usually only comment on contest posts (this is my third non-contest comment in the 3+ years of reading) but I had to congratulate you on the excellent painting decision. It really makes the rest of the room pop.

      While I have your attention. Do you have any plans to visit near Des Moines, Iowa in the future (you’ve been here in the past)? I ask because I live there and would love to be house crashed but want to make sure all our house projects are done and ready for it.

      Reply

      • YoungHouseLove says

        Thanks Scott! You’re so sweet! My best friends family actually lives about 2 hours from Des Moines (so we fly into that airport and drive). We don’t have another trip planned, but if we do I’ll email you so you can have a heads up! Haha. You know we love House Crashing!

        xo
        s

    31. cosima says

      lady marmalade! i love that song and i also love your blog!! the kitchen looks great! :) greetings from germany

      Reply

    32. keri says

      Oh $herdog. J-Boom. This is gorgeous. I definitely liked – and respected – the grellow, even though it wasn’t my cup of tea – but this is very similar in color to my kitchen/living room/dining room and seeing yours the same hue makes me swoon. Seriously, my heart is going pitter-patter all over that $herdog Blue.

      Reply

    33. Gabbi @ Retro Ranch Reno says

      I love the change!! It looks fan-freakin-tastic. And you know me {well maybe not hehe}, but I loveee me some blue! I think it works so well with your space!

      And painting things a couple times?!? Yup, happened to our master bedroom…three times. HA!

      Reply

    34. Angela N says

      We just moved into a brand new house in November and I’ve already painted the whole house. I am totally ready to repaint my girls’ bathroom. It was one of the first rooms I painted. I love the color in there (BM Coventry Gray) but it matches our whole house color a little too closely (SW Aloof Gray.) I have a bright multi colored shower curtain (Kate Spade Brightwater Ave) in there and the gray works for it, but I am craving something a bit more fun for that room. Not sure yet what color it is though.

      Reply

    35. Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says

      LOVE the blue. I have a blue love affair in our house. One bedroom, bathroom, and a giant basement are all blue. It’s just a happy color to me. And I am really digging this shade you picked! It really brightens up the rest of the kitchen like you were hoping!

      Reply

    36. Brandy says

      Oh man, leaving the laundry room grellow is kind of like having your cake and eating it too! :) Best of both worlds and it looks amazing! So light and bright and cheery.

      Reply

    37. Kim says

      Love Love Love it! And this from a girl who is typically drawn to yellow kitchens. This makes me want to start painting!

      Reply

    38. Cheryl says

      Hah. We were beginning the kitchen painting process (not done yet…) while you all were up here in NoVa last weekend and I was thinking about you all. Ours will be an aquaish blue…hope it turns out as well as your kitchen!

      Reply

    39. Tirsa says

      Nooooo! Why did you take away the beautiful grellow???? :-) I loved it so much! It was so happy and pretty. Ok, I’ll stop now. I know it’s Your house and you love the new color, but sniff, sniff. :( (yes, I’ll get over it. :) ) How does Clara like the new color?

      Reply

    40. Katja @ Shift Ctrl ART says

      Wow that looks great. And such a great tie in to the adjacent rooms. Great make over!!

      Today, I posted our tween boy room make-over with 8 DIY projects. This is my second makeover of this room in our house. Before he had more of a big boy room. I would love for you to check it out if you have time.

      Reply

    43. Melissa @ Loving Here says

      I love it!
      Our kitchen is yellow, which I love since it’s my favorite color, but honestly, it isn’t working for me that much since it’s very blah with our yellow oak cabinets (which will be white one day!… so I’m waiting for now). I may have to give in and repaint if the walls still aren’t awesome at that point, though. And after seeing this, blue will be my next choice, for sure!

      In the meantime, I’ll focus on wanting to repaint the guest room, since I am not loving the medium brown with light blue accent wall in there. (I scored some free paint right after we moved in and I didn’t want to waste it, but I’m just not in love with how it turned out…)

      Reply

    44. Sarah R. says

      Yay for repainting! The blue is soooooo much better than the grellow! Glad you guys decided to go for the change.

      Benjamin Moore names their colors really oddly sometimes. We have a so-called green in our open pantry that is most definitely blue.

      Reply

    45. Margaret says

      Love it!!! I have been waiting…dying really for 2.5 yrs to get my kitchen painted ever since we moved in. This makes me so envious that you guys did your twice, lol! I really hope we are not that couple who ends up on one of those home improvment shows saying they’ve haven’t done the thing they wanted to do for last 15 yrs!!

      Reply

    46. Katie says

      I LOVE it!!!! That looks so much better. Not that the grellow didn’t look bad, but it definetly looks like that blue/grey was meant to be.

      Reply

    47. Diana P says

      I LOVE this! We were actually in the process of painting our kitchen/dining room a very similar color, along with painting the cabinets white and a few other updates. Unfortunately our process was interrupted when a sewage backup flooded the kitchen and we had to move out (still working through repairs), but I am excited to resume the job, now with new floors too :-).

      Reply

    48. Kristin says

      I am so glad I’m not alone in my painting escapades. My mom always makes fun of me because some rooms I have painted several times in the 5 years since I bought my house. I’m currently DIYing my kitchen on a dime so this will be the 3rd paint job. And then I’ll just have to repaint the adjoining computer room, which means I’ll have to repaint the living room…

      Reply

    49. krys72599 says

      Isn’t that funny? I liked the grellow but I didn’t know I liked it less than I thought I did until I saw the blue!
      LOVIN’ the blue kitchen!!! We’re putting in a new kitchen in our lake house – will HAVE to pull a swatch of Colorado Gray to see if the lake reflection coming in the wall’o’windows distorts that blue – I love it!!

      Reply

    50. Katie C says

      I love it! Somehow it makes the walls look like they’re sheetrocked rather than paneled, but maybe that’s just me? The walls look much smoother under the blue color than they did before.

      Reply

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