Cool-toned colors don’t actually mean that a space will feel cold. Cool grays, blues, and greens, are proven to make people feel calm and relaxed. What could be better than a kitchen full of calm and relaxed people?
Here we will go over 9 beautiful blue gray cabinet colors that will look amazing in your kitchen, no matter if your cabinets are new or refinished!
In no particular order, let’s get to the colors!
Sherwin Williams Foggy Day (SW 6235)
Foggy Day is a favorite gray blue around here! This Sherwin Williams color is not too light or too dark, and it looks great on cabinets.
Foggy Day is also on my list of the Very Best Slate Gray (& Blue!) Paint Colors.
You should know that Foggy Day can have a slightly greenish undertone. Here is a look at all of its different faces:
I would say that Foggy Day stays consistently gray at the very least. You won’t ever find this color to be too bright or in-your-face. This is about the brightest that it ever looks:
The LRV of Foggy Day is 20.
Benjamin Moore Normandy (2129-40)
Normandy is not a super popular Benjamin Moore color, so I would put it near the top of your list if you like to be unique!
While I find the color to be very blue-forward, Benjamin Moore describes Normandy as “A deep, distinguished dark gray sharpened with a hint of blue.”
The “hint” here is the kind that children give. Super obvious.
The undertone of Normandy is a nice predictable blue. It doesn’t ever look teal or purple. It is actually on the same color strip as the blue-charcoal of Benjamin Moore Soot.
In this kitchen it has been used with Benjamin Moore Calm on the perimeter cabinets:
If you like the look of Calm, you might also like Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White or Benjamin Moore Dove Wing.
Normandy can range in appearance from how it looks in these photos, to something approaching navy. It’s LRV is 21.73, so it isn’t truly dark, but on the darker end of mid-toned.
Sherwin Williams Steely Gray (SW 7664)
Steely Gray is one of the grayest colors on this list. Sherwin Williams describes it as a cool solid gray with a cyan undertone.
Steely Gray ranges in appearance from blue-silver to a lighter charcoal. It can sometimes look quite gray, but it does always have a blue undertone.
Here we see the most periwinkle that Steely Gray ever looks:
In the closeup it looks more dusty blue:
Occasionally Steely Gray can also lean a little bit greenish, but I have only seen that outside. If you want to be cautious, I would recommend pairing it with primarily warm tones, so that it stays looking nice and cool blue in comparison.
Benjamin Moore Water’s Edge (aka Van Courtland Blue – 1635)
Benjamin Moore Water’s Edge and Van Courtland blue are one and the same color! This medium gray blue leans slightly more green than other shades on this list, without actually looking teal.
If you are looking for the perfect balance of gray and blue, light and dark, Water’s Edge might be exactly what you were picturing!
The LRV of Water’s Edge is 30, so it is right in the middle of the pack in terms of lightness.
Here it is on a kitchen island with the creamy white of Benjamin Moore White Dove on the perimeter cabinets:
Here is Van Courtland Blue in one more kitchen where it is on all of the lower cabinets in addition to the island:
This is a very classic “cottage” blue.
Sherwin Williams Smoky Blue (SW 7604)
Smoky Blue is not only the darkest color on the list, it is also the most saturated, and one of the most popular!
“This chic, velvety blue has a gray undertone that feels alluringly soft.” – Sherwin Williams
Here is an idea of how Smoky Blue looks on cabinets in different lighting:
Smoky Blue generally appears as a rich darker blue with a gentle gray cast. It can also have the slightest hint of a teal/green undertone:
This is a beautiful blue gray if you want a richer color that isn’t quite navy. The LRV of Smoky Blue is 15.
Behr French Colony (N480-4)
Behr describes French Colony as:
“Elegantly chic and timeless, French Colony is a versatile silvery-blue perfect for both interior or exterior projects.” – Behr
The LRV of French Colony is 34, so I wouldn’t say that it always reads “silvery” but there is a generous muted gray quality to this color.
Despite how it looks on the swatch, in my experience French Colony is very likely to have a slight periwinkle undertone.
I was only able to find one good photo of this color on cabinets to share, but I color matched this one to look about right:
Sherwin Williams Poolhouse (SW 7603)
Poolhouse is a blue gray that looks like a slightly muted version of sky blue. It can have a slightly periwinkle undertone, but it generally stays pretty true blue.
I find that in real life, the gray in Poolhouse is pretty sublte. This is probably the “brightest” blue on the list, and it’s a great choice if you want to leave no doubt that your cabinets are blue.
The LRV of Poolhouse is 29.
Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray (HC-165)
Boothbay Gray is tied for the lightest color on this list, with an LRV of 43.
Boothbay Gray is a beautiful french blue. Benjamin Moore calls it “A fresh, steely gray with hints of blue.”
This color is quite a silvery gray-blue, and the undertones vary a lot. Like most gray-based paint colors, Boothbay Gray can be a chameleon with undertones ranging from almost sage to a stormy blue.
This might be my personal favorite from the list. I love the variety in how it appears, and the fact that it is a bit more neutral.
Sherwin Williams Dockside Blue (SW 7601)
Dockside Blue is the other lightest color on this list, also with an LRV of 43.
This kitchen is just drop-dead gorgeous!
Dockside Blue is another true blue in terms of undertone. It can have a whiff of aquatic blue, but it doesn’t ever lean especially green or purple.
This color was also on my list of colors to drench with!
Honorable Mentions: Sherwin Williams Peppercorn and Web Gray
I actually really struggled to narrow this list down, and ultimately I did have to cut a couple of really great options: Peppercorn and Web Gray.
I decided to take both of these colors out because they are more gray, and Web Gray was significantly darker than the other colors on the list.
Peppercorn is technically all gray, but it does typically have a very strong blue undertone. The same goes for Web Gray, but darker.
Just wanted to mention these two because it was hard to take them off the list, and you might really like them!
LRV of all the Best Blue Gray Kitchen Cabinet Colors
Here is a look at the LRV for all of the colors on the list:
…and here’s another look at all of the colors that we chatted about! :
I hope you found the perfect gray blue for your kitchen cabinet project on this list! If not, here are some other colors that you might like: