I just had a client the other day that loved blue and wanted it for her kitchen. Which is fine, but we can’t always get what we want. We can comprise with our choices and come really darn close.
She chose a Sherwin Williams blue, and it was BLUE. Was it pretty? Yes, it was. Did she like it? Yes, she did. Did I think it was a good choice for the kitchen? No, I didn’t. Why? For so many reasons. 
First of all, most kitchens really don’t have that much wall space. The cabinets, appliances, back splash, and window takes up most of the wall space as you can see from this photo. I outlined the available wall space in blue. Not that much right?
This is one of the reasons I really don’t like to choose a specific or noticeable color (a color that really stands out) for the kitchen because it’ll look like a puzzle piece. I feel that the kitchen should stand out and not the wall color.
Let the cabinetry be your focal point or a beautiful custom backsplash, or even if you have top-notch appliances – let those features shine, not the oddly shaped wall that happens to have an amazing color.
What color should I paint my kitchen?
I’m not saying you can’t or shouldn’t paint your kitchen an amazing color but choose a color that is quiet or just blends into the background.
Some people would love this blue in a kitchen but again, consider the SHAPE of the wall that you are putting color on. Maybe save this color for the dining room or living room where you can really showcase it.
Also, you have to be super careful with blue. Go too light, and it’s baby blue. Go too dark, and it’s a depressing red undertone, and it’ll look purple. But the #1 reason I don’t choose blue for a kitchen other than the puzzle piece syndrome is that, in most cases, it’ll fight with the color of your backsplash.
This generic backsplash is very typical of the colors that you’ll see in a kitchen. A basic beige-green tile. You can’t really tell from this graphic because of the monitor rep, but so many colors look “off” next to this type of tile. You can still get a blue for your kitchen, but you may have to gray it up a bit to blend in a bit better with your tile and to get out of the nursery hues.
I like to pull a color right from the tile since the wall color will obviously be right next to it. Warm grays or classic taupes are timeless in the kitchen. You can all use accent colors in your island, chair fabric, window treatments, or kitchen decor.
Decorating by Donna • Intuitive Color Expert 
I love your analogy to a puzzle piece! That’s a perfect way to say it.
Do you have any recommendations on where to look for backsplash inspiration?
That can be anywhere Liz from Pinterest to Home Depot. But you’ll probably have the best luck looking up a local company that specialized in just tile. Here we have the Tile Connection that would be a good hit. Thanks for stopping by!
Yay! I got it right! I am a huge offender of this rule. Why? Well, both my first and current kitchen had expansive wall space. My first kitchen was one end of a room that housed our dining area at the other end of the room, so I carried the color through (a soft, earthy green). Currently, I have dark (what I call cinnamon-colored) cabinets and I have painted the walls a dark, avocado green, as only the baulkhed/soffit is painted on the cabinet walls, but the remaining two walls have quite a bit more paintable real estate. My home is older, so the kitchen is still sort of boxed away from the rest of the house.
There is so much to consider when choosing color for a kitchen. Open floor plans are another issue. I really think less is more is a great approach for a kitchen but again, it solely depends on the style and layout.
Whoops, ‘bulkhead’.
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WOW makes so much sense Donna. Although I wouldn’t put blue in a kitchen either, mainly for me, because I think it’s just too calm for a busy space such as a kitchen. I NEVER thought about the puzzle analogy. Thanks Donna – you always give me something to think about 😉
Another reason I like to suggest blue in the kitchen Marilyn is because sometimes there is just way too much orange such as the kitchen in this post. I really dislike the dreaded orange cabinets so I always say work with it! Complementary color ma dear! 🙂
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