Vibrant Blue Kitchens

One of the easiest — and one of the most difficult — colors to imagine in a kitchen is vibrant blue.

By that I mean saturated blue and blue-green which are cool colors that read hot. That’s because  they are intense rather than muted. Vibrant blue and blue-greens are the anti-neutrals. We don’t see vibrant blue kitchens very often but when we do, it’s color-lover’s heaven.

Celestial is one way to describe the range and range wall [top] in the upstate New York kitchen of Boston designer Frank Roop. The designer’s wife, Sharon, loves blue and chose the Provence Blue CornuFé range. If the kitchen merely had the range together with the neutral cabinets and white Carrara marble counters it wold still be notable. I could, for example, see a glittering white mosaic tile backsplash back. But what makes the Roop’s kitchen unforgettable is the blue-green Moroccan tile backsplash wall which unexpectedly gives the CornuFé additional impact. Together they are a statement. Also interesting is a glass baffle that extends down from the ceiling and stands in for a vent hood over the range.

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Turquoise and green are used throughout the 1802-10 house which has been modernized by the Roops as well as colorized by variations on that color scheme. The kitchen also opens into a dining room which is neutral enough to tame the look for the kitchen from across the room.

Almost everyone recognizes the color of a Tiffany gift box. It’s a particular turquoise and iconic. The owners of a Greenwich Village duplex are, evidently, color crazed enough to have veteran New York designer Thomas Britt go full on Tiffany blue in their kitchen and dining room — and in the living room as well where it’s paired with animal prints. At best, turquoise is always an odd choice for cabinetry because it’s harkens back to technicolor 1950s kitchens. Here, a Moroccan lantern helps to make it look more exotic than mid-20th century. And, with the white trim, mirrored backsplashes and Chinese Chippendale-y tea room table and chairs, this kitchen feels very girly. There are some practical aspects to be fair. I love the huge windows with the white fireclay farm sink centered on the one that lights the galley. Open vertical shelves for cutting boards are always genius. The Viking gas range says “serious cook.” And at least the cabinet door style is simple. Beefy crown moldings emphasize the height of the space and, even with the highly saturated color it feels ballroom big, airy and ever so slightly tropical, especially in gritty Greenwich Village.

(Source: Architectural Digest, Thomas Britt)

For more vibrant blue decor see Tiffany Blue Bath, Whimsical Green Bathrooms and Blue-Green Kitchens.

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