Blue Gray Cabinets: What Most People Get Wrong (and How to Get Them Right)
Blue gray cabinets are the ultimate “looks amazing on Pinterest, why does it look weird in my house?” color.
And I say that with love, because I also fell for the siren song of blue gray. It’s classy! It’s calm! It’s a “neutral” that isn’t beige! And then the sun moves three feet to the left and suddenly your cabinets look like a sad office cubicle from 2009.
Blue gray isn’t hard… it’s just moody. Like a cat. You don’t control it, you just learn its personality and work with it.
So let’s talk about what actually matters: your light, the undertone (the sneaky little gremlin), and how to test paint so you don’t end up repainting your cabinets while muttering threats into your coffee.
First: Blue Gray “Works” — But Only If Your Light Isn’t Out to Get You
Here’s my quick and dirty truth: blue gray shifts more than almost any cabinet color. White is pretty bossy but consistent. Navy is dramatic but predictable. Blue gray? Blue gray is a shapeshifter.
The window direction thing (yes, it matters)
If you do nothing else, figure out what kind of light your kitchen gets:
- North facing light: cool, flat, and honestly kind of rude. It can make blue grays look icier and more gray/steel than you expected.
- South or west facing light: warmer and brighter. It tends to make blue gray feel more alive (and sometimes more “blue”).
- Low light kitchens: blue gray can turn into “dishwater chic” real fast if you go too dark or too blue.
A silly but helpful test: pull up 3 blue gray cabinet photos you love and look at where the windows are. If all your favorites have big sunny windows and your kitchen has… one tiny sad window over the sink? That’s a clue.
Why people love blue gray anyway
When you nail it, blue gray is magical because it can act like:
- a soft neutral (with white counters + stainless),
- or a real color moment (with warm wood + brass).
Also: it hides fingerprints and splatters better than white. You’re not cleaning less… you’re just not seeing the chaos as clearly. Which, frankly, is a gift.
“Blue Gray” vs “Gray Blue” (Stop Letting These Ruin Your Life)
People say these like they’re the same thing. They are not.
- Blue gray = mostly gray, with a blue undertone
- Gray blue = mostly blue, softened with gray
For full cabinets, you usually want blue gray. It reads calmer and more timeless.
My favorite dead simple rule:
- If it looks blue first from across the room, it’s probably gray blue (bolder).
- If it looks gray first, and the blue shows up as you get closer, that’s blue gray (safer).
Gray blue can be gorgeous—just know it’s more of a “HELLO I AM BLUE CABINETS” situation, which is why I love it for an island or lowers, not necessarily every single cabinet.
Undertones: The Make or Break Secret Sauce
Undertones are why one person’s “perfect blue gray” looks like a dreamy coastal kitchen…and someone else’s looks like a hospital waiting room.
The biggest undertone personalities you’ll run into:
1) Gray leaning (cool + clean)
These are the “safe” blue grays—especially if you have stainless appliances and cooler finishes.
My take: if you want to keep things modern and crisp, this is your lane. Just make sure you bring warmth in somewhere else (wood, textiles, warmer wall paint), or it can feel chilly.
2) Green leaning (soft + warm-ish)
These are the blue grays that feel a little more welcoming and “lived in.”
They tend to look amazing with:
- brass hardware
- warmer stone
- butcher block
- natural wood floors
But next to super bright, icy whites and cold stainless, some of them can go a little… swampy. Not always! Just sometimes. (Paint is drama.)
3) Purple leaning (moody + dramatic)
These can be gorgeous—especially on an island in a big kitchen—but on full cabinets they’re a commitment. If you want your kitchen to feel like a cozy rainy night novel, go for it. If you want “cheerful and easy,” maybe don’t.
How to spot undertones without losing your mind: paint a big sample and hold it up next to a plain white sheet of paper in your kitchen. The undertone basically tattles on itself.
My Shortlist of Blue Gray Cabinet Colors (Because Decision Fatigue Is Real)
You could sample 47 colors… but you shouldn’t. (Ask me how I know.)
Here are a few solid starting points, depending on how bold you want to go and whether you prefer a misty blue for tranquil interiors:
If you want light + neutral-ish
- Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray (HC-165): A classic for a reason. Reads gray, pulls blue gently, plays well with lots of finishes.
- Benjamin Moore Mount Saint Anne: That pretty in between shade—great if you like a soft blue vibe without going full coastal theme party.
If you want a medium blue gray that actually shows color
- Sherwin Williams Blustery Sky (SW 9140): Shifts a lot (in a good way). It can read grayer or bluer depending on light, so sample it like your life depends on it.
- Benjamin Moore Water’s Edge: A bit deeper, a bit earthy, and not as icy—great if you want “calm” instead of “cold.”
If you’re flirting with “this is definitely blue”
- Benjamin Moore Van Courtland Blue: A beautiful historic-ish blue that still behaves.
- Farrow & Ball Hague Blue: Moody, rich, and gorgeous… but it’s not playing small. I’d do this on an island or in a very well lit kitchen unless you love drama.
Where to Use Blue Gray So You Don’t Panic Later
If you’re nervous (or you just don’t want to repaint your entire kitchen after one weird winter), here are the placements I like best:
Island only (my favorite “low commitment” move)
This is the dating phase. If you get sick of it, you repaint the island—not your whole life.
White uppers + blue gray lowers
This combo is popular because it works. The lowers ground the space, the uppers keep it airy, and your kitchen doesn’t feel like it’s wearing a heavy sweater.
Tip: keep your hardware finish consistent so it looks intentional, not like you ran out of knobs.
All blue gray cabinets
This can look stunning, especially in open concept homes where you want the kitchen to feel cohesive with the rest of the space.
But please, for the love of sanity: only do this after you’ve tested the color thoroughly. Cabinets are a pain to repaint. Like “I will never emotionally recover” levels of annoying.
Pairing It With Counters + Walls (So Nothing Fights)
A few quick pairing notes that save a lot of regret:
- White quartz with subtle veining: super pretty with light/medium blue gray.
- Marble (or marble look): makes medium/darker blue grays feel richer.
- Butcher block / warm wood: my go to when a blue gray feels too cool.
For walls: I personally avoid stark, icy whites next to blue gray cabinets because it can go sterile fast.
Warm whites that usually behave:
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster
The Only Paint Testing Method I Trust (Because Chips Lie)
Paint chips are tiny liars. They tell you nothing about how a color behaves at 7 PM under your kitchen lights while you’re reheating leftovers and questioning your choices.
Here’s what I do instead:
- Grab 2-3 sample quarts of your finalist colors. (Not 12. You’re not opening a paint museum.)
- Paint BIG samples—at least 12″x12″—on poster board, or even better, on the back of a cabinet door.
- Move them around your kitchen and check them during three daily “moods”:
- Morning: coolest, undertones shout the loudest
- Midday: your most “true” read
- Evening: under artificial light (this is where regret is born)
Live with them for 5-7 days. If a color feels like three different personalities depending on the hour, it’s not “dynamic.” It’s wrong for your space.
Quick Cabinet Painting Reality Check (So Your Finish Doesn’t Peel Off in Sheets)
Blue gray is gorgeous… and also kind of unforgiving. It can highlight brush marks and texture, especially when choosing the right sheen.
If you want your cabinets to hold up, the boring stuff matters:
- Degrease first. Always. Paint sticks to what’s on the surface—and kitchens are basically a fine mist of oil and fingerprints. Use a real degreaser, not wishful thinking and dish soap.
- Sand to degloss. You’re not sanding to bare wood; you’re just knocking down the shine so primer can grip.
- Use a bonding primer. This is not the moment to skip steps. (Skipping primer is how people end up angrily texting me photos of peeling paint.)
- Thin, even coats. Don’t try to cover in one go. That’s how you get texture and heartbreak.
Sheen: my opinionated take
- Semi gloss is popular for cabinets because it’s durable and wipeable, but it shows prep flaws.
- Satin is a nice middle ground if you don’t want everything screaming “SHINE.”
- Matte looks beautiful but shows fingerprints and needs more babying—so choose it only if you’re okay with that.
Cure time (aka the part everyone ignores)
Dry to touch isn’t cured. Cabinets typically need 2-4 weeks to fully cure, so be gentle early on—don’t slam doors, don’t scrub aggressively, and don’t stack stuff on freshly painted surfaces like you’re playing kitchen Jenga.
The Bottom Line
If you want blue gray cabinets you’ll love long term, don’t start with the paint color. Start with your light, then pick a gray dominant blue gray, confirm the undertone plays nicely with your counters and hardware, and test it in your kitchen for a full week (morning, midday, and evening).
Do that, and you won’t end up with cabinets that look perfect at noon and vaguely depressing at dinner.
Now go figure out your window direction—and pick 2-3 samples like a calm, rational adult (unlike me, standing in the paint aisle whispering “but what if this one is the one“).