The Light And Airy Alternative To Gray Paint That'll Totally Elevate Your Kitchen

Creating a welcoming and beautiful kitchen requires more than just tasty food originating from the space — it also asks that you pull off the right balance in your decor and design factors. One major element that will positively impact the overall feel of your kitchen is its paint color. While gray is a common kitchen color, it might not resonate with you, or you might be in search of something that has a lighter and more optimistic hue. If this sounds like your situation, a light and airy alternative to gray paint can totally elevate your kitchen instead: light blue. 

Light blue is the new neutral for timeless kitchens, thanks to its ability to offer a fresh and sophisticated visual that is brighter than traditional gray color palettes. At the same time, a light blue paint color is versatile enough to go with many of your existing kitchen design elements. You can also rest assured that bringing this paint into your kitchen doesn't necessarily require a complete wall color overhaul — there are many ways to tie it into your space, like accent walls or painted cabinets. Whether you have considered repainting in the past or not, now may be the right time to embrace a light blue paint as an underrated paint color that's perfect for your kitchen.

Light blue is an excellent choice if you are hoping to brighten up your space — this color often has a relatively high light reflectance value (or LRV), which refers to how much illumination it will reflect. The higher the value, the more reflective, and therefore bright, it will make a space feel. Conversely, some gray paint colors tend to have lower LRV, which means they absorb more light than they reflect. This can have a darkening effect on your kitchen if you're not careful. An additional benefit of light blue paint is that it can provide more visual interest than a plain gray. Though gray is a solid choice for a versatile neutral, it might feel a bit tired compared to a lighter blue. Intuition (CSP-610) by Benjamin Moore is a lovely choice for your kitchen, presenting a nice saturation of blue. Breath of Fresh Air (806) by Benjamin Moore is a lighter shade that lifts the feel of your kitchen even more.

Since kitchens are where food is prepared, cleanliness is of the utmost importance. Choosing a color that helps your cooking space look fresh and clean is a good idea; light blue can certainly have this effect, although it shouldn't be viewed as an alternative to actually cleaning your kitchen. Finally, light blue is easy to incorporate into your existing kitchen design — if your current decor leans towards neutrals, light blue can seamlessly integrate into and elevate your kitchen space.

If you're on board with the idea of bringing light blue into your kitchen, there are a number of ways to do so. For the most conventional approach, you can paint all of the walls of your kitchen in your new favorite shade of light blue. This will provide a continuous visual upgrade of your walls, and drench the heart of your home in a fresh and optimistic shade. Painting the cabinets is another way to tie light blue into your kitchen without redoing your walls, an ideal option if your walls are a crisp white that you're happy with. While you might be shrinking away from this labor-intensive project, you can likely paint your kitchen cabinets in just one day with the right approach.

Another method for bringing light blue into your kitchen is by choosing a single wall as an accent. The wall behind your stove or behind your eat-in table can work well, although there are plenty of other options for a well-integrated accent wall, too. If you're feeling extra bold, why not paint your kitchen ceiling light blue for a pop of color? Though accent ceilings may be less traditional than an accent wall, they can work well with the right touch. For a more subtle tie-in of light blue, you can paint your kitchen door frames in the new color.