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Kitchens Remodeling

Kitchen design help - cabinet color midnight blue

last year

We are thinking of going with midnight blue color of kraftmaid cabinets. We have a pretty big open concept space so thought it might look nice.
Wanted to get feedback on if it looks too blocky (especially since we are planning to have a 5 foot pantry)
We were also considering going with "midnight" lower and island cabinets and "dove white" upper and pantry but I seem to really like the midnight color.
Having zero imagination skills, just not sure if it will start looking like black when we have so much of it.
Also attaching the countertop we selected.
Any suggestions are welcome ❤️

Featured Answer

Mrs Pete

last year

last modified: last year

Thoughts on color:

- I find it too close to black, and -- even with a good-sized window -- it's going to make your kitchen dark. The cabinets almost look black in the pictures.

- Consider that this blue-black will be hard to keep clean.

- On the other hand, I really like that Harbor Blue -- it looks more friendly, less stark. It looks great with that brick wall background in your inspiration picture.

- I don't like the mix-and-match uppers white /lowers blue. That's a fad, and you don't want to put cabinet-money into something that's going to be dated sooner rather than later.

Thoughts on the cabinets being blocky and layout:

- No, I don't think it's too blocky -- you may be thinking that because right now it's empty, but once you add all the things that a kitchen must have, it'll look different. You have ample counter space without that left-side cabinet, and it's nice to have space to hide things.

- Thinking about adding the small essentials to the kitchen, where will you keep your "always outs"? That is, coffee pot, fruit bowl, cookie jar, canisters? With that big pantry cabinet, I might try to incorporate some of them "inside".

- This cabinet plus a 5' pantry isn't overkill.

- I'd tweak the pantry cabinet doors though: instead of having them both open up "ta-da style", I'd want two doors that both open towards the work area.

- Where's your oven? Your microwave? Your trash can? Your fire extinguisher?

- I'd lose half the stools. You have a dining area RIGHT THERE (literally within arm's reach) for family meals. Keep just a couple stools for the occasional kid who sits at the island or for you when you want to sit down to do a big task. Four stools in 8' is technically enough, but it's the beginning of "enough" ... certainly not generous.

I love it. Its nice to see people using color again, instead of white.

I would think about how the color flows with the rest of your decor when choosing the blue shade.

Two very good points.

Comments (15)

cat_ky
last year
I love it. Its nice to see people using color again, instead of white.
RTHawk
last year
You need to see both the countertop sample and cabinet door sample in your kitchen to see for yourself if it will be too dark for you or not
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Hi everyone! It's great to get input from the Houzz community. My husband was active duty AF for 27 years and we're finally making this house our own. Thanks so much for the great feedback particularly from @damiarain and @caligirl5. Also, I am working with a KD. I’m so grateful that you both took time to give in-depth suggestions and actually provide a revised layout. In response to your suggestions: - Fridge - Damiarain, IMO, Moving the fridge to the wall proposed on the end of the counter would make it stick out too much and the sides would show whereas one side is hidden by the stub wall now. We considered removing the stub wall but it’s pretty involved so we opted to take down the pantry only. Furthermore, as shown in the 1st and 2nd pics, the great room is across from the kitchen and I personally prefer the look of cabinets on that wall complemented by a new staircase and not a fridge protruding out. Also, the space isn’t very wide in the entryway and an open fridge would definitely block someone’s path into the kitchen from the great room if placed in the end. It might work in the center of the wall, however. - Damiarain, you said, “have upper cabinets only on either the wall next to the pantry or next to the fridge.” What would I do with the entire open space where the fridge presently is…that’s losing 83” on the fridge wall? Besides, I need the extra storage for all the stuff I've gathered at our various assignments. - I understand your suggestion about moving the range and it’s valid. The wall is 154” and we’re cutting down the width of the new pantry to 31” whereas the current pantry opening is 44 ½”. I’ll have to talk to my KD about the lack of sufficient prep space on the left. You’d think that would be a major consideration in presenting her design. However, I am installing a counter level bar which will give me lots of space to the left of the sink (above the dishwasher) yet it doesn’t resolve the issue of someone washing dishes and another cooking on the range. I don’t know what the answer is but there has to be one. - Good point about leaving breathing room around the hood and going with more drawers whenever possible. - @caligirl5…I have the sample block for antique white but it doen’t work well for my house. We live in Florida and have lots of windows so I need a more contemporary look although I don’t want bright white. I’m now thinking gray may be the answer since all the other whites may clash with my bright white crown molding. - Sorry about the dimensions and thanks for your recommended layout. I have a thing about storage and have lots of dishes/glasses so I don’t know about getting rid of the cabinets on the fridge wall entirely and putting. Furthermore, as stated previously, I’m concerned that a large full depth fridge on that wall may really be in the way vs. being tucked where it is now. - A previous design had the microwave across from the range in a drawer pretty much where the cooktop is now. I opted to put the microwave in the pantry and put large drawers there instead. I've attached pics of a new design keeping the same footprint with ceiling height cabinets and a picture of the torn down stair taken from my great room. I will definitely give all of your recommendations more consideration and I’m really thankful for the help.
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ffpalms
last year
I just browsed a few photos and found that I prefer this beautiful color paired with lots of white. I think the contrast is wonderful and seems to make the blue even more vivid. Plus, white really bounces light around the room. The less you have to turn on the lights, the better.
pennfire
last year
You are considering the kitchen I wanted when we did a gut remodel.
S G
Original Author
last year
Thanks so much everyone 🙏. There is another color in kraftmaid that's a little brighter (harbor) but I haven't seen it being used by people much. Although it looks great in the picture kraftmaid has on their webslite.

Now I am confused between the two very beautiful blues
ffpalms
last year
I would think about how the color flows with the rest of your decor when choosing the blue shade.
HU-274320912
last year
It's a bit drab, but that may be due to the unnatural light of the rendering. You might consider some glass fronts to break it up a bit. I'm not a designer but I would think lighting and contrast would be key. I like the Kraftmaid too. Here's a variation from Lowes:
cpartist
last year
I'd suggest you first create a better kitchen design. 2' wide lower cabinets are practically useless.

Why do you want your cooktop on the island and how do you plan to vent it?

Why is your fridge further from the dining area?

Does anyone ever help you cook in the kitchen or help you clean up as you cook and prep? If so, 42" aisles are too narrow.
S G thanked cpartist
cpartist
last year
PS: The blue could look fabulous once you have a better designed kitchen
S G thanked cpartist
Jennifer K
last year
Love the midnight blue. Not a fan of the Harbour blue-- too bright for my tastes.

If you do intend to use that dark blue, you may need more light than a typical kitchen. Keep that in mind when you do the lighting plan.
S G thanked Jennifer K
S G
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Thanks @cpartist

Those are some great points I will work on that with my cabinet designer on the 2' wide lower drawers. I also don't like that they are a little misaligned right now from the upper ones.

We actually already increased the aisle width to 48", it doesn't reflect on the designs yet.

We have a hood on top of the cooktop that is not showing here.

We are planning to use the island as our main dining area as we rarely ever used our dining table previously. We plan to get a transformer dining table for those rare occasions when we have a lot of guests over.
S G
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year

Really appreciate all of your suggestions. If I reduce the pantry size to 4' and add 1' to the counter space instead, we can go two doors and it makes the space look less busy. I also like the extra counter space.
cpartist
last year
Those are some great points I will work on that with my cabinet designer on the 2' wide lower drawers.

You need a Kitchen Designer, not a cabinet designer. BIG Difference! And it shows with this poor kitchen layout.

Additionally all your lowers need to be drawers, not cabinets.

Your pantry and fridge need to be switched with one another and you need to get your cooktop OFF the island. It's dangerous and poor design.

I also don't like that they are a little misaligned right now from the upper ones.

You will never notice that the upper cabinets do not match the lower cabinets. Design the upper and lowers to work best for your actual needs and not because you may stand in one spot once in your kitchen career and see them line up. None of my uppers line up with my lowers and no one has ever complained about how they look.

We have a hood on top of the cooktop that is not showing here.

It's still about the worst place to put a cooktop. And you have the room to move it to the perimeter.

We are planning to use the island as our main dining area as we rarely ever used our dining table previously.

Why do you prefer to sit lined up at an island versus sitting around looking at one another while eating? And sitting with a hot cooking surface and looking at the dirty surface while eating?

Oh and 1' of room for seating at the island isn't enough, 15" is minimum,
cpartist
last year
Here are 2 better layouts. Both take the cooktop off the island. Use the island to put in lots of lower cabinets with drawers to hold everything.

In this first one, your fridge is now closer to the sink so you have the good work zone. You go from fridge to sink to prep to cooktop.

In this second version, the cooktop is moved to the perimeter and then there is a prep sink on the island so you can prep and talk to your guests as you work. Your cleanup sink acts as a second prep sink for others to help you but also it keeps your cleanup area away from your work zone,

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