By Scott McGillivray – www.scottmcgillivray.com
I’m not a trendy guy. When it comes to renovating homes for sale or rent, I like to stick with classic designs and neutral colours. After all, these are the things that will appeal to the largest number of people and ultimately add value to your home. But there’s one trend I’ve jumped on board with in the last couple of years, because in my opinion it doesn’t just look great, it’s practical and will likely stand the test of time: navy blue cabinets.
I’ve always held the belief that in order to maintain, or even raise the value of your home, cabinets should be kept a neutral colour. And I haven’t changed my mind. Navy blue cabinets are just as neutral as white or gray, they’re just a little deeper and a little more dramatic. Like all neutrals, navy pairs well with a number of different colours – although my personal preference is to pair it with warm woods such as walnut or butcher block, and white finishes like quartz counters or tiles.
Even though navy is a pretty easy colour to use, some people are a little intimidated. So if you’re a bit gun-shy about having navy blue cabinets, consider different colours for your uppers and lowers. I would suggest white, cream or light grey. This two tone effect can visually lighten the space and actually make the room feel a bit bigger.
Thomasville’s Blue Slate is a particular favourite of mine when it comes to cabinetry, and you can see that I used it several times throughout the first season of Buyers Bootcamp. However, if replacing your cabinets isn’t in the budget and you still want to experiment with blue, consider giving them a coat of melamine paint. I would suggest a deep blue such as Para’s True Navy 309G, Shadow of Night 312G, or Sheffield Blue 313G.