The kitchen is the heart of the home. As such, it deserves special attention when it comes to design and decor. One trend that has been growing in popularity is the use of green kitchen cabinets to create a nature-inspired style. Combining green cabinets with bold green accents is an eye-catching way to highlight your kitchen’s unique personality.
Why Choose Green for Your Kitchen Cabinets?
Green is an unexpected yet versatile color choice for kitchen cabinets. Here are some of the reasons green cabinets are worth considering for your kitchen remodel or redesign:
- Brings Nature Indoors: The color green evokes feelings of new growth, health, renewal, and the vibrant colors found in nature. Using different shades of green for your cabinets and accents is an organic way to inject some life into your cooking space.
- Provides a Calming Backdrop: Green is known for its relaxing and soothing properties. Surrounding yourself with various green tones in your kitchen helps promote tranquility as you cook and spend time with family and friends.
- Adds Soft Contrast: Green provides a pleasant contrast to other kitchen elements like white countertops, stainless steel appliances, or exposed wood beams without being too harsh or in-your-face.
- Complements Other Colors: From bold reds and oranges to muted blues and greys, green plays well with most color palettes. It’s versatile enough to work in both warm and cool toned kitchens.
- Makes a Statement: Green cabinets are unexpected but offer loads of character. They turn your kitchen into a showstopping space that reflects your personality.
Green Kitchen Cabinet Color Options
From lime green to deep emerald, green comes in many beautiful shades and tones. Choosing the right hue depends on the look and feel you want your kitchen to have. Here are some of the most popular options for green kitchen cabinets:
Sage Green Cabinets
With its soft, muted tone, sage green evokes thoughts of the outdoors. It’s earthy without feeling too bohemian or rustic. Sage green painted cabinets look smart against white countertops or stainless steel appliances. The color pairs well with natural wood accents.
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Sage green kitchen cabinets add an earthy vibe. Image Source
Pistachio Green Cabinets
For those who want something bolder but still grounded, pistachio green hits the sweet spot. With its yellow undertones, pistachio green brings a cheerful, retro vibe to the kitchen. Combine pistachio green cabinets with brass hardware and white quartz countertops for a stylish, eclectic look.
Pistachio green adds a punchy, retro vibe. Image Source
Mint Green Cabinets
For a bright, invigorating look, mint green cabinets hit the spot. Mint green works well when you want your kitchen to feel light and airy. Use it in combination with white walls, natural light wood floors, and marble countertops for a cool, coastal vibe.
Mint green kitchen island makes a cheerful statement. Image Source
Emerald Green Cabinets
For drama, emerald green cabinets are the way to go. The deep green hue oozes sophistication and elegance. Use emerald green cabinets as an accent against crisp white cabinetry or go bold and use it on the base cabinets. Modern brass hardware plays well with emerald cabinets.
Emerald green lower cabinets make a luxurious statement. Image Source
Kelly Green Cabinets
Kelly green has vibrant, almost neon undertones. Use it when you want your kitchen to feel fun, youthful, and full of personality. Pair kelly green cabinets with white upper cabinetry and marble countertops for lots of contrast. Add in brass hardware for a contemporary edge.
Kelly green island makes a bold, funky statement. Image Source
There are so many shades of green to explore for your kitchen cabinets. Ultimately, choose the tone and intensity that aligns with your tastes and the overall look you want for the space. Don’t be afraid to get creative and layer different green hues throughout your kitchen.
Using Bold Green Accents
Painting or staining your cabinets green is one way to bring this lush color into your cooking space. But you can also strategically use bold green accents to highlight your green kitchen cabinets. Here are some ideas:
Vibrant Green Backsplash
Tile, glass, or metal backsplashes in vibrant green nicely complement green cabinetry. They add eye-catching visual interest behind sinks and stoves. For traditional kitchens, use emerald green subway tile. For contemporary spaces, opt for jagged glass mosaic tiles in lime green.
Vibrant green backsplash adds flair behind green cabinets. Image Source
Bold Green Kitchen Island
Another way to spotlight green cabinets is by using the same bold shade on a kitchen island. This anchors the color and makes the green pop even more. For a retro diner feel, opt for a glossy kelly green island. Or try a rough-hewn wooden island stained in deep emerald tones for an earthy contrast.
Emerald green island creates cohesion. Image Source
Vibrant Green Appliances
Swapping out stainless steel appliances for ones in a vibrant green shade adds a fun retro touch. Green appliances look best against neutral cabinetry to let the color pop. A pistachio green fridge or mint green stand mixer add just the right amount of quirk.
Green appliances inject color. Image Source
Rich Green Hardware
Swap out silver or brass knobs and handles for green hardware in a rich emerald, deep hunter green, or even an unexpected neon hue. This elevates ordinary cabinets into an eye-catching green focal point. Complement with gold or brass accents for extra polish.
Green hardware elevates plain cabinets. Image Source
With the right combination of green cabinets and bold green accents, you can create a kitchen that stands out from the sea of white and grey.
Design Ideas for Green Kitchens
Green kitchen cabinets give you a versatile, nature-inspired canvas to unleash your design creativity. Here are some ideas to spark your imagination:
Complementary Color Palettes
- Sage green cabinets with cream and bronze accents
- Pale green cabinets with navy blue island and brass touches
- Bright green cabinets with red brick or terracotta backsplash
- Lime green cabinets with purple and grey kitchen accessories
Styles That Work Well
- Farmhouse kitchen with sage green cabinets and butcher block counters
- Midcentury modern with mint green cabinets and warm wood flooring
- Contemporary with emerald green cabinets and marble waterfall island
- Retro with pistachio green cabinets and checkerboard backsplash
Fabulous Finishing Touches
- Exposed brick wall with ivy green cabinets and copper pans on display
- Butcher block counters on emerald cabinets with overhanging herbs
- Vintage-style ice box in kelly green against neutral cabinetry
- Neon green bar stools provide colorful seating at a sage green kitchen island
Don’t limit yourself when designing your green kitchen! The key is finding the right balance of rich green tones against neutral elements. Feel free to add in colorful accents, earthy textures, sleek surfaces, and any other touches that reflect your unique taste and lifestyle.
Choosing the Best Green Paint Colors
Once you’ve decided to go green for your kitchen remodel or redesign, it’s time to select the perfect shade of green paint. With so many options from energetic kelly greens to soothing sage tones, here are some tips to guide your color choice:
- Lighting: Is your kitchen filled with natural light or do you rely more on artificial lighting? Cool-toned greens like mint and emerald pop in bright spaces, while warm sage greens feel soothing in darker rooms.
- Undertones: Do you prefer green hues with yellow, blue or grey undertones? Yellow-based greens are vibrant, blue-based are cooling, and grey-based are more neutral.
- Color Pairings: Look at your proposed color scheme and make sure your green complements other kitchen elements like countertops, floors, and metals.
- Purpose: Is green the main cabinet color or more of an accent? Darker shades as accents and lighter hues all-over tend to work best.
- Personal Taste: Choose a green shade you genuinely love, whether it’s a punchy lime or deep hunter green. This way it will feel like your personal color signature.
Once you’ve narrowed down the type of green, get color swatches and paint large samples on your cabinets to see it in the space before fully committing.
How Lighting Impacts Green Kitchen Cabinets
Lighting plays a key role in any kitchen but it’s especially important when you have green cabinets. The right lighting accentuates the green tones and makes them shine. Here are some lighting strategies for illuminating green kitchen cabinets:
Bright Overhead Lights
Overhead can lights or pendant lights in white, clear or brushed nickel finish ensure the green doesn’t get washed out or muted. Bright overheads also highlight green backsplashes and accent walls.
Overhead lighting illuminates green cabinetry. Image Source
Under Cabinet Lighting
Strategic under cabinet lighting keeps countertops well-lit for tasks but also creates a vibrant glow on the lower green cabinets for ambiance. Choose LED strip lights.
Undercabinet lighting accents the green. Image Source
Green Pendant Lights
Colored glass, wood or metal pendant lights in various green tones reinforce the cabinets’ green hues. Cluster 3-5 green pendants over a kitchen island or sink for dramatic effect.
Green pendants echo green cabinet color. Image Source
Natural Light
Maximize windows, skylights and any other natural light features to illuminate your green kitchen cabinets. Natural light shifts throughout the day, picking up unique green facets.
Natural light makes green cabinets pop. Image Source
Play around with lighting placements and intensities to highlight your gorgeous green cabinets at all times of day. The right lighting deserves equal billing with the green cabinetry itself.
How to Care for Green Kitchen Cabinets
Green kitchen cabinets make a bold style statement. Though thoroughly on trend, you still want your green cabinets to look beautiful for years to come. Here are some maintenance tips:
- For painted cabinets, use a soft microfiber cloth to gently remove dirt and grease. Avoid abrasive cleaners or pads.
- Wash cabinets with a mild soap and water solution. Green tends to fade less than other colors but limit exposure to direct sunlight.
- Disinfect cabinets regularly using a mixed solution of 2 parts water and 1 part white vinegar.
- Apply a fresh coat of acrylic sealer once a year to protect the original painted color. Limit moisture to prevent warping.
- Oil-rubbed bronze hardware may develop patina over time. Use rubber gloves and gentle cleanser and avoid immersing in water.
- For minor scratches on painted cabinets, use a small artist paintbrush to spot touch-up with the original color.
- Check any wood cabinets or butcher block for excess moisture and immediately dry with a soft cloth after cleaning.
- Polish wood cabinets every 3-4 months using bee’s wax or other food-safe products to nourish the wood.
With proper care, your green kitchen cabinets will maintain their bold, vibrant color for years of cooking and entertaining!
Green Kitchen Cabinet Ideas
Green kitchen cabinets offer almost endless possibilities to showcase your personal style. Here are some inspiring ideas:
Nature-Inspired Kitchen
Sage green cabinets combined with butcher block counters, rattan pendants, and botanical art prints for an earthy feel.
Retro Diner Kitchen
A retro diner or soda shop aesthetic using glossy kelly green cabinets paired with a black and white checkerboard floor. Fun retro