Home of the San Francisco Chronicle

Subscribe to the weekend Chronicle

powered by
Ideabooks
Photos
Products
Ideabooks
Discussions
Professionals
Users
When picking a green for your kitchen, go for one that reminds you of a favorite green food. An appetizing hue in your kitchen will make cooking and eating a more pleasant experience. Here are some of my favorites.

Green paint picks for kitchens (clockwise from top left):

1. Pale Green Tea 080-1, from Mythic Paint
2. Fernwood Green 2145-40, from Benjamin Moore
3. Green Chantilly 17-3, from Pratt & Lambert
4. Romaine SW6730, from Sherwin-Williams
5. Ivy Vine 207-5, from Pittsburgh Paints
6. Fresh Guacamole, GLG23 from Glidden
7. Grass, from Serena & Lily
8. Alligator Alley KM3390-2, from Kelly-Moore
by Jennifer Ott
This kitchen illustrates my favorite color advice: Use bold color in ways that are relatively affordable and easy to change out, such as via wall and ceiling paint.
by studio26 homes
I'm a big fan of wood floors, wood-paneled ceilings and butcher block countertops, but if you add unpainted wood cabinetry to the mix, it can be too much of a good thing. Painting these cabinets a mellow guacamole green and a rich cranberry red avoids wood-tone overload. This is also a great way to freshen up a vintage kitchen that has a good layout and high-quality cabinets in need of being refinished.
by Arizona Designs Kitchens and Baths  
I love electric chartreuses and lime greens, and they are fun hues to use in a kitchen. If you are a fan of clean, modern, uncluttered interiors, a bright green will keep your space from appearing too sterile or dull — just know that a little of these assertive colors goes a long way.
by Barbra Bright Design
This is one of my favorite kitchens on Houzz. I love the colors and materials, the cool vintage modern vibe, the open cabinetry and the smart use of tight space. These very handsome greens can be used in large amounts because they are toned down and play well together.
Eclectic Kitchen  
Here's an example of a nice neutral gray-green that will work well with any other color you choose. It contrasts nicely with the warm wood floor and brown-orange brick in a fetching, soothing palette.
by Phillip W Smith General Contractor, Inc.  
Another beautiful kitchen featuring rich, rustic materials and gorgeous green cabinets. This is an example of a kitchen that would appeal to a wide range of tastes, even though it is colorful and has character. If you want color in your kitchen but are worried about resale value, either use color in a way that's easy to change out or pick colors that are tonal, such as the green on this cabinetry. Tonal colors are those that are light in saturation but have gray or brown mixed in. This prevents them from appearing too pastel-like. It's color that is soft and muted but also pleasingly rich and complex.
by Montana Reclaimed Lumber Co.
Now this fun aqua and leafy-green galley kitchen is anything but soft and muted! These are intense colors, but they work here because the kitchen appears to get a good amount of natural light from windows, reflecting off the white floor, countertop, walls and ceiling.
by Barlis Wedlick Architects, Tribeca Studio
Black and white is a classic color combination for a kitchen, but I always root for the introduction of a third color to bump up the fab factor. This palette is so crisp and fresh, it would work in any style of kitchen.
by Barnes Vanze Architects, Inc  
Here's another fabulous green kitchen from the same architects. There are many shades of cream, green and wood tones going on here, but because the colors are toned down, they all work well together. What a charming space to cook and entertain in.
by Barnes Vanze Architects, Inc
If you love green and are ready to make a color commitment in your kitchen, consider one of the many gorgeous green backsplash tiles available. Keep everything else light and neutral and let the tile be the star of the kitchen.

Tell us: Is green a go in the kitchen for you? How have you used it?

More: 8 Great Kitchen Color Schemes
by Cassia Wyner, CW Design  

Comments

typingmonkey Terrific collection! I love my green cabinets with butcher block countertops. 8 years and counting and not tired of them. Of course, 8 years and counting and I still haven't put on all the door pulls. Ah well. This gives me some ideas for a little refresh though.
4 months ago · ·
2glenshouse I'm in the process of doing a new kitchen, south facing with 3 sides all windows. I'd like to do a dark purple accent wall and ceiling and the remaining walls green. I'm just having a problem finding the best of both colors. My cabinets are dark rustic Alderwood, dark slate floors and I've yet to pick the granite and marble counters. The view outside is all horsefields and woods. The greens you suggest all look good, so I'll be visitng the stores to get sample cards. Cheers
4 months ago · ·
bubblyjock @ typingmonkey (great moniker!) - are your cabinets wood with a green stain, or two different shades of green and a clever paint effect finish, or? It's such a pleasing look, I'd love to know how you achieved it.
4 months ago ·
djts I have had these green cabinets for 12 years, along with the wood trimmed Formica counter top. The end trim and matching stained wood back splash makes it look more like real slate. I love this deep green with white porcelain knobs. We had the cabinets made - all solid birch - for less than any store. This kitchen is in our log home, and I like how they look against the pine walls and floor. Pine floors in the kitchen? Love them, too! I love the way the end run of the cabinets is angled in the second picture.
4 months ago · ·
typingmonkey @bubblyjock -thanks! - they are Kraftmaid which I ordered through Home Depot years ago. They do have a really nice kind of patina effect rather than just solid color, but they came that way. It is a wood stain though.
4 months ago · ·
pauli12 I almost went with cabinets about the color of the kitchen 5 up.. the cabinets, But I went with white. I still think I could have pulled it off.
4 months ago ·
crscully Jennifer, I love the color stories that you produce on Houzz ! I want to introduce you to the finest paint in the market - C2 Paint ! C2 paint is luxurious handcrafted color, produced by a co-op of independent paint dealers across the US, Canada and Bermuda ! Our paints are full spectrum in color, meaning we use no black colorants in our formulas, instead using multiple finely ground artist grade pigments to create each color, low VOC, eco friendly. We have 496 carefully edited colors that are as beautiful to the touch as they are to the eye. For more information, contact me or check us out at www.C2Paint.com.
4 months ago · ·
Robin Seefahrt I have an ivory and green hoosier and plan on white cupboards probably and integrate more green on walls.
4 months ago ·
scherrie goettsch My kitchen has green accents. I inherited jadeite dishes from my mom years ago and gravitated towards using green as an accent color in my mostly "muslin-colored" kitchen with copper accents. A garden window in the kitchen is also a focal point that is filled with live greens. I'll attach a photo if I can figure out how to do so...
4 months ago · ·
scherrie goettsch a kitchen garden window filled with plants/herbs adds more GREEN.
4 months ago · ·
sharpmama I want to know everything about how you did your kitchen, typing monkey!! I absolutely love the warm, inviting and happy kitchen you have created! We must be soulmates!
4 months ago ·
eftwendy I intend to use green in my mudroom. The back door goes into the mudroom, past a large pantry then into the kitchen/dining room. I think a grayish green with some lighter celery yellow. I have a painted wooden candle holder as my inspiration piece. (Centerpiece at a cousin's wedding!) It's still at the stud stage.
4 months ago ·
GTF Construction Concepts I had a customer opt for Sage Green cabinets on a project. Due to the style of the rest of the home I must say I was a little skeptical at first. After the completion with neutral solid surface tops, glass tile splash and wood flooring it all came together.
4 months ago · ·
embracegrace We have a green transitional kitchen. The walls are Sherwin Williams Oyster-Bay, a really pretty greyish-green that I find serene and calming. It looks great with our backsplash (Solistone Mardi Gras glass tile in Carrollton) and white quartz counters with recycled green glass and mirror (Hanstone Specchio White). You can read all about our kitchen here: http://www.dejongdreamhouse.com/2012/04/introducingour-dream-kitchen.html
4 months ago · ·
embracegrace 2glenshouse, our house is all shades of purple, gray, and green. Our palette might be lighter than you are looking for (SW Oyster Bay and Sensuous Gray), but you might like deeper shades on those cards like Retreat (deep green) and Stunning Shade (deep purple)
4 months ago · ·
cpfluegl I loved the idea of using green in our galley kitchen. We used an avocado green cabinet on the lower portion mixed with off white cabinets for the upper cabinets. On the walls we used two slightly different greens a darker version nder the molding and a lighter above.
4 months ago · ·
embracegrace 2glenshouse, not sure why the last two colors didn't upload. Here you go:
4 months ago · ·
Laurel Ennis There are two colour combinations that I'm sure I'll never warm to, green/turquoise and pink/red. They make my eyes sad.
4 months ago · ·
wildturkey450 In two of the pictures it shows what looks to be real brick used behind a stove and backsplash behind a sink. Does one have to use half brick for this to work and how would one seal the brick so as not to get a shiny look? Or is there tile that mimics the texture of brick also without looking shiny?
4 months ago · ·
bubblyjock @ wildturkey - sometimes if you click on a photo and it opens in a separate "page" you'll see that people have asked similar questions, and received answers from the OPs, for instance here's an answer that might help you:

http://www.houzz.com/discussions/293779/I-absolutely-LOVE-everything-about-this-#comments
4 months ago ·
Lourdes Fierro How would alligator alley green, work for the walls of kitchen and dinning room. Black flat rustic cabinets,dinning table. Stainless steel appliances and purple grapes and wine bottles as a contrast color.This is how I would like to do my kitchen.
4 months ago · ·
missyme I am on my 2nd go-round with my elderly mother and her kitchen remodel. She cannot make a decision about anything. Nothing. All she can think about is color. Anyway, she went from wanting a yellow kitchen, to a light, barely there green, to an apple green kitchen, to a blue ... None of those are anywhere else in her whole house. See my frustration? So I told her she's getting a white kitchen and she can use any color she wants after it's done - in her dish towels, pot holders, window coverings. Will this ever be finished?
4 months ago · ·
frenchdecor Nice designs, very welcoming, cozy and muted green makes them country looking. Only aqua fell off, but it's my personal feeling, can't connect this aqua with food, fire, wood (main kitchen ingredients).
4 months ago ·
Amy I use green accents in my kitchen... like the stools, vase, toaster (haha), pendant light. I also have a green rug, green shelves, a green painted door (inside - the outside is purple), and a white desk with green wallpaper on the drawers :) The second photo was before I got my new island/work table but it still shows part of the shelves and the desk area.
4 months ago ·
honeoyefalls We gutted the unworkable kitchen our house and made it fun and workable. I love purple and my husband loves green. I think the colors work great together.
4 months ago ·
JM Studio We used green in our kitchen renovation as a vibrant accent.
3 months ago · ·
scurran52 I have a house built in 1932 so I didn't want to go for a modern looking restoration. I went with linoleum for my floor and used 2 shades of green. I also used green in the back splash utilizing green tiles with white in a checkerboard pattern. Finally, several of my light fixtures are ceramic green retro lights from Rejuvenation.
3 months ago ·
Denise VinWorrall We just painted over the panel in our kitchen "Herbal Green" from Behr! I love it. We have an old house an it blends in so well with the age of the home! Just waiting now for my cabinets and countertop. Can't wait till its all done! Again, I just love my green wall!!!
3 months ago ·
Janet Green My walls are green in my kitchen with maple cabinets and dark almost black green granite tops.
3 months ago ·
Criss Maereanu How about black tiles on the floor and lower half of the walls, black furniture & light green upper half of the walls?
3 months ago ·
Sign Up to comment
View over a million photos:
The content on this page is provided by Houzz and is subject to the Houzz terms of use, copyright and privacy policy.
Copyright claims: contact the Houzz designated agent.