Green kitchen cabinets can bring a refreshing, nature-inspired element to your cooking space. But with so many shades of green to choose from, it can be tricky to land on the perfect color for your home. Here we cover 10 of the top-rated green cabinet colors to help you discover your ideal match. We’ll look at cool tones like seafoam and pistachio alongside warmer sage and avocado green hues. By the end, you’ll have a better grasp of how to complement your kitchen’s current design with the best green shade.
Consider Your Kitchen’s Size and Layout
The right green cabinet color depends partly on the physical size and layout of your kitchen. For example, if your cooking space is narrow or cramped, painting the cabinets a light green can make the room feel more open and airy. Soft cool tones like seafoam, celery and mint green give the illusion of expanded space. They reflect light well with their pale hues. However, one downside is that they show dirt and grease more easily than darker cabinet colors.
Brighter Tones for Small Kitchens
Lime green can infuse serious fun into a tiny kitchen, while pistachio green feels fresh yet slightly more neutral. If your small kitchen lacks windows, these zesty lighter greens will make it feel brighter and less boxed-in.
| Green Tone | Works Well in Small Kitchens |
|---|---|
| Seafoam green | Reflective pale hue expands space |
| Mint green | Cool and inviting pastel green |
| Pistachio green | Warmer bright green shade |
Darker Shades for Large Kitchens
In a spacious kitchen, rich darker green cabinet colors can make a dramatic style statement. Forest, emerald and hunter green cabinets establish an elegant, upscale look in cavernous kitchens. These lush darker greens are cozy without closing in large rooms. Plus, they do an excellent job of hiding fingerprints and other cooking mess.
| Green Tone | Works Well in Large Kitchens |
|---|---|
| Forest green | Sophisticated enveloping atmosphere |
| Emerald green | Jewel-toned green makes a bold impact |
| Hunter green | Classic, versatile dark green |
Accounting for Layout
How much natural sunlight your kitchen receives should also inform your green shade selection. Drab low light drives some green hues to appear almost black. Meanwhile, shades like lime and sage thrive under ample sunny conditions. Consider testing out paint samples in different spots around your cooking space at varied times of day. The way color appears changes drastically from morning to afternoon to evening light.
Complement Your Current Design Elements
You’ll also want to pick a green that enhances other aspects of your existing kitchen, from floors to hardware. For example, if you have rich wood cabinet doors or brass handles, green shades in the same color family help create a cohesive look. If your kitchen features plenty of cool grays and whites, interjecting warmth through a mossy green paint brings welcomed balance. Don’t be afraid to get creative by pairing contrasting or multiple green tones too.
With Warm Wood Tones
Warm greens like sage, avocado and olive mesh seamlessly with wood cabinetry or floors. Adding matching green painted doors or a green accent wall pulls everything together beautifully. Neutral grays, cream and camel hues provide an elegant contrast against these homey green backgrounds.
With Cool Whites and Grays
Vibrant cool greens give life to sterile white and gray color schemes. Think seafoam, mint or lime green juxtaposed against icy grays and crisp whites. Consider breaking up an all-white kitchen by painting the bottom cabinets a rich emerald tone and keeping upper cabinets bright white. The mix of upper coolness with lower warmth feels both modern and inviting.
Green on Green Combinations
Don’t shy away from playing with multiple green tones within one kitchen. Pairing a moody blue-green island with lighter sage green perimeter cabinets packs visual interest. Or opt for lighter seafoam up top and deeper hunter green below. Just be mindful of clashing undertones that may end up feeling chaotic instead of intentional.
The Best Cool-Toned Greens
From almost-blue hues to subtle, grayish greens, cool undertones look clean, crisp and effortlessly elegant. These tranquil shades feel relaxing in bustling kitchen spaces.
1. Seafoam Green
Almost more blue than green, the appropriately named seafoam is a pale pastel teeming with cool tranquility. Its exceptionally reflective surface casts dancing aquamarine shadows, filling any kitchen with mermaid vibes. Seafoam plays nicely alongside grays, blacks and whites without overwhelming.
2. Mint Green
Slightly warmer than seafoam, mint green infuses its crisp coolness with a hint of invigorating brightness. It continues to pair beautifully with whites and natural wood tones. Mint leaves feel freshly picked with a not-quite-pastel vibrance.
3. Pistachio Green
A pale yellow-green in the same color family as its namesake nutshell, pistachio green is zesty without feeling overpowering. Its softer springtime vibe helps warm up icy grays and whites without venturing into retro avocado territory. All at once pistachio feels cool, happy and elegant.
The Best Warm-Toned Greens
Ranging from retro to soothingly earthy, warm green cabinet shades feel cozy and approachable. Their heat plays well against naturally bright metals and countertops.
4. Avocado Green
Thanks to its signature yellow undertones, few shades encapsulate 1970s funk quite like avocado green. Its warmth provides an energetic contrast up against bright orange and mustard yellow backsplashes. Yet avocado still possesses enough gray to avoid skewing overly spring-y. Embrace its playful retro personality.
5. Olive Green
Understated olive green infuses kitchens with subtle natural elegance. More neutral than avocado yet greener than sage, olive soothes alongside wood cabinetry and natural stone surfaces. Its versatility allows olive to blend into almost any existing color scheme without dominating the palette.
6. Moss Green
Channeling lush forest moss, soft moss green teems with earthy yet vibrant personality. Its natural look shines alongside organic textures like wood cabinets, woven barstools and linen upholstery. Perfect for modern farmhouse spaces, moss green also energizes contemporary kitchens with its grassy glow.
The Best Neutral-Toned Greens
For those favoring only a hint-of-hue, muted grays make sage and celadon perfect neutral green options. Their versatility allows other materials to take center stage color-wise.
| Green Tone | Neutral Quality |
|---|---|
| Celadon green | Grayed jade tone |
| Sage green | Warm and peaceful |
| Gray-green | Balanced green-gray mixture |
7. Celadon Green
Named after ancient Chinese ceramics in muted blue-green glazes, celadon makes an intriguing upscale cabinet choice. Influenced by gray, celadon feels richer than mint without the jewel-tone of emerald. It allows bolder backsplashes and hardware to take center stage.
8. Gray-Green
The perfect equilibrium between gray and green, appropriately dubbed gray-green offers an elegant neutral backdrop without sacrificing lively personality. It maintains versatility for pairing with other colors while avoiding the sterile feel of plain white or gray cabinets. Gray-green adds warmth and texture.
9. Sage Green
One of today’s most popular green kitchen cabinet shades, soft sage exudes peaceful mindful energy. Sage calms busy spaces with its muted gray-green vibe, feeling earthy yet clean at once. It helps highlight brighter metals and countertops without overpowering.
The Best Dark Green Shades
From hunter to emerald to deep forest tones, rich darker greens make luxurious colorful statements. They envelop without closing in smaller rooms. Plus, their deeper hues disguise messy fingerprints with ease.
10. Forest Green
Capturing verdant vitality straight from thriving evergreen groves, forest green makes a vibrant, welcoming impression. Its sense of depth adds cozy atmosphere without shrinking airy kitchens. Play up forest green’s lush personality by pairing with other woodsy elements like granite counters and woven light fixtures.
Tips for Finalizing Your Perfect Green
When exploring shades of green paint for your future kitchen cabinets, don’t forget to:
- Test out multiple green samples in different spots around your actual kitchen
- Observe paint swatches throughout the day as color often shifts dramatically from morning to night
- Request door paint samples from cabinet suppliers to visualize full cabinets in potential shades
- Hold top contender paint cards up to existing elements like counter and hardware to envision total look
The best kitchen cabinet color ultimately comes down to personal taste coupled with choosing a flattering hue for your space. Of the many green directions, today’s top options range from the cool tranquility of seafoam to the cozy elegance of hunter green. Balancing current design aspects with the mood you want to achieve leads to green cabinet success. Trust your instincts as you explore lively green shades to renew your cooking space.