Best Shades of Green For Your Cabinets

In case you haven't noticed, green kitchen cabinets are having a moment right now. Gone are the days when everyone painted their cabinets white (still a beautiful and classic choice for cabinets, though!). Green cabinets in every shade are popping up all over my Pinterest feed and have set my creative wheels into overdrive.

So today, I'm going to share with you some of the images that have inspired me to paint my own kitchen cabinets GREEN! But not just that, we'll also cover the other elements that visually pull a kitchen together - hardware, counters, and wall color. Let's get to it!

I first got wind of the green cabinet trend when I read a post by Sherry and John on Young House Love about their friends' kitchen makeover.

At first, I honestly had my reservations. I mean, green cabinets? Isn't that a little out there? But once I saw this image from that kitchen makeover I couldn't get it out of my brain.

How gorgeous is that color!? And paired with that hardware? And of course, the subway tiles! Do I even need to mention that fun yellow door?

So I did what I do and started gathering inspiration images for my own kitchen makeover because I have absolutely loathed our kitchen from the day we first looked at our house.

While it doesn’t look terrible in photos, in person our kitchen looked like the previous owners were going for what I can only imagine was “farmhouse on the beach”. The teal was much brighter than appears in pictures and the cabinets were painted to look distressed, but really just looked sloppy.

I found SO MANY beautiful kitchens online in every shade of green that I think will prove my point that green kitchens are the next big thing.

And guess what guys? I've actually already painted my cabinets - and you better believe they're green! The kitchen as a whole is still a work in progress, but there might just be a sneak peek at the end of this post for you….

Anywho, let’s check out some beautiful green kitchen inspiration, shall we?

Lovingly Lime

You probably never thought a lime green kitchen could look GOOD, did you? Wrong! Check out this beauty.

Although the cabinets in this kitchen are intense, they’re actually not overwhelming because of the more plain elements in the room: straight lines, flat cabinet fronts, classic subway tile, and white walls. They also stuck with white counters with subtle veining and complimented the cabinets with simple, modern brushed nickel hardware.

A+ for Avocado

I love avocados. I eat them for breakfast just about every day. But did I ever picture smearing them on my cabinets? NO! But now I might…

This kitchen definitely evokes a 70’s feel with the avocado green cabinetry and clean, straight lines. In fact, I bet this is a mid-century modern house through and through (just take a look at the paneling in the adjoining room) - but it works perfectly!

Similar to the kitchen above, this kitchen understates the intensity of the paint color by keeping the surroundings simple. Plus, I can’t get enough of those looooong drawer pulls.

I Love Olive

This is another one of those images that I can’t stop looking at.

The daring use of colors and patterns in this kitchen is admirable - and totally works! Pink and green are a classic combination. The tones used here are desaturated enough so that you don’t look at this image and say, “Holy crap! That’s a green and pink kitchen!”. Instead, the pattern of the tile becomes the star of the show and then you start to realize all the other details of this kitchen.

Plus, it proves the point that just because you’re painting your cabinets a color other than white, doesn’t mean you have to stick with white walls.

Mighty Mint

When I started updating our first house, which was an older gal, I noticed that there was mint green paint under everything. In fact, it looked a lot like this:

I used to wonder how someone could love painting everything mint green. Now I know…

The mint green used in this kitchen has a softness to it. And while this minty kitchen has a classic feel, it’s modernized by the brass hardware (check out that faucet!) and the herringbone pattern in the backsplash.

Rain, Rain, (Don’t) Go Away

Scared to commit to full-on green? Try a lighter shade! Like this kitchen in Sherwin Willams Rainwashed.

Just from this little photo, I can tell that this kitchen has a light and airy feel. The soft green cabinets with white walls, tile, and counters make everything feel delicate, fresh, and open. Keeping the hardware brushed nickel also helps keep the room light as your eye isn’t instantly drawn to them.

Soft Sage

I have to be honest, while I love all the green kitchens I’m sharing in this post, I’m most drawn to sage green.

If you’ve been following the blog, you’ve probably noticed that I kind of love blue/green/gray tones - and these cabinets are right up that alley! I also can’t help but swoon over all the other elements in this picture though - the brass hardware paired with the cabinet color is a match made in heaven. And the natural wood shelves really pull in some warmth and emphasize the hardware while the white counters and walls are clean and simple, letting the other elements shine. What’s not to love?

Here’s another inspiring, more modern, take on sage cabinetry.

This kitchen is a great example of what you can do if you let your imagination run wild. Obviously, I love the cabinets, but they’ve done a few things here that I haven’t shown yet, like painting just the lower cabinets green (a good option if you’re nervous to take the leap), and using a black countertop and hardware which really ties into the pattern on the floor. On that note - take a look at that floor! I’m loving the bold pattern mixed with the subtle penny tile backsplash.

Totally Teal

If you love jewel-toned colors, why not paint your kitchen teal?

From the saturated cabinets to the light fixture all the way down to the bold runner, this kitchen is dripping with fun. I love the use of bold elements and how they really went all-in with the design. To keep the cabinets from being too overwhelming, however, they left the island a matte black and used classic white subway tile on the backsplash allllll the way up to the ceiling.

Homey Hunter

Last, but certainly not least, is a beautiful deep hunter green.

Using a dark color like hunter green paired with the marble backsplash brings a sort of sophistication to this space. Yet the addition of the raw wood keeps it grounded. This kitchen proves the point that dark paint doesn’t necessarily equal a dark room. By keeping the surrounding elements bright, this space still feels open.

Have I Proved My Point?

So, there’s a quick taste of some of the options for green kitchens using different shades of green with various combinations of colors used for hardware, walls, and counters. But if you want a refresher, here’s a quick rundown of good pairings for green cabinets:

What Color Hardware Should I Use?

In the examples above, I shared examples of green cabinets using brass, brushed nickel, and matte black hardware. I think it’s safe to say you can use just about any color or finish on your hardware! That includes oil rubbed bronze, gold, and polished chrome.

What Color Counter Should I Get?

Although green isn’t technically a neutral color, it acts like one. While many of the examples above had white countertops or white with grey veining, black, concrete, stainless steel, and butcher block would all look really classy next to green cabinetry, too!

What Wall Color Should I Use?

When you search for images of green cabinets, you’ll most often see them paired with white walls - but that’s not your only option! Above, I showed one example of a kitchen with pale pink walls but you can get a little crazier than that if you want to. Heck, in this laundry room, they used orange wallpaper and it looks amazing!

With that being said, use some wallpaper! It doesn’t have to be as bold as what’s above, but it’s a great way to add some pattern and other colors to your space. Or consider that you don’t have to stop at wall color. You can incorporate some more color and pattern by using interesting tile in your backsplash, too.

Final Thoughts

Before I go, I’ll say it again one more time for the people in the back: YOU CAN USE COLOR ON YOUR CABINETS!

Oh, and for those of you that stuck around (you fabulous people, you), here’s a sneak peek of how my kitchen makeover is coming along.

I look forward to sharing more details and the reveal in the (near?) future!

Related Room Inspiration Posts

• Mid-century Modern Master Bedroom Mood Board

• Dining Room Planning and Mood Boards

• Laundry Room Design Plans

• Color Blocking in Interior Design

• Toddler Bedroom Makeover

How to Pair Other Design Elements with Green Cabinets