For years, white kitchens ruled supreme. Then came navy blue. Now? It’s green’s turn.
As HGTV.com reports, while wood cabinetry has recently overtaken white as the most popular choice among renovators, according to the latest Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, green has now edged past gray — a sign that homeowners are increasingly embracing richer, statement tones.
As Elle Decor reports, while white-box interiors lose steam and the “modern farmhouse” look fades, designers are seeking to inject life and personality into spaces—particularly the kitchen—by going green. “We have certainly seen a resurgence in green kitchens,” says Nashville-based designer Roger Higgins. “It’s a nice change of pace from an all-white kitchen yet still feels timeless if you use the right shade.”
What’s really great about the color green is how it offsets the other elements of your kitchen that are already in place. Depending on the shade you choose – and there are a bazillion options – green can complement traditional white tiles, or show off colorful mosaics. Green can balance both light or darker woods. Green can work well in a traditional, even historic home, and yet fit in equally well with a farmhouse or ultra modern kitchen.
From soft sage cabinets that feel calm and cohesive to dramatic viridian islands that steal the spotlight, green is showing up in every style kitchen imaginable — from country to modern and everything in between. And the trend has gone beyond merely painting cabinets. Appliance brands have taken note of the shifting preferences. Officine Gullo, for instance, recently released a new hue—matcha—for their high-end ranges and hoods, with hardware in 24k gold.
“I do see shades of green popping up all around the interior design world,” says Atlanta-based designer Laura W. Jenkins, who deployed Farrow & Ball’s Breakfast Room Green in a recent project. “What I love so much about green is that you can ‘dress’ it in so many different ways.” Part of the color’s appeal stems from how nicely it pairs with the earthy materials often found in a kitchen, like butcher blocks and natural stone. “There is also no denying that green calls back to nature, which is always one of the best references,” Jenkins says.
For Jenkins, green is ideal in a kitchen because it functions almost like a neutral—and clients are now seeing it the same way. “Green can be paired with so many other colors and patterns and fit into many different styles of interiors,” she says. “I think the brighter, lighter greens work perfectly in more traditional interiors, while darker greens are the perfect base for moodier architecture, such as Victorian or Arts & Crafts.”
Selecting the right color is key to making a kitchen live up to its potential. When going for green, Higgins recommends saving bold hues for a pantry or bar and using calming options such as celadon and sage for cabinetry and walls. “Both of those feel nuanced, rich, and not overly dramatic,” he says. “If you use a color that doesn’t feel jarring, you can seamlessly connect the palette to surrounding spaces.”
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