Make a Bold Move with Green Kitchen Cabinets

It’s official: You may be seeing more sage green paint in 2022. The color is poised to make a big statement this year alongside home design trends like the return of the dining room and open-air living.

The hue is relaxing, but bold, depending on how it’s used. And it can be an effective accent to highlight a kitchen island, or it can cover all your kitchen cabinets for full effect.

As people look for major changes in their spaces, kitchen cabinets are a simple place to start. A full-on kitchen remodel is a Herculean task, to be sure, but painting existing kitchen cabinets is a doable project for the year if you’re looking for something new. And it comes with the added bonus of hitting right at the heart of the home.

When it comes to green’s growing popularity in kitchen design, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have both thrown their weight behind the softer side of the hue (Sherwin Williams’ pick is Evergreen Fog and Benjamin Moore’s is October Mist 1945).

Interior designer Sarah Stacey recently told Sunset home and design editor Christine Lennon that she personally likes to incorporate Clary Sage by Sherwin Williams. “My favorite way to use sage is on any dominant piece like kitchen cabinets, or a sofa,” Stacey says. “It is a calming color, and low-key enough to use as a neutral. I love pairing it with navy, cream, and burgundy.”

Whether you’re looking to follow 2022’s trendy sage or want to go bolder, keep scrolling for some green kitchen cabinet inspiration.

All-over Sage Makes for a Calming Kitchen Space

Courtesy of Sarah Stacey Interior Design

Covering this entire kitchen in sage green paint allows the cabinets pop (but in a soothing way).

Lean into Your Home’s Character with Emerald

Thomas J. Story

Interior designer Lauren Soloff reimagined her Craftsman home with a warm, organic look, pairing emerald cabinets with a checkerboard floor.

Brighten up Your Kitchen in a Major Way

Colin Price Photography

Interior designer Noz Nozawa renovated the San Francisco kitchen above. “The client had been dreaming of a green kitchen, but wasn’t sure how safe to play it—whether she should only paint the island green, or if she should tone it down to a dusty sage,” she told Sunset. “I felt we needed to fully commit to all-green cabinetry, in a true Kelly green, and as soon as the first coat went on, we both knew it was going to be amazing.”

“Colorful cabinetry is such a high-impact visual treat because cabinetry takes up the most surface area in the kitchen,” Nozawa said.

Create a Moody Space with Dark Teal

Jessica D’Itri Marés

Designer Jessica D’Itri Marés renovated the dark green kitchen above (the color is Narragansett Green by Benjamin Moore) in her Thousand Oaks, California, home a few years ago. “I wanted a color that was still a color, but could read neutral. Put it next to black or a white and it reads colorful, but if you put it next to brights or pastels, it can be a wonderful backdrop!” she told Sunset.

Soft Green Makes a Big Impact on Lower Cabinets

When Liz Castellon Nelsen remodeled this A-frame near Oregon’s Hood River, the space went from “bare bones” to soft neutrals, including this soft green paint on the lower kitchen cabinets.

Go Beachy with a Soft Aqua

Yoshihiro Makino

Partners Bo Sundius and Hisako Ichiki of Bunch Design reimagined a 650-square-foot ADU (accessory dwelling unit) to make the best of its space and its garden views. In the kitchen, they took advantage of natural light from a skylight and added a cheery paint color to make a big impact.

Go Dark Green on Lowers with Open Shelving Above

Photo by Callie Hobbs, courtesy of Studio McGee

Want to use a dark green to match your house’s design but keep all-over brightness in the kitchen? Try for a dark green paint on lower cabinets with a bright backsplash and open shelving above.

Achieve a Vintage Feel with Subtle Green Marble

Thomas J. Story

The homeowners called in architect and designer Tom McElroy to rethink this 1920s Edwardian space in San Francisco. To contrast with the room’s natural light, they chose Benjamin Moore’s deep Narragansett Green for the cabinets. (Subtle green veining in the marble countertop also picks up on the hue.)

Blend Classic and Modern with Different Shades

Thomas J. Story

Phoenix designer Jenny Komenda chose a color for this small guest cabin kitchen that’s just a few shades darker than the walls in the master bedroom. “It feels more modern than the earthy green tones we were going for in the main house,” Komenda told Sunset.

And on that same property in the other family cabin, the main house was painted green but in a softer, olive hue.

Thomas J. Story