Not Your Granny’s Avocado: Green Kitchens Are Making a Comeback

To jazz up a basic kitchen with a small footprint, Homepolish's Jesse Turek opted for blue-green painted cabinets with a playful geometric wallpaper backing. (Not so basic anymore.)

Want to dip your toe into the color pool? Take a cue from Marie Flanigan and take a green paintbrush to just your island and pantry. Pro tip: “We suggest cooler greens for kitchens with polished nickel fixtures, and warmer ones for those boasting brass and copper,” says Flanigan.

Cupboardmakers Plain English Design love to see a color-blocked kitchen (one green tone for cupboards, another for the island, etc.). Why it works? Because in their view, “green is a neutral.” (And in our view, the English country house look is oh-so charming).

If you ask us, gold and brass hardware was made to be paired with green cabinetry. We love the snazzy mid-century vibes in this verdant kitchen by Caitlin Murray of Black Lacquer Designs.

Colorful cupboards? Black counters? Turquoise stools? Somehow all this boldness reads classic in another green kitchen by Murray. The glue that binds it all together? A timeless emerald hue on the cabinetry.

More into lights than bolds? Consider a soft green in the pastel spectrum instead. We swoon for the pale mint color in yet another green stunner by Black Lacquer Designs.

Here, Amber Lewis blended reclaimed wood shelves, a baller French range and deep mossy green cabinets for a collected yet eclectic space.

Ever heard of “mermaid green”? It’s a blue-tinted green that looks downright glorious paired with any (and every) hardware finish. Exhibit A: This palette-happy kitchen by Massucco Warner Miller.

Psst: Paint isn’t the only place to go green in a kitchen. How inspiring is designer Jana Bek’s ceiling-height, green subway tile situation?