Olive green kitchen cabinets are a timeless and sophisticated color choice. They complement any palette, from traditional to modern, and can be paired with nearly any other color. The olive family of colors is gentle on the eyes and has been shown to reduce stress levels in some people. Take a look at how I redid my kitchen cabinets using Palm Leaf from Sherwin Williams!
Oops, I did it again!
I can never leave well enough alone:)
A mere two weeks after I published my post all about how well my painted cabinets have held up over the years, I went and re-painted them lol.
I know, I know. But, let me explain!
Why I Chose To Repaint My Kitchen Cabinets
I loved the color of my kitchen cabinets before (see all the before’s here), but I’ve been itching to re-paint them a dark and moody color for at least a year now.
So, while I wasn’t unhappy with them before, I know myself well enough that I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I finally did it to get it out of my system. I was needing a color change!
Is anyone else like that?
So…What’s The New Color?
This was a bit tricky because there are so many beautiful colors out there! I was a little obsessed with the color Hale Navy from Benjamin Moore. It’s such a gorgeous shade of blue!
But, when I finally sat down to figure out how I wanted my kitchen to look, I decided that olive green kitchen cabinets are for me. I went with the color Palm Leaf by Sherwin Williams. It’s a deeply saturated, golden-olive green- my favorite!
It varies wildly throughout the day depending on the light…
How The Sunlight Changes The Undertones Of The Olive Green Paint
In the morning, when the sun is not streaming into the kitchen, the color is very olive with strong brown undertones. In the late afternoon, when sunlight floods the kitchen, the color is much more intense and golden. I quite like the range of colors the cabinets go through in the different lighting situations.
I’m sure it’s against proper protocol to take photos of interiors with harsh, direct sunlight as you see here… But I’m for sure not a professional photographer!
Note: All of these pictures were taken with my iPhone XS Max and it was around 6:30 pm. Exactly when the kitchen receives the most direct sunlight – also my favorite 🙂
Other Olive Green Paint Colors I Considered For My Kitchen Cabinets
When I was trying to decide on which shade of green paint I wanted to use, I decided to order some paint samples from Samplize.
Besides Sherwin Williams Palm Leaf, I ordered:
- Relentless Olive (Sherwin Williams)
- Green Onyx (Sherwin Williams)
- Mountain Moss (Benjamin Moore)
- Treron (Farrow & Ball)
In the end, we (really me) decided to go with Palm Leaf and I am SO happy I did. It looks amazing!
How I Painted My Olive Green Kitchen Cabinets: Step By Step Tutorial
I’m a paint nerd through and through. In case you are too, here are the details of what I did and what I used!
- To tint SW Palm Leaf, I used Fine Paints of Europe Eco Satin (I had the guys at FPoE custom color match the Sherwin color – I did not use actual paint from Sherwin Williams).
- I started by spraying the doors and drawer fronts.
- Then, I brushed the frames inside my house (I honestly just didn’t want to undertake spraying inside my home this time).
- After I did the frames, I cleaned all surfaces with TSP/water solution and sanded all surfaces with 220.
- I primed everything with Fine Paints of Europe oil-based primer and sanded primer with 320.
- Then, I painted the 1st coat with Palm Leaf and waited 16+ hours to paint the 2nd coat.
- Lastly, I repainted the backsplash/walls in Sherwin Williams Dover White.
Finito!
Tip: If you want to download a beginner/homeowner-friendly supply list that has all of my recommended items for a DIY cabinet paint job for free, CLICK HERE!
Before And After Photos (Revere Pewter –> Palm Leaf)
Can we just take a second to acknowledge my very lonely, two barstools? LOL
I bought these two stools from TJ Maxx years ago when the house we were living in at the time only had room for two stools! I realize they look a bit wimpy and out of place here…but they’ll have to do for now!
The Sheen On The Olive Green Cabinets 😍
The previous paint job had a much more matte finish than the new paint job. You can see how much more light is reflected in the paint finish now versus before.
The fact that there’s a higher sheen and the depth of color definitely makes the kitchen feel more “grown-up” and much more sophisticated. Like, I feel the need to fix my hair, have a glass of expensive wine, and eat fancy cheese!
What’s Next For My “New” Kitchen?
With the old color (it was BM Revere Pewter before), I felt like I could get away with not having a tile backsplash. At least….it never bothered me that I didn’t have a tiled backsplash. But now, I feel like I definitely need a tiled backsplash to tie everything together.
To me, the kitchen feels like there’s a piece missing….je ne sais quoi if you will. Perhaps a beautiful tile would be the pièce de résistance.
Also, new barstools need to be next as well. I’d like to get four barstools someday 😂
Our New Olive Green Kitchen Cabinets: Do We Love It Or Do We Hate It?
I like it!
My husband told me that he doesn’t hate it, but that he totally preferred the way it was before. While I feel like this color is neutral enough and very “livable”, I can’t tell you how long it will stay.
The fact(s) of the matter is this…I love change. I love many different aesthetics and styles, and I paint cabinets for a living. Re-painting a set of cabinets, while it might not be considered fun/easy work, to me, it’s just not THAT big of a deal to change when I want.
But, that’s just me!
Well, what do you think? You won’t hurt my feelings! Let me know in the comments down below 🙂
More Posts To Read:
- 10 Must-Know Cabinet Painting Tips Before You Pick up A Paint Brush
- Painting Oak Cabinets: 5 Must-Know Tips To Achieve The Smoothest Finish
- 10 Worst Cabinet Painting Mistakes
- The Best Colors For Off-White Kitchen Cabinets
- Learn To Fill Woodgrain: Insider Tips From A Pro
This post was originally published on September 10, 2020, and was modified/updated on August 28, 2021.
Omg. I’m obsessed! I love it so so so much! Very curious to hear how the sheen and color do with the grease and food particles in a kitchen. I imagine it will be much easier to keep looking clean!
Hey Jody! The paint finish before was easily cleaned! This finish will clean easy as well. But with the darker color and the higher sheen, I will need to clean it even more frequently because I’ll SEE the dirt/grease more than before. It just shows up more now than it did before lol. Thanks so much for your comment!! xo
Kayla, Kayla, Kayla. These cabinets are what dreams are made of! Omg!!! It’s the perfect olive. The undertones play so well with the floors and everything else. In love!
Thank you so much!! xo Kayla
Amaze balls, Kayla! Your kitchen just feels like it found it’s personality!!
That’s exactly what I felt too!!! The color just “fits”
Thanks, Mindy! xo
Love it and your boldness. I’m not sure I’d have the guts to do it. Heck it took me years to pull the trigger on painting my oak stained to Greek Villa! This kind of a change up, your style, might do me in! 😂😂
Haha!! Thanks Debbie xo
I love your new color choice. Do you think that dark bold color would look good with dark brown/ black granite? Or would it be too dark. Thanks
It’s hard to tell without seeing the space. But I’m inclined to say it would be a to dark. However, really depends on how much natural light your space gets
I love the color Kayla ,wonder how it would look if the uppers were white.Its a color that needs a lot of light to see it and your kitchen is nicely lit and spaced out.Enjoy!
Stunning! I have always loved olive green, and now I think I love it just a little bit more. Sometimes, you just need a little color in your life. Great transformation, Kayla.
I love your details on painting cabinets ! I am following your instructions and have run into a problem . We washed down with TSP ,rinsed well and dried . Next day we sanded and removed all dust . Third day we primed with primer you use and following day lightly sanded and removed all dust .The next day we went to our PPG store and bought Breakthrough 250 in satin mixed to SW alabaster . We came home and planned to paint doors ,etc only to find the sprayer was spitting not spraying a even coat. The same sprayer was used for the primer which sprayed on beautifully !! Nowhere on the can does it direct you to thin the paint nor does the sprayer directions address that . I feel sure that we need to thin the paint , but am concerned as to just how much to thin it . Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated !!
Thank you in advance for your prompt response !
Shelby
Hi Shelby! My cabinet course sounds like it could’ve been perfect for you! By the time I’m seeing your comment, I assume it’s too late. But to answer your question, we do thin it somewhere between 10-15%
Love it!!! I really love the contrast. I thought your kitchen was awesome before…but now…it really pops. I wish I could just repaint my cabinets whenever I wanted to!
I love green. Our family room has been Benjamin Moore Baby Turtle at 60% strength for years. It looks terrible on the chip…but get it up on the walls and it looks great. It really changes with the light. We have a pool and it really reflects blue on our family room walls. The green hides the blue reflection. I tried to go lighter this year but I ended up going back to baby turtle. I tried BM Richmond Gray. I also tried BM ashwood. Neither of them worked for me. Too much blue reflection from the pool. I would like to go more neutral…I’ll try again someday.
Your kitchen was lovely before…Neutral color palettes are pleasing and oh so easy to live with. This new color is very sophisticated and takes its cue from your Persian runner. It also beautifully ties together the other areas of your home that you’ve posted. As always, the workmanship is impeccable. Well done!
Awe thank you Laura! xo
Lovely! Technical question: what size air compressor do you use with your paint gun? Not sure if CFM on my current machine is high enough, but hate to “overbuy” for a few small projects!
My Husky 60 gallon electric compressor I believe will do 11-13 cfm @40psi. Somewhere around there. And you wouldn’t really want to go lower than that if you’re going to be shooting FPE gloss.
Bravo! As much as I loved the last color (maybe more so the quality of the painting and that sugar cookie frosting finish, yum) I was yearning for you to do something like this. Given the amount of whites and the light in that kitchen it handles all that hue so well. You’ve sold me on the FPE train!
Love it! Perfect and just in time for fall! How did you like using the Eco Satin vs the Brilliant? I’m having a hard time deciding between using Advanced, Breakthrough 250 or FPOE.
Love, love love your new olive kitchen.
Yes, put on your sexist dress, get a fabulous bottle of wine and some wonderful cheese and sit on the counter and wait for hubby to come home. He will love the olive cabinets and never want the color changed.
Lol!! Thanks Diana! xo
Do you find a top coat/clear coat is necessary to keep finish fresh longer?
Hey Nicky! No clear coats needed with the paints we use. xo
I just discovered your blog. I love your rich olive kitchen cabinet color! Do let us know how the urethane alkyd paint wears over time (if you keep the same color)!
Unrelated to painting, your lovely ginger jars are beautiful. What is your ginger jar source(s)?
-Wendy from Texas
Thanks so much! I’ll do an update on the condition after some time has gone by:)
Most of my ginger jars are cheapies from TJ Maxx, but I do have one authentic, vintage porcelain one that I bought from Etsy!
I’m trying to slowly grown my collection of vintage blue&white pieces as I find affordable ones online or from flea markets etc!
xo
Kayla-your kitchen looks stunning! The olive green makes the lighting really shine-I love how your island globes and brass fixtures look against it. Simply beautiful!
Thanks Alison! xo
Beautiful kitchen! We are building a new house and my kitchen will be BM Salamander. I will most likely not have any upper cabinets though. What sheen is the color you used? Do you recommend that we order from Paints of Europe and ask the cabinet maker to use that paint instead of BM?
I guess I’m the only one who finds the olive green a bit too dark. Since I’m a kid from the ‘60s it reminds me of old avocado appliances. So I’m a no to this color, much preferred the other color but would have added pops of color to it.
You can rest assured, you’re not the only one xo
Gorgeous!! So deep and rich and sophisticated. I think the olive is a huge upgrade! (even though the before was lovely too!)
Thanks so much! xo
Stunning!! Perfect shade of a rich green to compliment the wood and everything else. everything pops!
Absolute perfection!
Good LORD, that’s gorgeous! So lush! I really like the finish, and the mouldings. Pinned so fast. We’re building in the spring so I’m looking for inspiration. Before and after are both so pretty.
Hi – I am curious why you needed a primer, since the original cabinet color was so light. Thank you!
Wow! That’s some seriously expensive paint. $135 for 2.5 L? How many did you need to do your cabinets? Also, for the frames that you did with a brush, what kind of brush do you suggest?
What material are your countertops?
Carrara Marble
What sheen did you have for the first color and what sheen did you used for the olive color? Does this method only work on wood cabinets? Thanks.
The paint I used initially on my cabinets was PPG Breakthrough in satin sheen (color was tinted to Revere Pewter) and the paint I used when re-painting to green them was Fine Paints of Europe ECO in satin sheen (color was tinted to Palm Leaf).
As you can tell from the photos, the differences in the sheens is substantial – even though both paint brands label the sheen as “satin”. Every paint brand’s sheen level and title will vary. Hope this info helps! xo
Hi Kayla I’m in love with your kitchen and the pop of the green but fair to say I would have every shade of green since it’s my birthstone and favorite colour !!!my kitchen isn’t as big as yours but I’m thinking of painting my white cabinet this bold and beautiful colour and the walls white but I seen this wallpaper that I love it’s a lemon print with black and white so I don’t know if this will be to much but I love a bold statement ,thank you for sharing I also had to say your name is also my favourite my oldest daughters name is Kayla ☺️
Hello! Your kitchen is gorgeous! I just painted mine but the color is not exactly how I imagined. If I were to get the color Palm leaf from Sherwin Williams with a satin sheet would it still be the same color? I apologize I don’t quite understand how paints work, I’m trying to learn:) I would love to use the paint you used but I don’t think I could quite afford it unfortunately. Thank you!
Yes, if you go to Sherwin and get the color Palm Leaf, it will look like mine – one thing to mention is that colors on screens and monitors to show differently at times, so there’s no way to ensure that your palm leaf will look EXACTLY like what you’re seeing on your screen from my photos. Best of luck Cassidy! xo