The Best Paint Colors For Green Kitchen Cabinets

When most people think of cabinet colors, they think of neutrals: shades of white, off-white, gray, and even black. But, did you ever think of painting green kitchen cabinets? Various shades of green create stunning and beautiful cabinets. Check out my favorite colors for green kitchen cabinets!

Various shades of greens have been used on walls and furniture for decades. It’s a way to bring a soothing touch of nature indoors.

But, what about using green on your kitchen cabinets? In the last several years, designers and homeowners have been increasingly turning to green for kitchen cabinets.

No matter which shade you choose, green kitchens feel calming and restorative. Go with dark green cabinets to add a bold element. Alternatively, light green cabinets and sage kitchen cabinets soothe.

Now, I know green cabinets aren’t for everyone and won’t be ideal in every kitchen. BUT, I will say they have the ability to turn a badly outdated kitchen into an updated stunner much easier and cheaper than a full remodel would cost.

Just sayin’!!!

My Go-To Paint Colors For The Best Green Kitchen Cabinets

I’ve picked my favorite shades of green for cabinets and gathered them together here, in one place, to show you just how amazing they can be. Once you see their appeal, you’ll be itching to add your favorite shade to your own kitchen!

1. Palm Leaf From Sherwin Williams

Palm Leaf is a bold and moody olive green with an LRV of 10. It’s a very rich and saturated color that acts as a chameleon in changing lighting situations. I love its color-changing qualities!

It’ll show off its deep brown undertones when the light isn’t directly shining on it. But, when the sun shines on it, you’ll see plenty of gold come through!

Pair this color with warm beiges, whites, and off-whites (like Dover White!).

Check out this example of a kitchen that highlights Palm Leaf cabinets so you can see how incredible it looks.

Kitchen Makeover

Olive green cabinets are far more versatile than you may realize at first. This color plays well with many other colors (especially creamy off-whites!) and looks right at home in a variety of different home styles from modern to traditional. What’s more, it might even reduce your stress levels!

This is my own (old) kitchen, and I love(d) it! (Ps- Here’s my new kitchen in my current home!)

2. Secret Garden From Sherwin Williams

Similar to Palm Leaf, Secret Garden is a deep olive-toned green with an LRV of 8. It pairs well with warm brown, taupe, off-white, cream, and more.

Dark And Serene

Make a large, bright kitchen feel cozy and serene by bringing the outdoors inside with this deep green. The deep wood tones complement the color perfectly to create a nature-inspired tranquil stunner.

Here’s a peek at a kitchen I have done in the past in SW Secret Garden. Isn’t it gorgeous?!?

3. Pewter Green From Sherwin Williams

Pewter paint colors in general are often muted versions of shades. They contain a lot of gray but are no means boring and dull. Pewter Green is a cool-toned gray with deep green undertones.

With an LRV of 31, this color is dark in rooms with low natural light. However, when bright natural light hits it, this color will look a bit more gray than green.

Portland Kitchen Remodel

This large, beautiful kitchen from Emily Henderson is surely the envy of the neighborhood! Although the paint leans cool, the warm white walls and wood tones help to balance everything out.

4. Green Onyx From Sherwin Williams

A warm mid- to dark-toned sage green, Green Onyx has an LRV of 31. It’s dark enough to contrast well with lighter earthy colors, but it’s also light enough to pair well with dark green, brown, and black. Check out the way this timeless natural green looks in on kitchen cabinets!

Green Lower Cabinets

When you choose to go with bold kitchen cabinets, one of the top tricks you can use to keep a kitchen light is to paint the upper cabinets a bright color and the lower cabinets your bold color.

This kitchen from I did in 2020 is an excellent example of two important things: this tip and the difference that simply repainting cabinets can make on a kitchen.

5. Salamander From Benjamin Moore

As one of the darkest, boldest colors (LRV of 3.66) on this list, Salamander is a shade that needs to be surrounded with lighter colors so that it doesn’t become overpowering. It’s a lovely deep neutral green that shines when paired with light greige, cream, off-white, wood tones, and gold.

Dark Neutral Stunner

When used in rooms with lots of light and paired with light, warm colors, this color provides a chic transformation opportunity. I love these dark green cabinets in Salamander from M Fox Interior Designs with the gold pulls and wood-tone accents!

6. Willow Tree From Sherwin Williams

Willow Tree is a rich medium yellow-green that is timeless and lovely in every sense. It has an LRV of 41, which means it’s not too light and not too dark. It contrasts wonderfully with both lighter and darker shades and can read as more sage than olive.

Pair it with beige, brown, green, white, cream, off-white, and black, and see for yourself just how ideal Willow Tree green kitchen cabinets can be.

Preferred Color Scheme

Here’s a kitchen that I did for a client! The yellow cabinets that she had before were cute, but they just weren’t her style. We painted the upper cabinets in White Dove to keep the kitchen light and airy. The lower cabinets are painted in Willow Tree and read like a lovely sage green.

7. Oil Cloth From Benjamin Moore

This muted green (LRV of 35.5) is soft and inviting enough to make any kitchen feel like home. Oil Cloth has just enough gray undertones to make this shade nice and neutral so that you can pair it with a wide range of colors. It looks stunning with charcoal gray, greige, yellow, beige, and more.

Rich And Welcoming

Although Oil Cloth can work in many different styles of homes, this kitchen from Heidi Caillier Design shows just how perfect it works in French Country. Pair it with off-white and black to create a timeless color scheme.

8. Mountain Moss From Benjamin Moore

Mountain Moss is a richly saturated, sophisticated color. With an LRV of 15.94, this deep olive green pairs well with pastels such as beige, blue-gray, greige, rose, and cream.

These medium to dark green cabinets painted in Mountain Moss are vibrant and gorgeous! When paired with earth tones, this shade has an amazing ability to breathe life into an otherwise lifeless space. Without this green on this vanity from Haven Builders, this bathroom would be dull.

Choosing The Best Color For Green Kitchen Cabinets

All colors have undertones and display them in different types of lighting. That includes greens! However, green paint colors are saturated and rich enough that they don’t usually change as drastically as some lighter colors do.

If green isn’t for you, don’t forget to check out my list of the best kitchen cabinet colors. Then make color swatches to check every paint shade in different lighting levels before choosing your final color selection.

Transform Your Kitchen By Painting Your Cabinets Yourself

It doesn’t take a full remodel to change the look of your kitchen dramatically. You can do the same thing at a fraction of the cost by painting cabinets!

Many people feel anxious at the thought of painting their kitchen cabinets. However, that won’t be you when after you take my DIY Cabinet Painting 101 class. It will show you exactly how to do it and end up with a professional finish.

More Posts To Read:

• The Best Colors For Off-White Kitchen Cabinets
• 10 Worst Cabinet Painting Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)
• How Do Painted Cabinets Hold Up Over Time?
• Kitchen Cabinets In Alabaster White
• How To Repaint Kitchen Cabinets