What if we told you that green is the new neutral? You may be hesitant right? Well… how about we show you instead?
Can Green Be a Neutral?
So, can green really be used as a neutral in home finishes? Absolutely and it’s nothing groundbreaking. Our first piece of evidence? Well, please excuse us when we politely ask you to look out the window. Currently in the Midwest our landscape is a bit frozen over, but normally green is a main element to every landscape you see. So why not bring the outdoors in? It is naturally neutral.
Green works so well as a subtle neutral because it is THE original neutral really. Greens have always been among the palette of natural earthtone colors when it comes to categories of art… so why not interiors? Naturally occurring colors are just effortlessly neutral. A bright, bold, highlighter-green would not be considered an earthtone neutral, but how about a deep organic mossy green? More soothing and less intrusive right? We may be taken aback by a bold punch of color, but something soothing and natural is never a shock to our eyes. We love the tone of the green wall tile we used for a range hood in a Davenport, Iowa kitchen remodel (shown below).
Greens have been trending for quite some time in our industry, and we have seen them become super popular as options for tiled surfaces, wall color, and furniture accents. But Village Home Stores has also installed many green painted cabinets in our area. Bathrooms, bar areas, mudroom benches, and now a handful of kitchens in the Quad Cities region.
Shade Grown Green Cabinets
Before we show off some of our bestselling green finish options, we want to spotlight a new one that has already taken over our featured project posts this year. Shade Grown is a rich, dark green Sherwin Williams paint color that can be ordered from many of our cabinetry lines at Village Home Stores. You may have noticed our most recent kitchen design tour on the blog included a full color-drenched wall of Shade Grown cabinetry from floor to ceiling. This kitchen is catching fire on the internet and guess what? We didn’t just use Shade Grown in that one area! We also included it for the finish on the built-in cabinetry across the great room surrounding the fireplace.
Imagine this wall once these shelves are styled and furniture is in place. That green painted finish will instantly look right at home as a neutral backdrop for all the other elements in the space. Another recent example of a secondary space with green cabinetry is found in a walk in pantry. Press play below to see a butlers pantry design from another Quad Cities home that includes floor to ceiling storage in this rich painted finish.
A great look isn’t it? And it pairs so well with the brass cabinet hardware and sconce lighting in the pantry. In fact, green painted cabinetry and trim can really pair well with many secondary finishes.
Green Finishes Play Very Well with Other Woods and Metals
Neutral earthtone greens play so well with other finishes. We don’t have to sell you the idea that a leafy green accent looks great with a textured woodgrain because nature has already showcased this pairing for us. So why does the kitchen image below look so effortlessly chic without being loud or flashy?
Because seeing this combination is already a natural combination for us to view and process. Smooth green textures paired with warm grained woods have been a perfect pair long before we ever started designing kitchens that for sure. It’s natural because it’s nature. Including green finishes in a home space is a great way to bring the outdoors in. Adding soothing earthtones can impact your space and your mood. This also means giving warm woodgrains a chance in the spotlight. Currently the cabinet finish combinations we see the most are with light and medium woods and sometimes even a third finish is introduced for more cabinet accents, flooring, or shelving in white or not-quite-white neutral paint. Don’t stress about finding the perfect combinations because our designers will be with you to help guide your selections and make sure the overall vision has balance.
KitchenAid’s new Juniper Appliance Finish
Cabinet hardware and lighting can be showcased so well against a green backdrop. Warm brasses and bronze can look amazing, but so can polished chromes and dramatic matte blacks. And speaking of metallic finishes, we have a new option that has entered the chat.
You know a trending color is not going anywhere soon when you see large companies investing in it. The best example of this right now is the huge swing that KitchenAid has taken with launching a new green appliance option named Juniper. Trust us when we say that when an appliance company takes a big swing like this… they don’t plan in missing. Millions of dollars were invested in the lead up to KitchenAid’s relaunch and with it comes a neutral green appliance finish, this one is an instant classic! When we first saw Juniper in person, it was a welcomed surprise. It is a subtle metallic green finish that can even lean blue-green in some lighting. We now have a Juniper range on the showroom floor and at first glance, customers assume it is black stainless until they start approaching it. Juniper is a fantastic example of a neutral green investment that you can make in your home. For the right project, this new finish is a perfect choice to elevate a kitchen from basic to luxurious (without cranking up to a luxury appliance price). Plus, as a kitchen design center we are so excited that you can customize the hardware on your Juniper appliances to compliment your kitchen.
Ask an appliance or kitchen design expert at Village to see this new color in person plus see the hardware options you have to personalize your pieces. You can also use our Juniper showroom appliances to see how cabinet finish combinations pair with the painted green cabinetry samples you may be considering.
Evergreen Fog Cabinets
Evergreen Fog is a wonderful green cabinet finish that is much lighter option for historical restoration projects. This subtle green color looks great paired with antiques and old-world details. Check out this full kitchen tour where we used Evergreen Fog paint on using a custom inset cabinetry kitchen design for a historic Dewitt, Iowa home. This light green hue is a great option for small spaces like bathrooms or small kitchens where you may not want to go to bold or dark with the cabinetry. Evergreen Fog also makes a good option for traditional and new traditional kitchen designs that may want to include white appliances. The lighter green allows you just enough contrast from green to white without having to risk striking out matching your white cabinet options with an appliance finish.
If the idea of going with a green cabinet for the kitchen is a bit bold for your comfort zone, consider a smaller space like a bathroom. Bathroom cabinetry and wall surfaces are a great place to introduce color. We recently featured a double sink vanity design that used Evergreen Fog cabinetry shown here with matte black handle hardware and lighting.
Foxhall Green Cabinets
Looking for something in the middle? Foxhall Green is a cabinet finish that is darker than Evergreen Fog, but more of a vibrant fresh green paint. Foxhall looks green day and night, Shade Grown can have a chameleon effect and look more gray or muddy black in the evening hours. All of these options work great as a kitchen island accent or bases-only dual tone cabinet design.
Press play below to see a gorgeous use of Foxhall Green for a bathroom cabinet design we did in Bettendorf, Iowa. This color was perfect for a hall bath. It grabs your attention but has an overall grounded and styled installation with the surrounding selections (like that amazing wallpaper).
You can see more of that Foxhall Green bathroom vanity setup here in a recent blog feature. And you can come see all our green finish options anytime you would like in person with an appointment at Village Home Stores. We have a lot of wall tile, countertop surfaces, window treatment materials, and light fixtures that can be a great way to include a subtle and neutral greens in your home.
Green with Envy Yet? Make an Appointment
Have our examples turned you green with envy yet? Don’t fret because we are ready to liven up your home too! If you found this article inspiring for your own project with us, please reach out to learn more about our design and estimation process. You can connect with our team using the webchat feature here on the site or by completing this short form. We are excited to hear what you are working on and to find out if our team is the right fit for your project.