Kitchen Color Trends: Yellow and Green Done Right

Green is the color most associated with current kitchen cabinets, and yellow is its easiest partner. Soft sage or olive on the cabinets, with a buttery or ochre accent, gives you a warm, lively kitchen that doesn't look dated. If yellow worries you, start with a small dose.

Below you'll find the shades that work, where to put each color, and how to keep the pairing calm in a small room.

Save

What do yellow and green add to a kitchen?

Yellow reads as warm and energetic. Green reads as calm and natural. Together they give a kitchen a morning feel, which suits a room where most days begin.

Color also has measurable effects on the body. In one study, Isabella S Bower of Deakin University reported that "The findings show that blue coloring of the built environment increases autonomic range and is associated with modulations of brain activity linked to emotional processing." That study tested blue, not yellow or green, but it supports the idea that the color of a room is not just decoration.

Which shades of yellow and green work together?

Match undertones. Warm yellows such as buttermilk, yolk and ochre pair with olive, moss and honey-toned wood. Cool lemon yellows pair with mint, sage and charcoal. Mixing a warm yellow with a cool mint is where kitchens start to look off.

Think in layers: one dominant color, one supporting color and a small accent. Sage cabinets, a pale buttery wall and marigold accessories with brass hardware is a balanced example.

Where should each color go?

Cabinets

For kitchen cabinet color trends, muted greens are the safe bet. They hide fingerprints better than white and age gracefully. For a deeper take, see the dark green cabinet guide.

Walls

Among the best colors for kitchen walls, soft yellow is forgiving because it brightens a room without much saturation. If your cabinets are already green, a pale warm yellow or off-white wall keeps the room from feeling heavy.

Two-tone combinations

For two tone kitchen cabinet color combinations, try deeper green on the island or base cabinets and a lighter shade above. Keep yellow for a single element, such as open shelving with warm-toned dishes or the pendant lights.

Save

How do you use these colors in a small kitchen?

Small kitchen color trends lean toward light, desaturated tones. A pale sage on walls and cabinets opens the room, and one bold yellow piece gives it personality.

• Keep cabinet hardware simple so color does the work.
• Use glossy backsplash tiles to bounce light around.
• Limit yellow to one focal point: a chair, a lamp or a shelf.

As an architect, I'd keep large surfaces to one green and let yellow stay small. Two competing big colors shrink a room.

Save

Which materials and finishes suit the palette?

Finish changes how a color behaves. Glossy surfaces reflect light and make yellow look more intense. Matte paint absorbs light and makes deep green look softer.

Warm wood such as oak or maple flatters olive and mustard. Soapstone suits mint and sage, though it needs upkeep: Iowa State University Extension notes that "Soapstone does not need to be sealed, but like a butcher block counter, it does need to be oiled regularly." Brass hardware warms yellow, while black or brushed nickel steadies cooler greens.

If you have a dog, choose washable paint and durable counters near the floor-level mess zone. Scratch-prone finishes show claw marks quickly.

Save

How should you light a yellow and green kitchen?

Light changes color more than any paint chip will tell you. Look at samples on the wall in morning, afternoon and evening. A north-facing kitchen has cooler daylight, so warm yellow accents help.

For bulbs, 2700K-3000K keeps yellows warm and greens deep. A dimmer lets the room move from bright breakfast to quiet evening. Combine task lighting over counters with ambient and accent light so no corner flattens.

Save

How do you keep the look from going out of date?

Put the trend in things you can swap. Choose classic cabinet shapes and counters, then bring yellow and green through lighting, stools, tile and textiles. Other palettes pair well with the same approach, such as white and natural wood or the brown tones in this brown color guide.

Before you commit, tape up paint swatches and tile samples beside your counters for a few days. If you still like them by Thursday, you probably will in a year.

Frequently asked questions