Try a Green Kitchen for a Fresh Look: Paint Ideas and Tips - Mylands

Green might not be the first colour that springs to mind for a new-look kitchen; monochromes and neutrals are the more usual go-tos. Yet green paint can breathe fresh life into a kitchen, and it's growing in popularity. Its natural tones bring either calm and tranquillity or zest and vibrancy, depending on the shade. Turn your kitchen into a comforting, nature-inspired space simply by adding green to the palette.

Why is green a good colour for a kitchen?

Green is the colour of nature, which makes it wonderfully calming and reassuringly familiar. You may feel your shoulders drop and your breathing slow as you relax in green surroundings; stepping into nature has a powerful effect. The kitchen is the hub of the home, the place to gather, eat, talk and simply be, so you want it to feel comforting and familiar, and green helps create exactly that.

Practically, green works on both cabinets and walls, and with such a vast range of shades you'll find the tone that suits you. Whether you go bold with lime, forest or mint green, or subtle with sage or olive, Mylands has the green for your kitchen. Grab a tester, load your brush and try the colours out.

The subtle shade: sage green

Understated and timeless, this pale green is beautifully peaceful and works especially well with rustic wood and natural stone. Sage adds freshness and warmth to a traditional country kitchen and is an easy way to inject colour without it feeling overwhelming or dramatic. Try shades like Serpentine™ No.192 and Myrtle Green™ No.168 for a sage look at home. Think of it as the new neutral, move over grey and the many whites, sage green is here.

The bright shade: lime green

Zesty colours like lime and apple bring vibrancy to the kitchen; bold, zingy and uplifting, they add instant character and suit a contemporary style. New Lime™ No.149 has a yellow tone and works beautifully as a contrast on cabinets or walls; here it adds another layer of interest on the furniture unit, with soft pink walls setting it off perfectly.

Is lime too vibrant for you? Dial it back with olive green for a more mid-century, retro look. Messel™ No.39 is a classic, earthy shade that teams well with warm woods and metals like gold and brass.

The retro shade: avocado green

Avocado may conjure an elderly aunt's kitchen, but like the fruit it has surged back into fashion. Pair it with creamy neutrals for a soft, warm look. Stockwell Green™ No.203 is an uplifting avocado with a hint of yellow alongside the green, giving a clean, striking result that suits kitchens modern or traditional.

The bold shade: dark green

For a more sumptuous, immersive colour, go dark. Picture heading into woodland; forest green, the colour of Christmas trees, is lush and evocative, and on cabinetry it creates real drama. But, as in the woodland, you need to bring in light, whether on worktops, splashbacks and flooring or through pale wall colours. Striking dark greens in the Mylands collections include Market Green No.38, Messel™ No.39 and Pleasure Gardens Green™ No.214.

Green cabinets: top tips

A soft green such as Myrtle Green™ No.168 gives traditional cabinets a fresh look. In a classic farmhouse kitchen, green Shaker cabinets enhance the theme alongside soft stone tiles and wooden or natural-toned countertops, a lovely way to introduce colour subtly to an otherwise white kitchen.

We recommend a matt emulsion for cabinets, letting the green make a statement simply; for a bolder, more dramatic impact, use a vibrant green in gloss. The striking kitchen pictured below uses our classic Brompton Road™ No.205 on both cabinets and walls for a strong statement, yet the dark, leafy green is offset by wood flooring and island top, white countertops and a contrasting wall, which stops the room feeling too dark and enclosed. The right hardware makes all the difference: gold and brass are on-trend and work perfectly with green.

Green walls: top tips

Green on the walls transforms how a space feels, but you'll need contrasting colours elsewhere to balance it, a white ceiling, white shelving and radiators, or neutral cabinets, as well as pale furniture and accessories.

Want something more luxe? Combine it with black and gold. Black cabinets pair well with olive-green walls, as shown below, while gold accessories add drama and opulence, and a white ceiling and grey marble counters provide balance and light in this modern kitchen.

In smaller kitchens, enhance the natural light, though you needn't stick to white; paler greens amplify light too. Take a look at Greenstone™ No.190 for a superb pale green.

What colours go with a green kitchen?

Brass looks sleek and cool next to green and white. Gold adds glamour, especially to emerald green. Wood enhances the organic, natural feel. White contrasts beautifully with deep greens, try St Clement™ No.11 or Syon Park™ No.13.

Creamy neutrals pair with forest green for a balanced, warm look, try Hoxton Grey™ No.72 or Temple Bar™ No.70. Black brings drama to a contemporary green kitchen, try Blackout™ No.41 or Downing Street™ No.10. Soft pink is a subtle pastel that complements grey-greens wonderfully, try Palmerston Pink™ No.243 or Threadneedle™ No.262.

Bring the outdoors in

If your kitchen opens onto the garden, green interior walls blur the boundary beautifully for an organic flow from inside to out, which you can enhance further with plants. Plant prints are everywhere right now, so look out for curtains, cushions, fabrics and wall art that continue the natural theme. It's a simple trick that carries the flow into adjoining rooms such as the dining or living room, and makes the ideal finishing touch.