The Best Forest Green Cabinet Colors for a Striking Kitchen

Forest green kitchen cabinets can transform a dreary, dated kitchen into a sophisticated showpiece. Deeper and bolder than other green hues, forest green brings a sense of drama and luxury to any cooking space. The richness of forest green cabinets contrasts beautifully with elements like brass hardware, wood floors, and white countertops. This versatility allows forest green to suit modern, transitional, and even traditional kitchen designs.

But not all forest greens are created equal. Choosing the right undertone and shade can be the difference between a stylish, refreshing kitchen and one that feels too dark or stuffy. As you search for your perfect green, keep factors like lighting, cabinet style, and colors of other features in mind. We will cover exactly how to select the most stunning forest green for your cabinets here, as well as provide plenty of inspiring photos.

Why Choose Forest Green Kitchen Cabinets

Definition and History of Forest Green

When most people imagine forest green, they picture the rich emerald, olive, and hunter green hues found in mountain forests. These colors conjure feelings of harmony with nature, good fortune, renewal, and ambitious growth.

Forest green shades get their namesake from the canopy of trees found in lush, dense woods. The first recorded use of "forest green" as a color name in English was in 1810. Before synthetic pigments were invented, achieving a true forest green color was difficult for artists and interior designers. But advances in color chemistry brought affordable forest green paints and dyes to the mainstream consumer.

Today, forest green evokes both a sense of the great outdoors and European sophistication. Designers often incorporate forest greens into spaces aiming for an elegant earthy look, like home libraries, studies, and dining rooms.

Benefits of Green Kitchen Cabinets

Green is an extremely versatile color family that can lend kitchens a relaxed yet rejuvenating feel. The appeal of green kitchen decor comes from humans' innate attraction to nature. Research shows that adding greens helps commercial spaces seem more welcoming and residential spaces more tranquil.

Specific benefits of green kitchen cabinets include:

• Soothing, refreshing visual impact
• Connects your cooking space to the natural world
• Adds a bold, distinct elegance rather than safe neutrality

While trendy sage and minty greens have dominated in recent years, bolder forest green offers more dimension. Unless intentionally aiming for a pale, airy look, deeper green cabinets make a much grander design statement.

Why Forest Green Stands Out

Walk into any paint store and you'll instantly notice far more light, yellow-based green options than deeper forest greens. Decorators often instinctively shy away from darker cabinet colors, fearing small or low-light kitchens will end up feeling heavy or closed-off.

Yet charcoal cabinets have grown popular without shrinking rooms visually. Similarly, the right forest green shade and kitchen layout won't overwhelm. In fact, darker green cabinets make lighter walls, ceilings, and counters stand out beautifully instead of blending in.

Specifically, forest green cabinet colors excel kitchen designs thanks to:

• Bolder appearance than airy sages and mints
• Stunning contrast against natural wood grains
• Suitability for more design aesthetics than very light greens

From modern to farmhouse-inspired and everything between, forest green cabinets catch they eye without limiting room versatility.

Complementary Colors for Forest Green Cabinets

Using colors harmonious with forest green keeps kitchens from seeming too heavy. Lighter and brighter complementary shades also help illuminate cabinets so their jewel tones shine. Scheme planning ensures forest green cabinets boost ambiance rather than overwhelm the cooking space.

Countertop Materials That Enhance Forest Green

Counters in cream, white, or other light solid surfaces offset deep green cabinets attractively. Quartz counters now offer white swirls, beiges, and grays perfect for this two-tone look. Budget-friendly options like butcher block also pop beside forest green cabinets.

Alternatively, opt for countertops that double down richness. Materials like emerald-cut granite, leathered soapstone, Calacatta marble, or patterned quartz echo forest green's bold elegance. Just take care to keep floors, walls, and backsplashes light if choosing dark countertops and cabinets.

Flooring Colors That Complement Forest Green Tones

Hardwood spans from warm golden oak to inky walnut stains, all suiting forest green cabinets depending on the look you envision. New wood-look luxury vinyl similarly matches green cabinets from light to dark.

Tile wood-look planks also pair perfectly with green cabinets, as do stone styles like marble, slate, and travertine. Even porcelain or ceramic tiles mimic wood grains realistically now, widening design options.

Beyond wood visuals, painted or stained concrete boosts swapped for cabinet doors with exposed frames. Espresso-stained oak or walnut works wonders beside framed forest green cases.

Charcoal, black, or chocolate brown floors temper forest green as well. Gray wash an intentional faded black limitless potential palettes for highlighting emerald cabinetry.

Decor Touches to Consider

Texture and metallic accents keep forest green cabinets from appearing flat. Mix greenery, woven textures, and brass or antique bronze hardware and fixtures.

Hanging ferns, succulents, or leafy plants boost any green kitchen's welcoming biophilic vibe. Faux vines intertwined with cabinet knobs or along tops creates an inviting rainforest-bistro aesthetic.

Warm metallic pendants, scones, cabinet hardware pull handles gleam elegantly against deep green. Especially with gray, brown, or cream floors, golden lighting fixtures and brass or bronze knobs pop beautifully.

Forest Green Kitchen Ideas and Inspiration

Concerned forest green cabinets limit stylistic options too severely? Many stunning kitchens incorporating deep emerald cabinetry prove otherwise. Before redesigning your kitchen, browse these examples showing how forest green sets off numerous color schemes and architecture styles.

Styles That Suit Forest Green Cabinets

Modern designs allow forest green to feel crisp, fresh, and contemporary instead of stuffy. Glossy cabinet finishes reflect light well, brightening this dramatic hue. Contemporary cases often feature sleek hardware and clean lines forest green elevates without complicating.

Transitional kitchens blend modern and traditional elements, benefiting from forest green's similar versatility. For instance, a mostly traditional layout with forest green cabinets, cream stone counters, and a sleek pencil tile steel blue-gray backsplash marries old and new design eras seamlessly.

Even traditional architecture excels with forest green cabinetry. Arched doorways, carved wood details, and clawfoot tubs feel richer beside deep hunter hues. Just balance heaviness with plenty of windows, sconces, and warm metallic or stone. accents.

Unexpected Color Pairings

Beyond classic white, cream, or wood counters, venture into exciting new palette territory with forest green as your foundation. Navy blue backsplashes heightened the regal feel of dark green cabinets, especially in Victorian or Greek Revival homes. Brick reds and scarlets also intensify emerald colors for an exotic Moroccan flair.

Robin's egg blue is another surprising forest green complement. Adorning kitchen walls or accent furniture with this cheerful pastel stops darker cabinetry from feeling too serious. The playful yet elegant vibe also suits whimsical cottage-style abodes.

Real World Examples and Photos

Still finding it difficult to picture forest green cabinetry suiting your home's architecture? For further inspiration, browse these stunning real-world kitchen designs showing this dramatic color's unbelievable versatility.

Contemporary oak and forest green kitchens feel crisp and sophisticated, the cooler blue undertones boosting the modern edge. Round metal hardware and pendant lamps prevent flatness, as does a light stone mosaic backsplash.

Or embrace forest green in mid-century modern spaces by opting for light green-gray countertops and geometric tiles or textiles. Woven barstool seats, metallic round scones, and tapered black hardware keep things contemporary yet naturalistic alongside emerald cabinetry.

In Victorian architecture, play up drama with brass hardware, gold chandelier pendants, and marble or mahogany surfaces alongside extra-deepforest hues. Touches of scarlet in an oriental rug, cherry cabinet frames, or velvet dining chairs dial up the exotic richness.

Choosing the Best Forest Green Paint Color

With so many stunning forest green inspirations available, settling on just one perfect shade can certainly be tricky. Remember to pick a green that complements your space instead of overpowering it. Test candidates in your lighting and alongside existing palette players like floors and counters.

Testing Green Paint Swatches

Never decide on a paint color based on tiny sample chips alone. Forest green especially shifts tones based on finishes, sheens, lighting conditions, and companion colors. Always test candidates on foam board paint swatches, paintable ceramic tiles, or even directly on cabinet doors.

Carefully observe how forest greens shift morning, noon, afternoon, dusk, and evening in your windows. Green undertones also appear warmer or cooler depending on neighboring materials.

If possible, purchase sample sizes of two or three frontrunner forest greens to test before fully committing. You'll gain much more helpful color information testing larger swaths in your actual kitchen than tiny paint chips alone.

Finding the Right Undertones

Warmer forest greens with ochre, brown, orange, or golden undertones bring welcome coziness to kitchens relying more on natural light. Choosing green with yellow undertones also reduces visible darker fleck speckles in stains.

Meanwhile, forest greens boasting blue, green, or even subtle gray undertones better suit contemporary spaces with cool hues and lots of artificial lighting. These cooler greens also better harmonize with grays, beiges, and stainless steel.

Factor how forest green options play beside existing wood cabinet stains as well. Contrasting shades stand out better. But for a seamless uniform look, carefully match new color undertones to current wood grains.

Special Considerations and Process

Painting cabinets green differs from staining or refinishing wood surfaces this vibrant forest tone. Ensure proper preparation no matter your project scope for beautiful lasting results.

Seeking deep emerald painted cabinets? Thoroughly clean then lightly sand glossy cabinet surfaces to help paint adhere evenly. Apply suitable primer before choosing oil or latex enamel topcoat for durability. Spray-paint finishes better mimic luxury store-bought cases.

For custom forest green stained cabinets, pick quality wood like oak, alder, or maple. Discuss your preferred tone with stain pros, then apply judiciously, wiping thoroughly to prevent uneven blotching. Top off by sealing with polyurethane for protection.

Or fake built-ins by painting walls green behind open-faced cabinets. Frame with molding then highlight colorful dishware for eclectic charm. This route skips major cabinet alterations for those renting or on tight budgets.

Professionals may better achieve your perfect shade if matching existing cabinet colors or applying specialty finishes like Rustoleum transformations. Seek seasoned specialists if your project requires extra custom precision.

Deep forest green needn't overwhelm your home, no matter how petite or dimly lit. Proper shade selection and pairing with suitable metal, tile, and stone accents keep darker cabinet colors appearing rich yet refreshing.

Forbest selecting the perfect forest green tone for your next kitchen project, mind important differences in lighting, existing cabinet woods, countertop materials planned.

Forest green cabinets bring natural beauty and European elegance to any style kitchen. Take cues from the stunning spaces shown to guide your own striking emerald transformation.