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2012 Color Trends: Touch of Green for Kitchen and Bath
See how green can serve as both an accent color and new kind of neutral
This 2012 Color Trends series is about five hot color trends projected for the year. In particular I'll be showing you how to incorporate them into your kitchen and bath in a way that makes sense for your taste and your home.
Green will be a strong color for the new year with leaves, moss, earth, forest and seaweed sprouting on Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr and Yolo palettes, among others. Green is a relaxing color — some even consider it a new neutral — making it especially ideal for master bath retreats. It can work well in kitchens and other living spaces, too. (I painted all of the walls in my first condo sage and loved it. The master bedroom of my last home was sage, too.)
Here are some ways to incorporate it into your kitchen and bath, sensibly and stylishly.
Browse bathroom remodeling ideas | Find Kitchen and Bath designers
Green will be a strong color for the new year with leaves, moss, earth, forest and seaweed sprouting on Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr and Yolo palettes, among others. Green is a relaxing color — some even consider it a new neutral — making it especially ideal for master bath retreats. It can work well in kitchens and other living spaces, too. (I painted all of the walls in my first condo sage and loved it. The master bedroom of my last home was sage, too.)
Here are some ways to incorporate it into your kitchen and bath, sensibly and stylishly.
Browse bathroom remodeling ideas | Find Kitchen and Bath designers
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A pale green tile also can read neutral, making it an easy color to incorporate into a room for long-term style. Here, it adds a serene note to a contemporary bath.
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This master bath redo I designed for a client not only incorporated green porcelain and glass tile, it featured beautiful gray-green Cambria (Hyde Park) quartz countertops that look like beach glass.
Green meshes beautifully with natural wood cabinets, just as leaves enhance trees. My rule of thumb: If colors work together in nature, they'll work well together in your home.
Green meshes beautifully with natural wood cabinets, just as leaves enhance trees. My rule of thumb: If colors work together in nature, they'll work well together in your home.
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Everyone expects shower glass to be clear, but you're certainly not limited to that. Green glass is an ideal shade for enclosures — especially the sleek frameless kind — as it adds a level of interest with soft spa style. The tile still gets to star, but you've complemented it with an unexpected touch of color. It might even show fewer water spots!
| Pale green is a delightful color for kitchen cabinets, especially when you're opting for wood floors. When done softly, as shown here, it works much like a white or cream wood to brighten up the space. The green tint adds a level of interest that the true neutrals can't, making your kitchen more memorable. |
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by ThinkGlass
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| A green tint can be a great kitchen countertop color, working as well as it does with medium and dark woods. There are the usual suspects: granite, quartz, Corian... But how about bringing some beach style home with a high-drama green-tinted glass countertop. Given their overpowering drama and price tag, you might want to just use them for a focal point spot. |
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Custom window coverings can be a big investment in your home, but that doesn't mean they have to be neutral. Here, decorative tapes add a touch of color to classic white 2-inch faux wood blinds and a black-and-white kitchen.
| Green paint works well for kitchens or baths. Here a kicky citrus adds a pop to this otherwise seriously neutral space. The lime walls say, "It's party time!" |
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Hardware is a fabulous way to add color to a neutral space. I love the way glass knobs do it richly and subtly. I like these for a small master or powder room, where I don't need a slew of them — just some gentle pops.
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If your bathroom just needs a color refresher, a fun mirror can kick it up a notch. This is a great way to add the trendy shade you love in a small way that still speaks large.
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Kohler knows you like to change your mind. Their fun Toobi faucet comes with three interchangeable spout colors. Green ties into the trend color. White and black let you return to your serious self.
More:
Crisp, Fresh: Go for Green Apples
Favorite Color Combinations: Celery and Chocolate
Mossy Accents for Indoors and Out
More:
Crisp, Fresh: Go for Green Apples
Favorite Color Combinations: Celery and Chocolate
Mossy Accents for Indoors and Out
Comments
Meredith Ericksen I like your idea that green can be considered a neutral...I definitely think of green as a neutral color...such a soothing-welcoming color for kitchens and bathrooms. See kitchen photos below...I paired green cabinets with white cabinets to bring warmth to this kitchen space. In another kitchen project, I used a muted green as the wall color and accent tile...the green acts as a neutral that compliments the warm wood tones. 
17 months ago · Like
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UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES Good to read. I am just starting a staging on a house with green cabinets in kitchen. I think they look fine and will just add a few decor items & let them do the talking.
17 months ago · Like
Leslie Goodwin Photography I love the use of green in a space and really appreciate this article! I would like to add this image of a basement bath I photographed which illustrates how accents of green can be used to add interest to a space. 
17 months ago · Like
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sooosally I too was happy to see you call green a neutral color. I love green. And I have considered it neutral for a long time.
17 months ago · Like
sarahandgarth We did our kitchen cabinets in green last year and I love it more every day. Here's the link to our photos. We used Misted Fern, Benjamin Moore.
by sarahandgarth
by sarahandgarth
Project: Kitchen and family room...17 months ago · Like
A & D Glass Inc. All clear glass will have a green edge to it unless it is specifically low iron. The amount of green depends on the thickness of the glass, and the depth you are looking through. If you truly want a green surface you can use something like solex.
17 months ago · Like
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shamus My home is done in shades of green with natural wood furniture and cabinets. In summer, the colors inside match the colors outside.
17 months ago · Like
ladyjustin I need help... I've never been a decoritive person but I just moved into a new house and the spare bathroom is like a sea weed green but a little lighter and brighter... I need to know what colors and shades go with this because I really do not want to paint it.... HELP PLEASE!
5 months ago · Like
ladyjustin o here is a pic of the walls it look a little darker and brighter in person no flash was used to take this pic 
5 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Jan. 7, 2012.
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