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kmarcel

Green island with cream colored cabinets - what shade?

13 years ago

Currently I have a black island with BM Monterey white (similar to White Dove) cabinets. I have been thinking for a long time I would love a green island. I'm just having a hard time figuring out what color. I have seen photos but don't know what exact color the green is. I have hardwood floor, Sienna Bordeaux granite and walls are a taupe, tannish color.

I also wanted to paint my family room, which is off the kitchen, a shade of green. So instead of matching the island and family room the same, thought maybe a shade or two differnt on the same paint chip??

Would really appreciate some suggestions of green colors that would work. Photos would be great too!

Comments (11)

  • 13 years ago

    I looked for images of Sienna Bordeaux online and still have no good idea what color it is. Som of the pics looked yellowish, some had lots of pink. So basically, I have absolutely no idea what green would look good with it, or any other element of you kitchen.

    Also, "green" spans a whole lot of options that are all over the map. I have Behr Pear on my walls and love it. I could recommend it, but I suspect it isn't what you are thinking of when you say green (think green highlighter, and you'd be close). So I won't offer recommendations.

    But I can offer you a process.

    Go to the paint store and get paint chips for a wide range of greens--some yellower, some bluer, some light, some dark, some saturated, some with lots of gray. Maybe go to the section where they have the grays and pull out some of the greener of those. Take them home. Spread them out on your granite. Throw out all the ones that look terrible with your granite. Throw out anything that you immediately dislike in your space, for whatever reason. Now take the ones that are left and tape them to the side of your island. Throw out your least favorites. Wait for a different time of day when the light is different. Throw out your least favorites again. Now move the swatches to the other side of the island, since the light will be different there and they'll be framed against a different view. Throw out your least favorites. Wait for a different time of day. Throw out more least favorites.

    By this point you've hopefully narrowed it down to a few pretty good choices. Now you get paint samples and paint big pieces of cardboard to lean against you island. This will inform your final choice.

  • 13 years ago

    cawaps, that is the best idea. It is a process. I think I will probably need the green more toward the gray end as I also have alot of taupe colors in my room. I recently painted my bathroom BM Camouflage, had some left over and painted it on a large piece of paper. It looks pretty good, so I'm leaning in that direction.

  • 13 years ago

    Cawaps' advice is excellent. We have cream lowers and I wanted a green shade for the island and uppers. Once I started looking at greens in conjunction with the backsplash tile I selected, I could eliminate about 90% of the shades. The rest was personal preference.

  • 13 years ago

    Good idea on painting the family room a shade of green on the same chip. We painted the only paintable wall in the kitchen a darker blue and the walls in the dining room (essentially the same room) a lighter blue and it turned out great. I think the two colors were about 3 apart on the chip. This photo isn't a great representation of the actual shades of blue, but it shows the idea well.

  • 13 years ago

    I think I need a green that is greener than camouflage (less brown/gray in it)and not as green as guilford green.

    dilly ny, love that color green. Not sure if it would work with my kitchen.

    suzannes1, I had read recently that instead of using the same exact color to match, i.e. familyroom wall and island; use another color off the same paint chip because they're meant to go together. So I thought that would be a good idea for this project.

  • 13 years ago

    I have BM Camouflage on my vaulted bedroom walls and love it there. Pre-reno, I also had it in my kitchen, which gets the same light as my bedroom, and yet it faded into nothingness there. I wish I had gone darker, not necessarily greener, because I love the gray/yellow/blue notes in Camouflage, but something with a little more substance.

  • 13 years ago

    I had first envisioned a sage sort of green for our island and uppers, but in our light it all became very dark and drab. I ended up with something more of a willow shade and it feels very natural/organic to me. Here's a picture of my island, and another showing the contrast between the green uppers and cream lowers.

  • 13 years ago

    we do have a good number of posters on here who used a green on their cabs or island. Maybe some will post a pic of theirs to give you some idea of how they look. or maybe others remember who some of them are and will post their name or a link (or both).

    I usually tend to like those that are more of a sage green. And I do think going w/ a lighter green from the same strip will be the most pleasing.

  • 13 years ago

    Green is so much fun. And there are 1000s of greens even
    in the narrow catagory you mentioned
    "...........of greener than camouflage (less brown/gray in
    it)and not as green as guilford green..........."

    If you can afford it go to a paint store and see if you
    can get a few samples of paint. Paint them on a cardboard
    and see if you like it with the cream. Sometimes something
    larger than the tiny paint swatch is easier to see what
    could work for you.

    Meanwhile here is some green eye candy. I wish I knew the
    colors and names. Maybe someone on GW can help.
    ~boxer





  • 13 years ago

    So I painted my island today. When I get a project in my head I can't wait to do it. Not always a good thing. I went with the BM new Affinity paint, color Thicket. I am torn. I really like the shade but wish it were a little darker. When the sun comes in the room it really lightens it up and I think paint on wood appears lighter than when it's on a wall. Maybe just my imagination.

    Linelle, I am wondering now if I would have the same problem you had with the camouflage, which I love in my bathroom. But there is no natural light and maybe it would make a difference putting that in my familyroom. The color chip for my island is darker than camouflage and yet it appears so light.

    Boxer, thanks for the photos. Love them all. Some are light and look really nice even though not a big contrast.

    Same with yours Sus95. Very pretty kitchen and it doesn't look like a big contrast.

    I should give it a few days and see how I feel. Really don't want to repaint. Wondered if I could do some kind of glaze to give it a darker look yet still have that green/brown shade to it? Any thoughts? I have beadboard on the back and sides. Might make it look like stripes and too busy?