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Green kitchen?? (Here you go, Delilah)

6 years ago

We are in the beginning stage of planning a kitchen renovation in our 1900 Victorian. We aren’t expanding or even changing the layout much, but the cabinets are in bad shape (which isn’t obvious in my pic but trust me), the oven is wonky, and the room is very dark. Our main objective is to brighten it up and make it feel more like part of the house, which is generally lighter and brighter everywhere else.


I keep coming back to the idea of pale green cabinets with light, marble-esque (quartz?) counters. Something like this:







One side of the kitchen as is, in a decidedly NOT-staged photo:



What do you think of my proposed color scheme? Trendy? Appropriate for my old house? What would you consider for backsplash? (I will not use white subway tile.)


And, side note. I would love suggestions for a nice looking, well regarded (as in, high marks from consumer reports) stove. I just want a standard 30” model.

Comments (58)

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I love the green, is it trendy? No, I don’t think so. That kitchen kind of reminds me of Sarah Richardson’s style which (IMO) is always so classic and beautiful.


    Sorry, this is long, but it may be helpful.

    A couple of years ago, we bought a standard sized stove, sizes now run 32 inch and we chose the Samsung slide in. I sorely regret my choice and cannot recommend it. And I’m going to share some of what I’ve learned over the past two years in hopes that it prevents someone else from wasting their money.

    We’ve had problems with the Samsung holding an even temp in the oven so foods cook properly. For example, it can take up to 2 hours to bake an average sized potato and that’s with the oven set at 400. I cooked a small turkey (under 10 lbs) over the holiday for 4 hours, the top was beautiful, the bottom was raw. I’ve had service out 4 times in 2 years to no avail.

    Something that I’ve been told by the repairmen who’ve come to work on it is that the newer standard ovens, all brands, not just the Samsung, don’t cook the way they used to. Manufacturers have apparently changed the way the ovens work so they’re more environmentally friendly. I’m not sure if it’s really true or not but it is what I was told. The way they cook now is that the heat fluctuates temps from high to low and when it’s in low mode, it’s flame is completely off so the oven doesn’t run as long. When a temp test was run on ours, we set the oven to 350, it warmed up to 370, beeped it was preheated and turned off. Once it hit 325(ish) the oven lit back up again and that’s what it does the whole time regardless of what setting you use (bake or convection). It’s off more than its on and was never at 350. But a 25 degree variance is now considered to be “Normal”. It’s awful. Convection is a feature we paid for, but it doesn’t seem to cook convection. When I brought that up, I was told if I want that, I need to buy restaurant grade. Maybe some of the other ranges do this better than Samsung, that’s entirely possible, all I know is that we paid 2,000 for this stove and it’s junk.

    I assume you’ll research the brands, but I encourage you to really do your homework on this one. If I had known what I know now when my GE Profile had started to wain, I would have paid to have it fixed instead of replaced. In retrosect, that stove was the bomb.

    Sueb20 thanked Lukki Irish
  • 6 years ago

    I forgot to post a picture of a kitchen Sarah Richardson did with a similar green and pretty non subway backsplash. Just for inspiration.

    Sueb20 thanked Lukki Irish
  • 6 years ago

    Oh, what a gorgeous color you have chosen. WRT to ranges, I would look at Bosch and KA based on the reviews I see here.

    Carrara or Danby marble would look awfully nice in a Victorian with those beautiful cabinets, if you are not wedded to quartz.

    Sueb20 thanked Rita / Bring Back Sophie 4 Real
  • 6 years ago

    Love the green! Agree that real marble counter would be preferable if you can stand it. I personally would go with a very quiet, understated backsplash. I think the mood of the green/marble could be ruined quickly with a statement backsplash. I love beadboard but I think it's rather farmhouse-y for a victorian kitchen.

    Sueb20 thanked Feathers11
  • 6 years ago

    Rita, definitely not wedded to quartz — I’m just afraid of marble!


    Feathers, I agree — quiet, monochromatic backsplash, I think.


    Some tile pics I have marked on Pinterest... not necessarily these colors, just like the look. Yeah, I know the first one is subway.









  • 6 years ago

    Kool Beans, that mosaic reminds me of Encore Ceramics collections ..breathtaking tile..very expensive too I must add..was considering it myself..not same exact design and colors, but yes, one can fall in love with their tiles easily..Their colors are otherworldly. (Can one say "otherwordly"?)

    Real marble would be amazing, I agree..I'd be fine with patina..then I'm used to marble and limestone. Everybody's and their preferences etc.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I think what you have picked for a color is beautiful. So nice to see something that isnt white. I agree about new ovens. I dont use gas, but, at our last house, we bought a new stove. That oven never worked right, and actually was much like koolbeans. Clicked on and off, and for meats they had to be cooked longer, and if you baked cookies, it burned the bottoms. I hated that stove. In this house, it came complete with a 60's wall oven, in avocado green, no less, which goes with absolutely nothing, but, I havent even tried to replace it, because, everything I put in that oven at recommended temperature, comes out absolutely perfect. Since all my appliances are black, I have looked at places, where old ovens have been traded in, to see if I could find an oven door in black. So far, I have found many ovens, same as this old GE, with white doors, coppertone doors, turquoise doors, etc etc, but, not a single black one. I hesitate to have it painted, because, I am afraid of peeling. Its in excellent condition, but, its also the first thing noticed in my kitchen. LOL If your old stove still works really good, I would recommend keeping it, because, it probably works better than a new one.

    Sueb20 thanked cat_ky
  • 6 years ago

    I absolutely love that green and white kitchen, Sue! I also think that color scheme would work really well with the style of your house.

    Sueb20 thanked LynnNM
  • 6 years ago

    Re - stoves (and fridges) We've had nothing but GE appliances for the last 36 years. The first GE was in our old house and when we moved 30 years ago we bought a GE stove and fridge for our new home. Never had a problem. We redid our kitchen 10 years ago and bought the GE Profile series and haven't had any problems. We still have the old fridge in the laundry room and it's still going.

    Re the energy efficient appliances - they may be efficient but the DW and the washing machine both take forever to do their jobs. IF I have to wait forever to cook a meal in a so-called efficient oven I'll go nuts.

    I love the green and I think it will be great in a VIctorian house.

    Sueb20 thanked blfenton
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I loved my GE too, we bought ours in 2006 and I wish I wish.

    Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one. I forgot to mention and suspect this is also problematic, but the stainless steel under the grids on top is a nightmare! It’s so fragile, everything scratches it. I’ve been painstakingly careful and then 2 of the repairmen scratched it for me. :c/. Not big scratches, but scratches all the same. The profile we had had a black enamel under the grids, hard to keep clean but at least it didn’t scratch.

    OMG, I’m cooking pork chops in it right now, the buzzer went off and DH took them from the oven for me. His observation....”I don’t think these are done, they looked boiled”. Two thin pork chops. They’ve been in there for almost an hour.

  • 6 years ago

    I would look at Pratt & Larson for tiles that are a bit more unique. This past year I used P & L for a fireplace and Encore for my backsplash. Lots of patterns and colors, and ability to customize if desired.

    Sueb20 thanked chispa
  • 6 years ago

    You have my vote of approval. I love that colour - esp. with a white marble-like counter. I've been obsessing over the pic on the top of the Kitchens forum first page. It might be pale blue rather than green, but I adore it and wish I could see it better. I like that it has a slightly darker tile backsplash than you'd expect.

    Sueb20 thanked daisychain Zn3b
  • 6 years ago

    We like green cabinets so much we put them in our little lake cabin kitchen.


    Sueb20 thanked maddielee
  • 6 years ago

    That's what I have -- only my uppers are beige. Countertop is marble and my island is an old piece of pastry marble from a place where I used to work. I live in a 20s house and think the green is perfect as it would be in your house!

    Sueb20 thanked User
  • 6 years ago

    The kitchen at the 100 year old ringling mansion is a very pretty light jadeite. Maybe a little more delicate than what you were thinking, both are extremely lovely colours and I think your kitchen is going to look great!

    Sueb20 thanked robo (z6a)
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago



    I have had green cabinets for over 6 years, and they still make me happy. I think your inspiration picture is lovely.

    Sueb20 thanked wwbungalow
  • 6 years ago

    I like the idea of a non white paint. But I find that green a bit cold. I also like colors that relate or at least coordinate with other rooms. In a kitchen, given its useful life, I would want colors that” work” w my exterior colors.

    Sueb20 thanked mtnrdredux_gw
  • 6 years ago

    I think the green is lovely.

    Sueb20 thanked writersblock (9b/10a)
  • 6 years ago

    M, that’s interesting, it’s never occurred to me to consider the exterior palette in the kitchen. However, funny you should mention it because I was thinking that a purple could be an interesting accent color.



    Exterior house color is sort of this:




    And/or I really like teal/turquoise as an accent, like the teapot/pot on my stove.

    Granted these are unusual kitchen colors, which is maybe why I like them.


    One reason I started thinking about a pale green for the kitchen is because I’m loving the color of my dining room walls. The green I’m looking for is a shade like the DR, but a lot lighter.

    This vanity is painted Oil Cloth, the color of my DR walls. I would go several shades lighter, just a hint of color.




    More tile I like from Encore...









    And this is daring but I love it.



  • 6 years ago

    Penny rounds for the splash might be nice and I think would go in a Victorian home.

    Sueb20 thanked Joaniepoanie
  • 6 years ago

    Wwbungalow, what are your counters?

  • 6 years ago

    You know, you don't have to have a tile backsplash. You can paint or paper, whatever color is your whim at the moment, or at least until you decide what to do.

    And I love Martha's backsplash, is that 4x4? I think that's more classic than subway.

    Sueb20 thanked bpath
  • 6 years ago

    Gorgeous! And yes, go for it. Green and purple are a classic combo and I'm sure in your deft hands, your kitchen will shine.

    Sueb20 thanked tartanmeup
  • 6 years ago

    Be still my heart and thank you, Sue! Love the green (my fav color and my grandmother’s Victorian kitchen had green cabs). I do like the idea of penny round splash like those in the Sarah Richardson photo. I think some of the Encore tiles may be too modern? Looking forward to the refresh.

    Sueb20 thanked User
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Cool. I can see a riff on this in a Victorian kitchen.


    ETA - your exterior reminds me of Brinjal, which reminds me of fave green by FnB, Mizzle.


    Sueb20 thanked mtnrdredux_gw
  • 6 years ago
    I would love a green kitchen! This would be gorgeous in your house. Sadly, :) I picked a green stove which I’m stoked about but I think it’s locked me into more neutral cabinets.
  • 6 years ago

    Sara, oooohhh, so cool! Have you had a Bluestar before? I would love a colored range.


    F&B Mizzle in a few kitchens...I’ll have to look at a sample IRL but it could be a contender.







  • 6 years ago

    Just saw these beautiful eggplant colored Big Chill on IG the other day, just sayin'.


    Big Chill on IG


    I think the Big Chill ranges are Bluestar, but they have a variety. Do you want to stay with gas? My dept chair has a Samsung duel fuel range, and we have Electrolux induction range.

  • 6 years ago

    Nooooo do not show me the pretty fridges. We have replaced both fridge and DW within the past year, so the only appliances we need are range and microwave.


    Definitely gas stove — we had a duel fuel in the last house, which I liked a lot, so would get one again. We had a GE Profile, which worked perfectly for 13 years so I’d get another one, but just exploring options and being seduced by color...

  • 6 years ago

    I love the soft green cabinet choice, Sueb. It adds such a lightness to your kitchen and will be so pretty with the mostly white counters. I’m sure with your vision and planning it will all come together.

    Sueb20 thanked OutsidePlaying
  • 6 years ago

    Another vote for the lovely green, which is perfect with all of the other colors.

    (PS Have been very happy with my cobalt BlueStar since moving into our new house last June, and the color makes me smile every day.)

  • 6 years ago

    Thank you, everyone. I found a pic of the Oilcloth color in my dining room. I think carrying over this white/green scheme into the kitchen will make me very happy.





  • 6 years ago

    I'm sure you know that those tiles that you posted upthread are very detailed and quite fussy. Just make sure you can live with them on a day-to-day basis spread throughout your kitchen. I wouldn't want them to detract from your green cabinets.

    With the green, I can see your current rug and picture on the wall still in keeping with your colour scheme and the fussy tiles may be too much.

    What style cabinets are you planning on?

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    What would be cool is if somehow you could add an antique eastlake / Victorian buffet or sideboard for a beverage center or whatever in the kitchen.

  • 6 years ago

    I love the inspiration photo and think it will be stunning in your home. I'm another who vowed to say no to subway tiles, but with your kitchen I think they would be beautiful. Especially if you went slightly off white, more cream. I think Ann Sacks did something like that. But I do understand if it is a hard "no" for you.

    I also had a bluestar range (bought in 2005 before color was an option.) It was a great range, but took forever to heat up. I had the 36" gas, 6 burner one. But it was an amazing performer without any bells or whistles to malfunction.


  • 6 years ago

    I have somewhat busy tile with my green cabinets, and I don't find them to be too much at all. It's more a matter of finding a scheme that works rather than assuming you can't have interesting tile because your cabinets are painted a color.

  • 6 years ago

    I love your green inspiration.

    In my current house I have wood stained cabinets and a green island. The island is BM Providence Olive, The countertop is Madre Perla quartzite with a swath of amythyst centered in the island. I really love it. The kitchen was definitely a big factor in the house's quick sale.

  • 6 years ago

    sas, I agree. I think people default to the simple white subway because it can be quite difficult to find the perfect non-white color or patterned tile. It takes lots of time carrying heavy samples home and then trips carting them back to the tile store. It also usually requires that you increase your budget a bit to get that perfect color/pattern.

    I used Encore and I also had to pay and wait for any special samples if they were not available at the tile store. Each tweak of color took about 3 weeks from order to delivery.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I love this antique look elongated hex tile backsplash for your color inspiration . I don’t know if it’s a trick of the lighting but it looks like there is tiny washes of purple.

    No mention of manufacturer on the 2019 post.

  • 6 years ago

    I'm sure that's why most of the kitchen pics I've found with green cabinets have white subway tile! Well, I said no subway tile ever in my house, and then I put blue subway tile in my shower, so clearly I'm open to the options. Fortunately, we have several great tile stores near us, so I will have good places to look. As far as budget -- there really isn't a ton of tile needed, so I can go a little crazy. The only backsplash tile is what you can see in the pic I posted above.


    justterri, funny you mention that. We have a small island that we'll be getting rid of -- I guess it's more of a peninsula because it's against a wall at one short end. We'll be removing the island and putting a "coffee station" on that wall (I think -- granted, these are all just random plans not based on any reality thus far) and we're wondering if we might find a piece of furniture instead. Probably unlikely that we will find something the right size, but we could also have something made.


    I am in the process of setting up a meeting with a kitchen designer, so for now, all of the above is just fantasy!


  • 6 years ago

    My counters are marble. They do etch but I don’t think the etching takes away from them.

    Sueb20 thanked wwbungalow
  • 6 years ago

    I love the green! I think it will be beautiful in your home.


    Sueb20 thanked tinam61
  • 6 years ago

    I have lived with a marble countertop on my main island for 8 years now I think. It etched once, when a colander with garden tomatoes leaked. Hard to see the etch now. I don't consider it a big deal esp if you use honed; it would certainly not stop me from using it.

    Sueb20 thanked mtnrdredux_gw
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I have a neighbor who recently redid her kitchen, she used the quartz marble and it’s gorgeous. Looks pretty much the same without the etching.

    here it is honed

    Sueb20 thanked Lukki Irish
  • 6 years ago

    I think the soft green is going to be beautiful in a Victorian house. We did 2 wainscot boards painted to match our cabs. I wanted it to look like old built in cabinetry. 10+ years & paint looks fine.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    In our last house, we had painted a beadboard backsplash to match the cabs (same photo I posted w the counters on the Cupcake Maven thread), I like the look and with washable paint it's not a maintenance issue at all.

  • 6 years ago

    Love the green, especially with marble counters. It's not trendy. My grandmother had that color! I'm older than dirt, so that was a long time ago.

    Beadboard is appropriate for that time period. I like it painted, but varnished was common on varnished cabinets/dressers. If you really want tile, but not subway, you might consider 1-inch hex tiles. They existed during the Victorian era. I would never do an "interesting" tile anywhere, because I get bored easily. If you use simple white or cream, you can change accessories or repaint the cabinets almost any color you want.

  • 6 years ago

    Look at SW Mourning Dove (originally a SW Martha Stewart color).We just redid a kitchen and had actually chosen that color with marble counter, but chickened out and went with white. Big regret!

  • 6 years ago

    Love the green cabinets, so nice to see a look that is not trendy. Unique and won’t be so 2019 in another 10 years.


    Would do color for my kitchen cabinets, they are ugly Pickled pinky beige, but we may be selling in a couple of years. Of course maybe color would not be a downside compared to what we have.

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