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Need help finding right green for kitchen cabinets!

5 years ago

Hi all, I need to decide quickly because of the pace at which the contractor is moving… and he has another job after mine.

I thought I had the kitchen cabinet colour all figured out, it was to be a soft, light sage green that is just a lighter version than the green that’s on my tile (attached).

But, I have tried Farrow & Ball’s Theresa’s kitchen (along with close matches Sherwin Williams Copen Blue and Rainwashed), and they all came out too aqua!

Then I tried Farrow & Ball’s Cooking Apple Green and it was a lot better, but now the problem was it teetered a bit too much toward a yellowish/limey pistachio green.

Pictures of both attempts against my existing brown cabinets can be seen in one picture, with the green/white/blue backsplash tile on the counter. The green I was aiming for can be found in the other picture. Any/all help welcome!

Comments (11)

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    You might consider taking the photo to the paint store and having them computer match it.

  • 5 years ago

    I took a screen shot of cabinet of the lower picture cabinet door and superimposed some colors.

    Hope this helps.



  • 5 years ago

    Wow, you’re amazing! Thank you so much, this is super helpful!!

  • 5 years ago

    Are you keeping the wall color? it looks blue (woth grey, pink undertones) on my screen, and at least on my screen doesnt work with any of the greens you like. But more importantly, it is throwing off the greens on the cabinets. The cabinets will likely look a very different color against a white or cream background like your sample photo.

  • 5 years ago

    SW Filmy Green was done by a member here.

  • 5 years ago

    it was to be a soft, light sage green that is just a lighter version than the green that’s on my tile (attached).


    Which tile? A backsplash tile? I don't see a green tile in your picture? In any case, as Diana suggested, bring whatever item is your inspiration starting piece to the paint store for a matching starting point. The staff can help you find the lighter versions of it.

  • 5 years ago

    I love this color. Of course it may look different in person. It's Ben Moore HC 116

  • 5 years ago

    You need to take your tile into an SW store.


    I just went through a bunch of green sw paint chips for an exterior house color. I was trying to match a berry basket I bought at Crate and Barrel. The privilege green looked close - too gray inside - but plenty bright outside. There is another much lighter color called sagey which has more brown.


    Go to the store with your tile and collect a bunch of green paint chips - not just the ones that match your tile, but anything that catches your eye. Colors change at different times of the day with different lighting.

  • 5 years ago

    Try SW Liveable Green. It's a soft, muted green like your inspiration photo.

  • 5 years ago

    Thank you all! I checked out samples of all the colours everyone suggested, and many were excellent suggestions. I also brought my tile into the paint store (it’s the blue and green and white tile — near the bottom left of the picture, if I recall correctly).

    In the end, together with the Sherwin Williams person, I ended up asking her to match Farrow & Ball’s Vert de Terre (which is very close to your other suggestions), and then from there we inched it over , small step by step, toward a slightly closer match to the green on the tile (albeit a lighter shade). And it works - just the colour I wanted!

    Excruciating process though…literally up until the time that my test patch dried I had my doubts that it would be okay. But it works. I’ll post a picture when it’s all done!

    PS -To the person who noted that the blue on the walls is perhaps not ideal : You are absolutely correct. It’s an old colour match to Farrow & Ball’s Parma Grey (at 50% the intensity so it’s a bit lighter, but the inky/indigo aspect of the blue is still noticeable - so it’s not a clearcut light blue like there is in the tile). Overall not an atrocious combo, but a wee bit off for sure. But I’ve tackled enough projects this summer so good enough wil have to be good enough for this year - will wait to reconsider the walls next summer (This is a seasonal cottage). So what I’m going to do for now is to keep the entire backsplash space (between the white/grey marbled counter that’s going to be installed and the upper cabinets) strictly a mix of my white/green/blue tile and a white background. At least that way there’ll be a more harmonious flow from base cabinet to upper cabinet, because the eye won’t be as able to compare the blue on the tile with the discordant wall blue (which will now be only above the cabinets).