Three greens for a kitchen, and how to choose yours

Green is the most popular kitchen colour we see in reader projects this year, by a long way. It works with wood, with brass, with white walls and with stone. But "green" is not one colour. Here are three kitchens with three greens, and how to choose yours.

Sage: the calm one

Sage is a soft green with a lot of grey in it. It looks quiet in the morning and warm under lamps in the evening. It suits small kitchens, north-facing rooms and anyone who wants colour without drama.

• #A9B49A Sage — cupboard doors
• #EFE9DD Linen — walls
• #C9A66B Brass — handles and taps

Olive: the warm one

Olive has yellow in it. It feels earthy and relaxed, and it is very good with oak, terracotta and natural stone. It can look muddy in dim light, so it works best in a kitchen with good daylight.

• #7A7A4E Olive — cupboard doors
• #E6DCCB Oat — walls
• #B0583B Terracotta — floor tiles

Bottle green: the bold one

Dark green is dramatic and surprisingly easy to live with. It hides marks, makes brass glow and makes a big kitchen feel cosy. In a small kitchen, use it on the lower cupboards only, with lighter walls above.

• #2F4A3F Bottle green — lower cupboards
• #F3EEE6 Chalk — walls and upper shelves
• #8A6A45 Oak — worktop and shelves

Green is the colour of the outside. In a kitchen, it feels like the window is open.

Maren Lind

How to choose

1. Look at the light. North light is cool and makes greens look greyer; south light makes them warmer and yellower.
2. Look at the worktop. Oak loves olive and sage. White stone suits sage and bottle green. Black worktops need a green with some blue in it.
3. Test big. Paint a sample at least A3 size on the door itself, not on the wall, and live with it for three days.

Handles

Brass is the natural partner for almost any green, because its warmth balances the cool in the paint. Black handles look sharp on sage. Wooden knobs suit olive.