This Emerald Green Kitchen Will Convince You to Paint Your Cabinets a Bold Color

Photo credit: Dustin Halleck
Photo credit: Dustin Halleck

Designers dream of clients like Kathleen Platt: fearless and trusting. So when Chicago-based SuzAnn Kletzien conjured a vivid green scheme with orange and brass accents for the renovation of Platt’s Lincoln Park kitchen, “There was zero hesitation,” the designer says.

Photo credit: Dustin Halleck
Photo credit: Dustin Halleck

Platt, along with her husband, Daniel, and seven-year-old son, Lennox, inherited a standard white kitchen—albeit with good stainless steel appliances—when they moved into this home. Having worked together before, the homeowner says Kletzien “knew we wanted to push the envelope even further with this space.”

After spotting a rich green in a Benjamin Moore showroom as part of a matte-finish-only paint line, Kletzien decided to color match it in a satin option that’s more durable for cabinetry. “The color was so vibrant, deep, and rich, it drew me into the showroom entrance,” she recalls. “I couldn’t keep my eyes off it.” She found the closest match in the brand’s Hunter Green, and suggested painting not only the cabinets but also the crown and base moldings and window trim to match. “Blue was so big for so long. But the client and I both love green,” Kletzien says. “It’s a very appetizing color.” The designer then extended the green into the adjoining family room, carrying it through on the millwork: “The ceilings in the family room are super tall and it allowed us to draw attention up there.”

To bring in warm orange tones, Kletzien designed a custom copper hood, upholstered a banquette in Perennials fabric, and found a vintage runner in a rusty color from Jayson Home. Brass hardware and pendants naturally complement the visual cacophony. More unexpectedly, Kletzien fronted upper cabinets in brass mesh. “The combination of brass and green is so stunning,” she says. “I can’t get enough of it.”

3 Genius Details

Photo credit: Dustin Halleck
Photo credit: Dustin Halleck

Main Kitchen: Paint: Hunter Green in satin finish, Benjamin Moore. Pendants: Kelly Wearstler for Circa Lighting. Counter stools: Williams Sonoma Home. Tile: Clé. Hardware: Rejuvenation. Appliances: Viking. Copper hood: custom, SuzAnn Kletzien, fabricated by World CopperSmith. Banquette: Pendant: Corbett Lighting. Chairs and table: Williams Sonoma Home. Pillows: Perennials (banquette cushion), Schumacher (tiger and red), Libertine (letter print). Runner: Jayson Home.


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