These 13 Kitchens Prove That Sageing Your Cabinets Is the Ultimate Design Cleanse

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We’re happy to report that renovators adding sage green kitchen cabinets to their homes wasn’t a pandemic-era phase: The trend is here to stay. And it’s easy to see why. The color can balance it all. An equal blend of citron and slate, this gray-green is as space cleansing as the aromatic plant from which it gets its name—just don’t mistake it for boring. It’s both energizing and calming without being the slightest bit blah, and can act like a neutral in a louder space or make a statement in an otherwise neutral home. It’s a chromatic chameleon that is appealing across design styles, from farmhouse to modern minimalist. Need we say more?

The fun part, then, is finding just the right hue for your kitchen. If you’re considering the nature-inspired color, read on to get inspired by these 13 rooms.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets That Draw on Nature

Unsurprisingly, sage looks right at home when placed alongside natural materials like wood. The effect is as clean and crisp as a summer forest. In this space, Pluck Design mixed and matched chestnut doors with painted ones. To further tie the two together, the studio opted for finger holes in place of pulls and used the contrasting hue for each (wood for the sage fronts and vice versa).

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets That Complement Cottagecore

British designer Matilda Goad chose a warm, welcoming backdrop for her North London home’s kitchen cupboards, which are painted in Sage Green from Little Greene. The walls are covered in blush limewash paint (it only appears to be real plaster), and the rounded stone backsplash is finished with a sweet scalloped edge. Add in vintage brass handles (some sourced from an old ship) and the sophisticated magpie theme is complete.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets That Show the Color’s Range

For her client’s modern cabin, designer Shea McGee paired streamlined sage cabinets with marble countertops, a matte black oven hood, a globe pendant chandelier, and matte black hardware (instead of the usual brass). Set against the adjacent open-plan, all-white dining area, the deep green creates a dramatic twist that’s still functional.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets With Built-In Contrast

Looking to create instant contrast? Simply pick up a color wheel and identify opposites. Here, a coral island and skirting along with a pink-painted backsplash brighten the sage cabinets in an unexpected way. “While the colors in the kitchen are bold, they also follow the classic rules of color theory,” says Pluck cofounder George Glasier of this London project. “That’s why the combination works.”

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets That Set a Charming Scene

Whether your mind thinks mint chip or pistachio (yes, we’re talking ice cream), one thing’s for sure: This Atlanta kitchen got a totally monochromatic makeover. Misfit House designer Monica Stewart worked with the kitchen’s existing layout and layered on charm in the form of Farrow & Ball paint, matching sage-hued backsplash tile, custom cabinet fronts with cutout detail, and a La Cornue range crowned with a scalloped brass hood.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets That Go Beyond Builder-Basic

Not all kitchen renovations require custom cabinetry and colors. Washington, D.C.–based designer Basma Masood made budget-friendly decisions with her clients every step of the way to help bring their dream kitchen to life. A major save was keeping the layout and replacing existing cabinets with a premade sage color from cabinet manufacturer Local Cabinet Source. To break up the green and lighten the room, warm wood fronts were added to the island along with white quartz counters throughout.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets That Make Color-Blocking Cool

Instead of fading the small footprint of this Warsaw kitchen into the background, Polish design firm In Architekci made it the focal point of the room. In this case, the only strip of floor-to-ceiling cabinets painted in a playful sage hue act as an accent wall of sorts against the cornflower and bubblegum pink. Make your own color-blocked configuration to shake up the palette.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets With Groovy ’70s Vibes

Almost every item in this Laurel Canyon kitchen is new, but you’d never know it. Homeowners Caroline Edwards and Nicholas Kraft wanted a kitchen with an old-world feel and lots of character, inspired by their new breezy, bohemian Los Angeles neighborhood. Designer Gianpiero Gaglione gave them just that, opting for sage green beadboard cabinets, distressed brick on the walls, a zellige backsplash, and vintage knobs and pulls.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets That Follow Streamlined Simplicity

Jess Stern founded Mustard Made—a line of old-school–style lockers in 10 curated hues—to make storage more fun. So it’s only fitting that the London kitchen she shares with her partner, Mark, and daughter, Poppy, is both highly functional and beautifully painted. The Howdens cabinetry features customized interiors, including a pantry with spice storage and coffee station. As for the doors—those were color-matched to Mustard Made’s sage green locker, naturally.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets Straight Out of a European Café

“I noticed how good he looked standing in our beige garage with his pale green jeans and sky-colored cotton shirt,” recalls designer Elina Mussakulova of her husband’s outfit. The color combination from that day would go on to set the palette for a client’s full home renovation in Kazakhstan, reminding us that inspiration is peeking around every corner. A custom sage green was applied to the kitchen cabinets (along with doors and trim around the apartment), while a sunny yellow created a happy contrast.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets Fit for a Cozy Craftsman

What happens when an avid cook moves into a home with a 1920s kitchen? The obvious answer: a renovation. San Francisco–based Jessica Mikesell worked with friend and designer Grace Lee-Lim to transform the dark, dated space into a place where she and her husband could enjoy cooking together every day. Thankfully the layout and original terracotta floors were kept as is. New cabinet boxes coated in Clary Sage by Sherwin-Williams and contrasting black counters create era-appropriate drama. “I was worried the black and green combo would be too dark,” says Mikesell, “but it actually makes it feel cozier.”

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets So Nice They Were Painted Twice

Longtime renter, first-time owner Lauren Hom leaned on her skills as an artist, illustrator, and muralist when tackling her kitchen renovation immediately after buying in Detroit. Her first DIY reno resulted in a light teal and pink kitchen—with flaky cabinets. Years later, she upgraded to sunny yellow uppers, carrying the paint to the ceiling for continuity, and saturated sage lowers to make a real statement. The final touch: sealing all the cabinets with a clear polycrylic gloss from Minwax to prevent chipping.

Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets as Supporting Characters

This coastal kitchen overlooking Sydney Bay, Australia, brings attention-grabbing natural materials like Brazilian quartzite with sparkly flecks, walnut veneer cabinets, and brass pulls to the forefront. Kerrie-Ann Jones designed the kitchen with her young family of four in mind, which meant rounded corners on the cabinetry and an island with main-character energy. A full accent wall of seafoam-y sage green cabinetry along the back adds an air of calm sophistication to the mix.