I Knew I Loved Green Kitchens, but Mandy Moore’s Island Has Taken This Tone to New Heights – It’s Soothing, Sophisticated, and Timeless

In her newly-renovated California home, the singer shows exactly why earthy green hues are a timeless kitchen color choice

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Green island / Mandy Moore
(Image credit: Future/ Araya Doheny/WireImage via Getty Images)

It might feel like a cliché, but I have a real soft spot for nature-inspired paint colors. (Yes, the kinds that conjure images of rolling meadows or moss-covered hills.) To me, these colors are guaranteed to create soothing, restorative spaces – and Mandy Moore's green kitchen island has certainly helped me prove my theory.

The actress' Altadena home was recently renovated after the property – and the surrounding neighborhood – was devastated by last year's wildfires. Reimagined by architect Emily Farnham and designer Sarah Sherman Samuel, Mandy's home is now a serene, light-filled sanctuary.

Shop the Mandy Moore-Inspired Green Edit

I'll admit that this particular green is a little darker than the shades I tend to prefer, but it stopped me in my tracks. It feels like a dramatic counterpoint to the kitchen's airy, white backdrop, and it lends the entire space a warm, cocooning feel.

While experts say that light green shades are one of the biggest kitchen cabinet color trends for 2026, Mandy's kitchen island proves that moodier hues aren't going anywhere. Used sparingly in neutral color palettes like this one, green can become the perfect focal point. Here, for example, the island is striking and sophisticated, but it doesn't overwhelm the space.

Green is, after all, a brilliant neutral shade in its own right. Take the gray-green color trend, which emerged as a 'new neutral' a few years ago and is set to dominate this year. (Martha Stewart's gray-green kitchen proves that the shade is particularly well suited to cabinetry.)

While Mandy's island boasts a slightly earthier tone, it still feels impactful. Echoing the bold veining of the kitchen's marble countertops and backsplash, it grounds the space and adds plenty of dimension to the simple, breezy palette.

Designers say that green shades are an enduringly popular kitchen choice – and they're guaranteed to create a focal point in your space

Designers say that green shades are an enduringly popular kitchen choice – and they're guaranteed to create a focal point in your space

(Image credit: Future)

Green may seem like a more contemporary choice for a kitchen, and Mandy pairs the Benjamin Moore shade with sleek gold hardware for a decidedly modern look. To maintain a welcoming, lived-in feel, however, she emphasizes organic textures, from stone to wood. (Above the island, you'll spot Edmund pendant lights from Lostine, which are finished in a gorgeous maple.)

Without variation and depth, neutral schemes can risk looking clinical – especially when styled with bold metals – but Mandy's green kitchen island ensures that the entire space is balanced and warm.

If you're wary of introducing so much green into your kitchen, designers say that it's a reliably timeless choice.

According to Tom Howley, Creative Design Director at the eponymous kitchen company, shades like this one 'bring a softness that feels calm and welcoming, while still offering more interest than a classic neutral. In a kitchen, where people spend so much of their time, it creates a sense of understated elegance that won’t date.'

Designer also note that Mandy's chosen color is particularly versatile, seamlessly complimenting the other elements of her kitchen while creating the perfect talking point.

'In an area with warm woods and creamy finishes, an earthy-toned green feels grounded and architectural – almost like a standalone furniture piece,' explains Lauren Lerner, Founder and Principal Designer at Scottsdale-based luxury design firm Living with Lolo. 'It draws the eye in a subtle way and gives the room personality.'

If I wasn't already drawn to elegant green shades, Mandy's stunning kitchen island has shown me that my obsession runs deep. Nature-inspired spaces are certainly soothing, but they can also be striking – and undeniably luxurious, too.

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Martha Davies
Martha Davies
Content Editor

Martha is a Content Editor on the Living team at Homes & Gardens. Her love for lifestyle journalism began when she interned at Time Out Dubai when she was 15 years old; she went on to study English and German at Oxford, before covering property and interior design at Country & Town House magazine. To Martha, living beautifully is all about good food and lots of colorful home decor.