Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, uses this cabinet color combination to add 'earthiness and depth' to her kitchen

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh balance a timeless tone with a trending hue to design a kitchen with 'undeniable appeal'

Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, are no strangers to being photographed while on royal duty, but their home, Bagshot Park, is notably more removed from the camera lens. However, a glimpse of the royal residence, located in Surrey, England, shows (arguably) the most important room of the home, the kitchen, where the couple's color choices reign supreme. 

The Duchess of Edinburgh filmed herself baking 55 cheese and bacon scones to raise money for young people across the UK – and while we were impressed at this quantity, we admit that her white cabinet and sage green wall color pairing stole much of our attention. 

While green kitchens are certainly no new 'trend,' designers say this tone (including sage, particularly) will only continue to impress. And, to ensure this color remains a failsafe, pairing it with white (or other natural) kitchen cabinets is an impactful starting point. 

'Green kitchens are having something of a moment right now. Perfect for your culinary hub, it’s a fresh color with earthiness and depth that leaves you feeling nourished and full of life,' comments designer Tom Howley. 

Alongside sage green, Howley says that mossy green tones pair particularly well with white features. 'Mossy hues may pack a punch, but they create a scheme with undeniable appeal when combined with burnished brass hardware and sleek white [features],' he notes. In the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's case, they have gone green via their walls while keeping their cabinets neutral. However, we can experiment with varying combinations, such as green cabinets and white countertops, as Howley suggests. 

'With such a bold cabinet color choice, it makes sense to keep the countertop bright and neutral – complementing the space without detracting from the bolder palette.'

sage green kitchen

A sage green kitchen similar to Duchess of Edinburgh's.  

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)
Tom Howley
Tom Howley

Tom Howley founded the luxury British kitchen brand in 2004. With showrooms across the country, Tom Howley specialize in fitting beautiful, bespoke kitchen designs crafted from the finest materials.

Similarly, Matt Rotherham, the CEO of Gemini Worktops urges us to install open shelving to balance our green hue and ensure our space doesn't feel overpowered with one color. 

Green is now the must-have color and has taken over from blue. Choosing a non-neutral color might sound like a bold statement, but paired with open or floating shelves (which are also strong trends for this year), it helps keep your kitchen light and bright,' he says.

'A piece of stone used as a large upstand that goes further up the wall is also a beautiful option if you go for this style of kitchen, creating a cool and contemporary feel.'


Shop H&G's green kitchen edit

Paint aside, we can tap into the green kitchen trend with these accessible buys we've handpicked below. They're the best way to flirt with the trend before investing in color, and we'd like to hope the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh would approve. 

Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.