Loving Kitchen Color

It's not unusual to show off a favorite hue in the living room, but for some reason, kitchens rarely get that special treatment. Deepthi Brown, however, wasn't about to do a neutral or white cook space in her light-filled Los Angeles home. For her it was bright green or bust! Designed by: Michele Trout and Heidi Bonesteel, Bonesteel Trout Hall, Los Angeles, 310-454-8762, bonesteeltrouthall.com

"My backsplash isn't at all bashful," says Deepthi. For the tile, she considered dozens of styles and shades of green but landed on Vibe-Ashbury in key lime by Walker Zanger. She describes the color as "paddy field green," a fresh, grassy hue that reminds her of the rice fields in her native India. "We love the curved shape of the tiles because they match the Mediterranean style of the house," she says. Vibe-Ashbury Mosaic in key lime, $21 per square foot, walkerzanger.com for stores.

"Okay, all green would have been too much," says Deepthi. As a concession to her husband, Patrick, whose style is more traditional and less colorful than Deepthi's, Designers Heidi Bonesteel and Michele Trout calmed down the kicky palette with two tones of natural wood: light oak cabinets, and a dark walnut countertop on the island. The floor tiles, in terra-cotta, were another compromise.

Michele and Heidi helped the Browns reconfigure the kitchen's floor plan to be more roomy. They started with the back wall, which now houses the 60-inch range by Wolf.