Do's and Don'ts of Decorating With Green

Green is a color with many personalities. Unlike most colors, green can be warm or cool, depending on its components. Yellow-greens are warm colors and full of energy. Gray-greens or blue greens are more relaxed and subdued. Successfully decorating with green can simply mean finding the perfect green for your home. 

DO ignore the outdated advice that green should not be used for dining rooms or kitchens. The right green can balance out the warm woods of most cabinets and dining room furniture. A minty green looks wonderful with white cabinets.

DON'T ignore the undertones of any green you’re considering. Many color schemes have been derailed by a too-blue green, when what was really called for was a yellow-green. Green can have blue or yellow undertones, and the difference is substantial when matching colors. Color names can often give clues as to the temperature of a color.

DO look beyond sage green when looking for the perfect green. There is a world of greens out there including blue-greens like aqua and teal, and yellow-greens like apple green and olive.

DO consider green as a neutral. A muted or gray-green can easily serve as a neutral color. The key to a green neutral its level of gray, which is considered a neutral itself. A gray-green used in amonochromatic color scheme with gray neutrals, is a soothing and sophisticated look.

DON'T forget that the green foliage outside your windows can reflect a green cast inside and intensify your green decor. Always sample paint and try out green furniture and fabric in the room before committing. Many homeowners have been stumped by the color reflecting back into their home and altering the colors they chose.  Even bare dirt outside your window can cast a red glow on your green interior.

DO think of using lively greens as accents if you’re not ready for a green sofa or green walls. Try a vivid green accent table, or paint the inside back of a bookcase for a peek of  color. If you love green but aren’t sure if it should be the centerpiece of your color scheme, create a scheme with green as an accent color. 

DO consider using a color wheel when creating a color scheme based on green. Green is at its most harmonious in an analogous color scheme. That is a scheme using three colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. A analogous scheme of blue-green, green, and green yellow can make a refreshing palette. An analogous color scheme works best with one dominant color, with the two adjacent colors as accents.

DO think creatively when adding green to your color palette. Think beyond just combining green with neutrals. Green can be fantastic with yellow, pink, and even purple, if you plan your color scheme carefully. Color schemes from the 1960s and 1970s paired grass green with sunny yellow and hot pink. Earthy retro schemes combined avocado green with harvest gold, and burnt orange. While these vintage schemes may not be right for your home, it shows the total versatility of green.