The Unexpected Color That Goes With Everything

I have just given you a magic wand. Cool, huh? Step outside and wave it over every bit of greenery you see. Say, “Abracadabra — I change you to beige!” Now peruse the result of your handiwork. All the life, vitality, joy and color have vanished, haven’t they?

Now wave your wand again and restore the green. Does this make you think any differently about what constitutes a neutral color?

Nature’s lavish use of the color green exhibits no regard for the need to match hues. See how she mixes lime green, forest green, yellow-green, blue-green, spring green, sage green and avocado green? There are simply no rules, only a cheerful and riotous surrender to any and all shades of green — nature’s neutral color.


Next consider sky, sand, flowers and even vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, beets, eggplants, pumpkins and lemons. Nature shows an equal lack of restraint when it comes to what colors work with green. Which is why I consider green a neutral.


I propose that green is the truest of all neutrals — not beige, taupe, gray or cream. It can be used as a standalone color, without any need for repetition, as in this lively accent wall painted Benjamin Moore’s Rosemary Green …


… or with this sedate and comfortable Tansy Green from Sherwin-Williams, which complements the wood tones around it in an organic, restful way.


This scintillating early-spring green (Picnic 6731 by Sherwin-Williams) brings the entire room to life …


… as does Benjamin Moore’s Huntington Green, another spectacular choice for a classic accent wall.


If a whole wall is too much for you to start with, how about just accenting a beam or the ceiling? The reddish purple and green accents in this bedroom illustrate how you can stick your toe in the water without totally immersing yourself in a color.


Or go for broke and paint the entire room. If you need encouragement, just poke your head outdoors again.


Anytime a room feels dreary or lifeless, consider adding green, like with this traditional green cabinetry that so beautifully complements the black and white floor.


And these high-gloss, hot-green accent cabinets, which bring this otherwise-restrained kitchen to life.


This leads to my second premise: Green knows no style boundaries. Whether your design tastes veer toward traditional …


… or contemporary …


… or eclectic, green just works. These shiny kelly-green lamp shades purposefully and happily do not match the other greens in the room. Different hues of green give a room depth and vitality, while they introduce both oomph and whimsy.


My third premise is that — because it’s a neutral — green goes with any and all colors. I pay no attention to the color wheel when it comes to green (or any other color, honestly). Nature precedes that tool and mixes green without compromise. I adore how the mix of colors in this room works because of the use of green.


You might start introducing green in your dining chairs. Remember, furniture style is not a factor.


Whether wild …


… or Windsor, green is completely at home.


The same can be said for a green sofa, paired here with warm taupes …


… and here with a bold blue.


Green doesn’t shrink from orange and grays …


… or very traditional shades of apricot and cream.


Start smaller with just a green chair …


… or a pair of green chairs!


The green of this wing chair fabric is repeated in the time-honored way: as a linear, a geometric and a floral.


One of my favorite pairings is green and chocolate.


I also adore the Miami Vice palette of aqua and lime green.


Punctuate an all-white space with green accents and art.


Green light fixtures …


… and accessories wake up these rooms in the best possible way.


I will curb my enthusiasm and stop going on and on. But feast your eyes on this wonderful console table arrangement while contemplating a quotation from 17th-century Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca: “Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”

More: More ways to decorate with green

URL: The Unexpected Color That Goes With Everything http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-24107.html