Jennifer Sheahan: Why green is the new grey in home decor
Dark green velvet couches experienced a surge of popularity in the past few years and I can’t ever see myself getting tired of them. Picture: Moya Nolan
According to all interior designers worth their salt, grey is out for 2023.
This is disappointing news to me — as much as I love colour, I have the ubiquitous greige walls in my home (Subtle by Colourtrend for those interested) which I feel serves as the perfect backdrop for layering more colourful pieces of furniture and fabrics against it.
If you’re in love with your grey then ignore the trends and continue in your happy neutrality; however, if you feel you need a change, then green is your answer. With the weekend that’s in it, you might have shamrock shades in your mind — but there are far more hues to choose from.
The Irish climate pairs very well to the colour green, and as I was planning this article I looked around to realise there is much more green in my home than I realised. Given its abundance in nature, it’s a colour that often tends to slip below our notice.
Green in interiors is nothing new — it experienced a revival when Pantone named “Greenery” its colour of the year back in 2017 — but it can be a daunting colour to know what to do with. Green is a secondary colour, meaning it is a result of two primary colours — blue and yellow.
This gives it a range of uses as a mood-setter — bluish-greens tend to be calming and serene, while yellow undertones are more energising and vibrant. Here are some of the many ways you can incorporate green into your home.
Green has firmly replaced grey as the undertone colour of choice for painting neutral walls. Were I to re-paint my home, I would likely replace Subtle with greener Colourtrend colours such as Sorrel or Goya; or the lovely Lime White from Farrow and Ball. Subtle undertones of green in white paint create a calming environment, and work particularly well in north-facing rooms.
For stronger colours, I can never get enough of Bancha by Farrow and Ball — a deep and calming yet still uplifting shade of olive. Sweet Caper by Colourtrend is a livelier moss-green which manages to somehow be both vibrant and serene.
I have green walls in my study-slash-spare-room — it’s Studio Green by Farrow and Ball, and I love the sense of refined depth and peace it brings to the room. It’s perfect for a room designed for work and sleep.
I adore a sage green country-style kitchen. I also adore a matte finish on kitchen cabinets, so were I to redecorate a country-style kitchen my green of choice would be either Coolabah Green or Duck Egg Blue from the range of chalk paints by Annie Sloan.
Fans of @victorianrathmines on Instagram fell in love with Kate’s beautiful Caldwell Green kitchen from Benjamin Moore paints. I also adore a green backsplash as a pop of colour against painted cabinets — TileStyle have gorgeous Bevelled Victorian Green metro-style tiles which would look stunning in either a modern or traditional style kitchen.
Dark green velvet couches experienced a surge of popularity in the past few years and I can’t ever see myself getting tired of them. Velvet is an easy-to-clean fabric, and combined with green creates a luxurious plush oasis of relaxation.
Green as an accent colour works exceptionally well in armchairs — either a deep rich leather wingback or a lighter mid-century style recliner would complement almost any room. Patterns are a versatile way to bring in greenery — I have a herringbone patterned sofa-bed in Ocean from Finline Furniture that would pair well with pretty much anything.
Green’s versatility makes it the perfect accent colour. My blinds are a patterned green — Jungle Palms in velvet by Emma J Shipley. My favourite use of it is in the bedroom — I find green bedsheets to be the most relaxing of all. My favourites set is Aqua Leaf by Foxford — a soothing and refreshing small leaf pattern that I want to dive into every time I put it on my bed.
Amurelle also have a rich deep Forest Green set that makes me want to cosy up with endless cups of tea and books for an entire weekend. Green pillows are great accents too, as are throws and blankets, but my favourite green accent is a traditional style bankers lamp. Maybe it’s because they had them in a library I used to frequent, but I find them reassuring and nostalgic, a timeless design that complements any desk.
What better way to capitalise on green’s ability to bring the outside in than to literally bring outside plants into your home. Green plants are effectively a neutral, and so are a great way to bring in more colour without overwhelming an already busy space, or to add some background colour without drama to a minimalist home. The one plant I’ve managed to keep alive is a palm that I picked up in Dunnes nearly three years ago.
It perfectly fills a space that needed “a little something” without intruding on the design of the room. I also really love the concept of living walls — they not only look great but also purify the air and can absorb sounds too. Check out @mossdesignart for some wonderful options.
- Got a question for Jennifer Sheahan? Email home@examiner.ie
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