Green is in general a calming and relaxing color. Being the color that represents nature, it’s one that makes us feel good and positive, so it is no wonder that it held such a significant appeal for so long.
But now that dark green has fallen out of favor, you may be wondering what color is replacing dark green. Of all the variations of green, dark green is the one that always held the most gravitas with designers and decorators, however, this dark and foreboding color trend is steadily being replaced by its paler – and brighter – cousins.
‘Dark green was often used in traditional gentlemen’s clubs and libraries to stimulate concentration and deep thinking, but we are now seeing light green as the perfect tone for our homes, as it is calming and relaxing and helps us to truly unwind,' explains Francesca Wezel, founder of Francesca’s Paints.
Uplifting and timeless in their simplicity, nature-inspired room color ideas have become a stalwart in the world of interiors.Botanical tones, the ones found in nature, work with most shades to create rooms that are harmonious and easy to live with.
What is the new dark green in interior design?
Green room ideas aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but our love affair with darker greens is shifting to paler variations. Think teal, sage, turquoise, and light olive in lieu of rich, forest greens.
'Green is the color of balance and harmony,' says Karen Haller, color psychologist, and best-selling author of The Little Book of Color (opens in new tab). 'It sits between the physicality of red, the intellect of blue, and the emotion of yellow. In essence, green is the balance between the mind, body, and emotional self.'
Karen suggests that one of the main reasons we are switching from dark green to light green is down to how it affects our mood and well-being. 'Whether a color is stimulating or soothing to us depends on its chromatic intensity,' she says. 'If it is a deeply saturated color, it is likely to be stimulating, and, if it has low saturation, it is likely to be soothing.'
(Image credit: Sims Hilditch)
Is dark green out of style for 2023?
Some of the best interior designers believe that dark green is out of style for 2023, but that is not to say that you should do away with green altogether.
While dark green will never be entirely out of style, we are seeing a resurgence of brighter tones of green. The return of the seventies has been influencing interior trends for 2023; with a palette of teals, turquoise, and sage tones seeing a sharp renewal.
What can I paint walls with instead of dark green?
'Now the summer is on the horizon, I love to decorate with turquoise,' says Tobie Lewis, senior brand manager at Valspar Paint. 'Turquoise, with its biophilic nature and blue-green undertone, helps to keep us grounded and encourages stress-relieving effects on the mind and body.'
‘Spending more time in our homes these past two years has led to prioritizing comfort and relaxation, leading to trends in natural and organic shades in our interiors, as well as houseplants and windowsill gardens.’
Alice Hood, senior design consultant at Roundhouse is using sage green instead of forest green. ‘Sage green is a comforting color,' she says. 'Even by name alone, it evokes the thought of foraging and nourishment in the natural world, growth, renewal, and life as a whole.'
'It brings the outside in, even in the most urban setting, and studies have been conducted to show that being surrounded by green can relax our nervous system and help us to feel calm, and in some cases, even live longer.’
Teal is another color having its moment in the spotlight this year. It is currently riding a renaissance, according to Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball. ‘Teal is a very balanced, versatile shade that can be used to create a subtle or dramatic space, as it shifts between blue and green in varying levels of light. Its green undertone brings a sense of calm to a room, perfect for spaces of relaxation, such as living rooms and bedrooms.’
How do you decorate with pale or bright green
When it comes to the best color trends, green will always be a popular choice. Its versatility means you can use it just about anywhere. Here's how the experts get it right...
1. Turquoise
(Image credit: Simon Brown)
A beguiling hue that reminds us of warmer climes, turquoise has the ability to be invigorating and calming.
Turquoise is a blue-green color that is never cold. Evocative of warm tropical seas, paradise islands and luxurious infinity pools, it is a color that brings calm and happiness to every surface. With its associations of the ebb and flow of a gently lapping sea, it promotes a sense of calm and relaxation. Ancient Egyptian, Aztec and South American civilizations believed turquoise to be a protector and bringer of good fortune.
Sarah Fortescue, founder, of Sarah Fortescue Design loves to use turquoise in her decorating schemes: ‘I am a big advocate for color and a rich blue-green on the walls paired with strong red tones creates the perfect harmony in my view. It’s particularly suitable in a north-facing room where the strength of the color can replace the lack of natural light and sunshine.’
When it comes to color combinations for rooms, turquoise works well when punctuated with contrasting colors. Consider a palette of bold reds, yellow and exuberant pinks, along with more pastel shades of blue and green. Also, look out for turquoise paints and wallpapers that offer tactile chalky finishes.
2. Sage green
(Image credit: Lindye Galloway Studio + Shop/Chad Mellon)
Uplifting and tranquil, this nature-inspired shade of green has its herbal origins to thank for its soothing properties, making it the perfect choice for a restful room scheme.
With their graceful hues, sage greens can be the perfect color for many rooms in the home but work best in spaces with certain orientations. Bluer-tinged tones can feel chilly in north-facing rooms, while south-facing areas make the greener traces appear more yellow. Sage has an enormous scope as a mindful décor mainstay and is also seen as an effective backdrop for other organic shades.
‘We are noticing a change to the use of softer hues, such as sage, being used all over as a base color, just how neutrals have been used traditionally,’ says Ruth Mottershead (opens in new tab), creative director at Little Greene. ‘These are very calming, positive shades with a timeless quality, that are muted but not enough that they fade into the background, so they work beautifully as a foil for similar earthy tones and richer colors such as browns and ochre, which can give a more dynamic effect.’
Ruth Mottershead
Ruth Mottershead is the creative director of the family-run paint and wallpaper businesses Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library, which specialize in creating luxurious paint and wallpaper that represent 300 years of decorative history.
3. Teal
(Image credit: Elizabeth Hay)
The uplifting yet serene teal is an interesting contradiction, blurring the boundaries between blue and green, and equally between fun and sophisticated when added to an interior scheme.
Teal appears on the color wheel between blue and green, so its boundaries are blurred, and numerous interpretations of it exist, from light to dark. ‘Teal is a member of the cyan, or green-blue group, and is widely associated with positivity, happiness, and stability,’ explains Helen Shaw, director of marketing at Benjamin Moore.
But why does teal uplift and calm in equal measure? Tobias Lewis, head of brand at Valspar, has a theory that links to the shades found in the natural world and the recent global pandemic.
Ultimately, we embrace this neither too blue, nor too green shade into our homes and our hearts because of the way it makes us feel. Character and warmth are the key goals in creating an inviting home. ‘Teal is perfectly balanced; it is neither too warm nor too cool, meaning it is the ideal color to create an enveloping and intimate feel,’ sums up Ruth Mottershead, Little Greene’s creative director.
4. Olive
(Image credit: Emma Sims-Hilditch)
Inspired by the natural world, olive is restful with a touch of heritage. Strong yet soothing, it brings an enveloping feel but can also sit quietly and allow bold furniture to shine.
While dark green is the most majestic of colors, it’s not for everyone. Olive green, however, is a much more subtle, somewhat safer option for your walls, and its yellow undertones still provide those sought-after mood-boosting vibes.
‘A gentle shade usually made with yellow ochre, raw and burnt umber, olive is fresh but inviting, especially when compared to greens made with blue,' says Francesca Wezel, founder, of Francesca’s Paints. 'It’s one of the most neutral shades of green there is and, as such, it’s very versatile and can be used in almost every room of the house. It looks great with a dusky pink, red, off-white, or a soft blue.’
Interior designer, Emma Sims-Hilditch agrees: ‘This is a wonderful color that works well all through the year and is ideal if you are trying to bring an element of nature or a heritage feel into a more contemporary city home. It’s a restful and calming shade which not only works well on cabinetry but also looks great on walls.’
Francesca Wezel
After years working as a colorist and manager of various Porter’s Paints shops throughout Sydney, Francesca Wezel returned to London and founded Francesca's Paints in 1996, an artisan paint studio based in Battersea.
As nature begins to spring into life, be inspired to decorate with the season’s fresh botanical shades of green to create refreshing and restorative spaces. Linked inextricably with the enduring beauty of nature, green is a timeless and versatile hue, so opt for paler variations, like our experts, for a contemporary aesthetic.
FAQs
What color is replacing dark green? This is the palette we prefer to use instead, say designers? ›
White and lighter shades of brown can help balance a deep green, plus they make an excellent color combination for those seeking to bring the outdoors inside.
What is the best contrast to dark green? ›White and lighter shades of brown can help balance a deep green, plus they make an excellent color combination for those seeking to bring the outdoors inside.
What is the code for the palette color green? ›The green hex code is #00FF00.
What are the three major types of color palettes? ›- Complementary: Complementary or opposite colors from the color wheel.
- Split Complementary: Three colors—the main color and colors from either side of its complement.
- Triad: Three colors from equidistant points on the color wheel.
- Monochromatic: Different shades and depths of a single color.
To darken the green, add a bit of black paint to it. Start slowly and add a tiny amount as it will darken your paint very quickly. Experiment with adding more yellow to warm up your dark green or add extra blue or even a dash of white paint to cool it down. Another option is using purple to darken green paint.
How do you make dark green with different colors? ›You can start with almost any shade of green, made by mixing yellow and blue. To darken the green, you can add a tiny amount of black. You can also try adding a little bit of purple if you do not want to use black.
How do I choose a 3 color palette? ›The rule of 3 colors is simple: pick one primary color. Then, pick two other complementary colors. See the example below. We picked a main hue (a variation red), and complemented it with two different colors.
What is an example of a color palette? ›Common triadic palettes consist of blue, red, and yellow or violet, green, and orange.
How do I identify a color palette? ›The color of your veins can help you determine your undertone. Simply lift your wrist to eye level in natural light and inspect the vein on the inside of your wrist. If they're green or greenish-blue, you have a warm undertone. If they're blue or purple, you have cool undertones.
What is the code for dark Colour palette? ›Information about Black / #000000
In a RGB color space (made from three colored lights for red, green, and blue), hex #000000 is made of 0% red, 0% green and 0% blue.
What is the color code for pale dark green? ›
| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #98fb98 |
| RGB | 152, 251, 152 |
| CMYK | 0.39, 0, 0.39, 0.02 |
...
Color conversion.
| Value | CSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Hex | 0d98ba | #0d98ba |
| RGB Decimal | 13, 152, 186 | rgb(13,152,186) |
| RGB Percentage | 5.1, 59.6, 72.9 | rgb(5.1%, 59.6%, 72.9%) |
| CMYK | 93, 18, 0, 27 |
We have three types of palettes — categorical (also known as qualitative), sequential, and diverging. In this classification, colors aren't the determining aspect, and different palette types can share some colors. What defines each palette is the relation between those colors.
How many color palettes are there? ›What are the seven types of color schemes? The seven major color schemes are monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triadic, square, and rectangle (or tetradic).
What is the most used color palette? ›- Blue, green and pink ( 9,588 ♥️ ) ...
- Orange, cream and dark blues ( 2360 ♥️ ) ...
- Aqua and blues ( 2520 ♥️ ) ...
- Blues and yellow ( 3323 ♥️ ) ...
- Red, cream and green ( 3430 ♥️ ) ...
- Blue, green and pink ( 2774 ♥️ ) ...
- Shades of green ( 8251 ♥️ ) ...
- Dark blue, red and green ( 5427 ♥️ )
If you want to make your green tone darker, just add a small amount of black, or you can also add a small amount of purple for the same result.
What colors make dark emerald green? ›Like all greens, emerald green is made by mixing blue and yellow paint. There's no exact ratio for how much of each color to use but the more blue you add, the darker the hue will be.
How do you turn dark green into black? ›For example, mixing red with a dark shade of green yields a deep black, adding reds like cadmium orange creates a warmer black, and starting with a base of yellow ochre can help you create a dark shade of brown that nears black.
What paint to make dark green? ›To achieve a dark forest green color, start with a base of the initial bright green that we mixed. Take primary yellow and mix a little bit of turquoise blue into it. From there add a touch of Prussian blue to darken it. With Prussian blue, a little goes a long way, so be sure to mix this one little by little!
Does blue and yellow make dark green? ›Yellow paint reflects most light at long wavelengths and absorbs light at short wavelengths. Because blue paint and yellow paint both reflect middle (green appearing) wavelengths when blue and yellow paint are mixed together, the mixture appears green.
How do you make dark green from teal? ›
You can darken the color by adding a little burnt umber. You can use black, but this might dampen the color too much. To create a light teal color, you can add a small amount of white. You can also add a small amount of either green or blue, the paint will then show up more green or blue in the teal color.
What is the 3 most popular color? ›The most popular color in the world is blue. The second favorite colors are red and green, followed by orange, brown and purple. Yellow is the least favorite color, preferred by only five percent of people.
How do I choose a color palette for my design system? ›The idea is simple. To bring the balance into the composition, the colors should be combined in the proportion of 60%–30%–10%. The biggest part should go to the dominant hue, the third of the composition takes secondary color and 10% percent goes to the color which helps to make the accents.
What are the 3 best colors that go together? ›- Yellow, red, and blue.
- Green, orange, and purple.
- Teal, magenta, and gold.
This 5 colors palette has been categorised in Blue, Green, Purple, Red and Yellow color categories.
What is the difference between color and palette? ›A color scheme is used to describe the framework of how the colors are chosen and put together. A color scheme is based on color theory, like a monochromatic scheme. A color palette refers to the actual colors that you've chosen, based on your color scheme.
How do you create a color palette? ›One of the simplest ways to create a professional looking color scheme is to take a few tones, tints, and shades of a given color (avoiding the pure hue), and then add in another pure hue (or close to pure) that's at least three spaces away on the color wheel (part of a tetradic, triatic, or split-complementary color ...
What is color palette in fashion? ›A color palette is a group of three to six different colors that look great together and will give you many options for pairing those colors together in your wardrobe. With thousands of color shades available, the options for color palettes are unlimited.
Am I dark autumn or dark winter? ›If you are still unsure whether you are Dark Autumn or Dark Winter, try the lipstick test. Both seasons can comfortably wear dark lip colours without looking like a vampire, but Dark Autumn cannot wear the cooler, more purplish colours of Winter.
What is the darkest dark color code? ›Black, with the hex code #000000, is the darkest of all colors, entirely achromatic and absorbing all light.
What palette number is dark blue? ›
On the outer bands of the color wheel, dark blue is often used to represent elegance, authority, and intelligence. Its hex code is #00008B.
What color palette number is dark grey? ›| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #5A5A5A |
| RGB | 90, 90, 90 |
| CMYK | 0, 0, 0, 0.65 |
#00ff00 (light green) info, conversion, color schemes and complementary.
What RGB is green blue? ›The color blue-green with hexadecimal color code #0d98ba is a medium dark shade of cyan. In the RGB color model #0d98ba is comprised of 5.1% red, 59.61% green and 72.94% blue. In the HSL color space #0d98ba has a hue of 192° (degrees), 87% saturation and 39% lightness.
What color is green in high contrast? ›For example, colors that are directly opposite one another on the color wheel have the highest contrast possible, while colors next to one another have a low contrast. For example, red-orange and orange are colors that have low contrast; red and green are colors that have high contrast.
Does dark green go with everything? ›"Any color found in nature can recall a beautiful outdoor space," says designer Phoebe Howard, a fan of sophisticated moss and sages. Or, to put it more succinctly, "Everything looks good with green!" That's right, every single color in the rainbow can go with green when styled thoughtfully.
What can you mix with a dark green to make it lighter? ›Add more yellow if you want a lighter, brighter green.
Once you have your green, add one extra part yellow and mix again. Keep adding yellow until you get the shade you want.
Blues, greens and grays are cool. If you look at the color wheel, warm colors are on one side of the wheel, and the cools reside on the other.
What are 3 high contrast colors? ›Complementary color combinations are the colors that sit on opposite sides of the color wheel. Combining these colors creates an effect of high contrast, catching the eye and leaving quite an impact. Examples: red and green, yellow and purple, orange and blue.
What are 4 high contrast colors? ›Examples of tetradic color schemes: Red, green, blue-purple, and yellow-orange.
What color gives best contrast? ›
Black and white create the highest contrast possible.
Does dark green go with grey? ›A grey and green living room is the perfect combination of neutral and botanical and is a fantastic way to bring a little bit of nature into a space that might be lacking in natural light.
Is dark green a neutral color fashion? ›That's right, green is a neutral color.
What's a color that goes with everything? ›Green is considered a neutral color since, like the green found in nature, it goes with almost everything. Blue, red, yellow, white, black, and gray all go with green.
What color does blue and green make? ›Teal. As mentioned above, teal is the perfect combination of blue and green. To create this color, combine equal parts of blue and green.
How many shades of green are there? ›Shades of Green. The color green comes in many different shades. These shades differ in hue, chroma, brightness, or a combination of these qualities. As of the writing of this article, the color green has 44 different variations.
Why is dark green a good color? ›It is a dominant color in nature that makes you think of growth. Think of nature and see the incredible variety of shades of green expressing renewal and life. Green evokes a feeling of abundance and is associated with refreshment and peace, rest and security. Green helps people feel rested and secure.
Does dark green look good on cool skin tone? ›As a cool skin tone often means your skin is pale or has light features, you'll want to use darker colors. The best outfits for pale skin often rely on colors like emerald green, navy and bold shades of blue.
Can dark green be a Summer color? ›As a True Summer, you look great in dark grey, dark green, soft white (such as seashell), light blue grey and darker blue colours. These classic colours are also easy to mix and match, so you can create endless looks with just a few pieces.