Decorating with Green
Green was one of the most on trend colours in home decoration for 2021: it is an incredibly versatile colour. This earthy hue ranges from bold and bright to subtle and warm, giving it the ability to transform your space depending on the shade. From walls to furniture to accessories, there are endless ways to sprinkle green into your home.
Spring Greens!
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The word ‘green’ comes from the Middle English and Old English ‘grene’, which, like the German word ‘grün’, has the same root as the words grass and grow.
Green is the colour of life, of renewal, the colour of nature, the environment, sustainability and harmony. It is calming and soothing…I guess that’s why they have ‘green rooms’ for actors to sit in before they go on stage, it probably helps them feel more grounded and relaxed.
Green is most commonly associated with nature because chlorophyll is the green pigment, present in all green plants and in cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which is responsible for the absorption of light to provide energy for photosynthesis. So this rich colour has been all around us as a constant since the beginning of time.
Green Wall Coverings
Is it green, is it grey? My Pigeon is a wonderful colour created by mixing black and brown in with yellow and blue. It has warmth and promotes a feeling of serenity; perfect for wall coverings.
Left: Shibori paired with Teal and Charcoal / Right: Fruit Garden Detail gives a rustic/Scandi feel to a room.
Green Fabrics
Field Green, Pigeon, Kale, Lime, Apple Green, Lichen, Lettuce, Grass and Moss.
Field Green
A blue-green, mellow and calm, lovely paired with pinks…Damson in particular.
Suggested coordinating fabrics:
Herbaceous Border Detail – Damson, Lily Pink, Field Green and Clay
Fruit Garden – Damson, Light Kale, Winter
Left: Dainty Daisy / Middle: French Ticking / Right: Woodland Walk
Left and Middle: Dainty Daisy covering a beautiful window seat and cushion, with another room decorated with a stunning pair of curtains in the same fabric / Right: Small Candle lampshade in Woodland Walk
Pigeon
A light-hued, versatile and sophisticated grey-green, looks glorious with Soft Raspberry, Powder Blue or Buttercup.
Suggested coordinating fabrics:
Fruit Garden – Powder Blue, Pigeon, Charcoal
Pretty Maids – Pigeon, Teal, Winter
Left: May Blossom – Pigeon, Charcoal / Middle: Cow Parsley / Right: Up the Garden Path
An elegant Sapperton Chair upholstered with May Blossom, combined here with Buttercup French Ticking as the cushion.
Kale
Lively, warm, fresh and a zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring, when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Combines beautifully with blues, greys and terracottas.
Suggested coordinating fabrics:
Fruit Garden Detail – Light Kale, Damson, Charcoal
Fruit Garden – Damson, Light Kale, Winter
Herbaceous Border Detail – Damson, Lily Pink, Field Green, Clay
Left: Simple Ticking / Middle: Origami / Right: Sepals and Petals
Left: Wild and Free / Middle: Shibori / Right: Plain Linen Union
Left: Roman Blind in Simple Ticking Detail, with a border in Plain Linen Union / Middle: Here, Kale in the tablecloth brings this Indigo blue room alive / Right: The Sepals and Petals helps to balance this living out against the striking yellows and reds.
Left: This Wild and Free curtain has been edged with Plain Linen Union, and mixed with Terracotta and Charcoal / Middle: Another example of Kale working well with blues. Curtains in Origami and the chair in Shibori, both in the same colours / Right: The Sapperton Armchairs include blues and greens which tie in well with the Plain Linen Union cushion on the left.
Lime
A yellow green, lighter than Kale: Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors and warm enough to be mixed with blues, purples and pinks too. Joins forces well with Winter, Charcoal, Teal and Sweet Pea.
Suggested coordinating fabrics:
Stockholm Stripe – Teal, Lime, Winter
The vibrancy of the Lime really helps to bring everything to life! The tablecloth and bench cushion are great examples of just this.
Apple Green
My first green created in 2000, a very soft pastel green which looks particularly pretty when combined with Raspberry red.
Suggested coordinating fabrics:
Fern and Dragonfly – Raspberry
Left: Down to Earth / Middle: Paisley Ground / Right: Stripe and Dash
Left: A beautiful curtain in Down to Earth; so fresh and light! / Middle & Right: Showcasing our all of the designs including the Paisley Ground on this reading chair.
Lichen
A delicious dark blue green. Looks wonderful in a study, hallway or as a blind in a contemporary kitchen.
Suggested coordinating fabric:
May Blossom – Light Peach, Charcoal
Left: Fern and Dragonfly / Middle: Plain Linen Union / Right: Little Fern
Left: Simple Ticking Detail / Middle: Lattice Leaf / Right: Up the Garden Path
A tablecloth made in Fern and Dragonfly, Traditional Sofa in Up the Garden Path, and cover made for this console table in Little Fern – Lichen. The dark green Lichen adds a touch of luxury, even outside!
Lettuce
A mellow green, reminiscent of a bygone era, coordinates well with Charcoal greys and Raspberry reds.
Suggested coordinating fabrics:
Simple Ticking Detail – Soft Raspberry
The Plain Linen Union seen on the Amberley Footstool is ideal for creating balance in this room, especially with the additional bolder colours in situ.
Moss
Probably our most popular green! A subtle yet effective colour as introduced in my Forest Collection.
Left: Lattice Leaf / Middle: Wild Fern / Right: Sunflower
Left & Middle: Dotty Check / Right: Sunflower Detail
Left: French Ticking / Middle: Cow Parsley / Right: Woodland Walk
An oray of beautifully styled room sets, all using the uplifting Moss green colour!
Decorating Tips, Advice, Styles and Inspiration
For even more tips advice and styles, check out our other guides in this series for tips and advice on styling your home:
We sell fabrics exclusively designed by Vanessa Arbuthnott, along side small, bespoke collection of Made to Measure items which includes curtains, blinds, sofas, footstools, chairs, headboards, and quilts, all handmade specially for you by master crafts people.
