Sage, Hunter, Olive & Lime: A Guide to Decorating with the Color Green

The weather may be turning outside, but green is always in season when it comes to home decorating. A great way to bring the refreshing feel of nature indoors, decorating with green can work with any style or budget. Plus, while you may have only heard of a few shades of green (e.g., olive, mint, and sage) the options are practically endless (Fun fact: the human eye can distinguish more green shades than any other color).

While this versatility is great, it can also get overwhelming fast, so if you’re trying to figure out how to decorate with green, you’ve come to the right place. Get ready to bring a new meaning to making your home green with these design ideas incorporating some of your favorite shades of green.

Why Green?

Green is the perfect color to bring into your home because it is the color of balance and harmony; it’s also an energizing color full of the promise of renewal. To really enjoy its mood-boosting and energizing effects, opt for a highly saturated green like a kelly or emerald green. Or, lean towards something a little paler like a sage or mint green to take advantage of its calming nature.

Sage Green

This pale, somewhat grayish green is a lovely, versatile color that works just as well paired up with light colors as it does with a darker color palette. Plus, you don’t have to worry about overusing this easygoing color in your design scheme. A soft, delicate color, sage is beautiful with whites and purples (a darker shade plus lavender will be gorgeous) for a soothing bedroom or bathroom reminiscent of your favorite spa. Or, use sage as a soft backdrop for dramatic blue and gold accents that are sure to catch your guests’ eyes. Whether you’re looking for something cottage chic or elegant, feminine or modern, there’s a sage color palette for you.

Hunter Green

A dark hunter or forest green is an ideal shade for a man cave, office, den, or anywhere looking for a bit of masculine touch. For a rustic, cabin look, pair up this deep color with shades of red (a rusty terracotta is perfect), gray, and tan or camel. For a natural, refreshing look, team this green up with a lighter green like sage, plus a pair of blues like navy and a cool, gray blue. The dark of hunter green and navy blue against their lighter counterparts balance each other out for an attractive color scheme perfect for a boy’s bedroom, office, or guest room.

Alternatively, add some delicate touches of rose gold, sage, and white for a more feminine approach to this bold color. This lighter approach is beautiful in a kitchen or bathroom where you’d like some green touches without going overboard.

Olive Green

This somewhat muddy green color is actually a beautiful color to use in your home décor, especially when paired up with lighter colors to keep it from being too drab or heavy. Go big with an accent wall painted olive green, or keep it simpler with throw pillows or bedding in this shade. Keep things on the light side by pairing this hue up with a pale green like sage, white, pink, and gold. Play around with what works in your space and with your lighting, and you’ll find you have a beautiful olive green color scheme that can work just as well in the living room as the bathroom or bedroom.

Chartreuse or Lime Green

Any kind of bright yellow-green is a wonderful accent color that’ll bring a dynamic element into your space. For some lime green room decorating ideas, pair this fun color up with black or white to really take advantage of its eye-catching hue in your living room or kitchen. It also makes for a lively, energetic combination when paired up with pink or purple, perfect for your teen’s room. Or, tone its brightness down a little by pairing it with a teal, tan, navy blue, or gray, perfect for a relaxing bathroom or bedroom.

Just watch out for using too much of this bright green shade because it’s so vivid. For instance, rather than going all out with a lime green living room, consider using this shade in the form of pillows, throws, towels, patterned curtains, artwork, and other decorative accents. Need more green? Try Kelly Green, yet another trending hue of green. You’ll love how the color catches the eye without being overwhelming.

Not sure green is for you after all? Explore one of the hues next to it on the color wheel with these ideas for decorating with teal.

Images used with permission, courtesy of Kate De Palma