Here interior designer, Faye Robinson-Hey, of Robinson King Interiors talks us through her love for the colour green, why it's such a relevant colour right now, and explains how we can use it in our own homes…
The benefits of going green:
The colour green is everywhere at the moment and is a shade set to remain popular in interiors with sage green apparently being one of the biggest kitchen trends as we go into 2021.
Calming green has health benefits too, proven to be capable of decreasing heart rate and alleviating stress.
The recent pandemic has increased our desire to connect to the outside world and green has a natural affiliation with nature bringing a sense of serenity and calmness which works perfectly to bring a sense of feel-good nature into our homes.
How to use green:
You can bring green into your homes in various ways, with tones from sage green right through to deeper emerald and fashionable olive there is a tone to suit all tastes. As it is a colour we connect to nature it makes it easier to use in darker shades for a dramatic interior whilst being a little less daunting than other deep colours such as cool navy and inky charcoal.
50 shades of green:
Depending on which end of the spectrum you opt for, green can bring deep warmth or a beautiful freshness to your home or business. All shades of green work well when contrasted with natural wood finishes and work particularly well when warmed up with fashionable brass or gold accents.
For more paired back neutral interiors use a fresh, light apple green such as ‘Green Ground’ by Farrow & Ball. With just a hint of green it will give a fresh light and open feel. Alternatively, mint green with its cooler undertone will give a crisp, clean feel to your interior.
If you want more of a rustic/country vibe opt for sage green which is a lovely comforting shade and works well on cabinetry and joinery or as well as an accent colour in bathrooms and kitchens, look at sage paint shades such as Farrow & Ball’s ‘Lichen’.
For a dark and decadent feel, opt for deeper, more luscious shades of forest green which will give a cocooning feel to your interiors adding depth and drama, Dulux Heritage ‘Mallard Green’ is a perfect paint colour for creating this look.
Finally, if you want a green interior bang on trend look to warming olive as a backdrop. Olive green has a more yellow undertone than many other hues making it a great colour for rooms such as home studies and snugs. Pair it with light coloured furniture and natural wood to add dimension and contrast, Little Greene’s ‘Olive Colour’ is a great olive toned shade.
Green walls:
With so many shades of green it is an accessible colour to introduce on to your walls whether you are a minimalist or a maximalist (or somewhere in between!)
Go for it and paint all walls in your chosen green shade for a beautiful backdrop.
Green walls are a prefect base for lighter coloured pieces of furniture, layered texture, reflective mirror and artwork.
Another way to use green on the walls is to go for a wallpaper, there are lots of amazing green and botanical prints out there ranging from subtle to full on pattern. I personally like to wallpaper all walls as opposed to just one key wall but depending on the room you could also use it as an accent. This approach works well in bedrooms where you might not necessarily want pattern round the whole room but can add a feature to the bedhead wall for example.
If you are feeling brave you can also use a gorgeous green scrolling design across the fifth wall known as the ceiling! Beautiful botanical paper such as ‘Limerence’ by House of Hackney work well for this look.
Green accessories:
If you are not sold on going green on your walls, it is a great colour to work with more neutral backdrops and introduce to your interiors with botanical prints, or as a colour pop in home accessories such as cushions and vases. The power of plants should also not be forgotten, introducing greenery into your home with foliage and house plants can inject a dose of feel-good green and bring the outdoors in.
Applegate green:
A great example of how to transform an interior using green can be seen in the recent interior revamp at Applegate Properties offices which Robinson King Interiors helped with. We chose beautiful, complimentary green shades for this exciting office make over. Connecting with the Applegate Properties branding and bringing a sense of nature to the interior we have transformed the feel of the Holmfirth based office. Using darker greens in the reception areas has given the existing spaces a real sense of drama and depth anchored with darker black and luxurious velvets. We have then used fresher, lighter tones for the office spaces giving a cohesive scheme but allowing the colours to be used as a tool to define the areas of relaxing and working.
However you use it, going green allows you to add some feel-good, stylish colour into your space which will bring positive vibes and is sure to make your friends green with envy!
Faye Robinson-Hey
Senior Interior Designer at Robinson King Interiors
Instagram: robinson_king_design
