seeing green

EVERY JANUARY WE LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE COLORS that will be influencing our lives in the months to come and this year we are noticing a bit of a green trend. From light and earthy to bright and fun, green has been the dominant shade chosen by most of the top paint companies as the color of the year. Green is calming and rejuvenating, so it’s no wonder we will be seeing more of it in our homes and wardrobes.

Symbolically considered the color of life, green represents rebirth, nature, health, and growth—all things we hope for this year and beyond. Used in healthcare, green facilitates peace and helps patients and medical staff relax in a stressful atmosphere. Green, similar to blue, is also soothing to the eyes. Interior designers use green as a blend of multiple shades or in combination with other calm and peaceful colors, to create a restorative effect. While not technically a neutral, some of the options this year are muted enough to act as a base for your rooms without overwhelming your design.

Incorporating this versatile color into your life is simple. With so many shades to choose from, there will likely be one that works for you. Here are a few top picks from popular paint brands.

Guacamole

PPG | OLIVE SPRIG

The crisp, grey-green represents regrowth mimicking nature’s resiliency. PPG believes the easiest way to shift your mindset is to change your environment and Olive Sprig is a color that will help you bring growth into your daily life. They also observe paint color preferences shifting in both residential and commercial spaces. DIYers, property managers, designers, and architects are shifting away from the stark, neutral palettes of yesterday and opting for color in all forms. This hue, while a defined color, can also be used as a versatile neutral that will complement an array of natural materials and architectural elements like unique wooden armchairs, bamboo flooring, or contrast beautifully with a natural slate fireplace. Olive Sprig is a relaxed, but enticing green that emulates the feeling of soothing aloe vera as it brightens any space with organic liveliness. A shade that lives well inside or outside, it blends in with nearly any environment. Olive Sprig can be paired with deep plum, soothing blues, muted creams and pinks, and soft beige tones.

GLIDDEN | GUACAMOLE

We all love the iconic food, and Glidden has captured that fresh and summery feeling in their color of the year, Guacamole. This spirited yet soothing green brings an organic energy to any space. Brighter than the other colors on the list, Glidden suggests using it in a variety of spaces and with a range of styles, including kitchens with glossy white subway tiles, furniture with blonde wood tones, and the gold and matte black accents that we still can’t get enough of. Perfect on an accent wall, front door, or even cabinetry, Guacamole will make you smile and bring a revitalizing energy to your home. Use this in conjunction with darker, earthy tones and subtle creams for a beautiful impact.

Olive Sprig

BETTER HOMES & GARDEN | LAUREL LEAF

The Better Homes & Gardens design team has introduced Laurel Leaf as their 2022 color of the year. A rejuvenating green that mimics the soothing hues found in nature, Laurel Leaf takes its cues from dusty green eucalyptus and the muted colors of succulents. This calming shade facilitates relaxation in a bedroom, office, or dining room. Part of a collection that features a curated palette of 84 colors, this product is a low odor, zero-VOC paint that provides excellent coverage while also washable and stain-resistant. With warm undertones, this color pairs well with creamy whites, cozy beiges, light wood tones, and leafy house plants.

Breezeway

BEHR | BREEZEWAY

This silvery shade with cool undertones is a color that takes its inspiration from the beauty of the earth and the look of dreamy pastel sea glass you might find on a beach. Behr says that Breezeway represents the intention to move forward, bringing you from one place to another. It’s “where a breath of fresh air meets a fresh coat of paint.” This beautiful color can be the star of your bedroom, living room, or hallway, or can be used as an accent on doors, cabinetry, and furniture. Pair this color with white, taupe, softened black, nuanced pink, and terracotta red.

Evergreen Fog

SHERWIN WILLIAMS EVERGREEN FOG

A warm, grayish-green, Evergreen Fog has been designed to invoke a feeling of new beginnings and works well with a wide variety of decorating styles. This color fits well in the organic modernism that began with Frank Lloyd Wright and is seeing a renaissance in design today. Evergreen Fog offers a certain nostalgia that can be tied back to the iconic Mid-century styling with a hint of the tones found in 1970s interiors. This color also works beautifully with the current cottagecore and farmhouse styles. Pair this with modern, organic colors like Urban Bronze, Shoji White, Bakelite Gold, and Woven Whicker.

FARROW & BALL

BREAKFAST ROOM GREEN

Breakfast Room Green is the most cheerful of all the Farrow & Ball greens. It looks lively in both bright sunlight or softer candlelight. Named after the usually east facing rooms designed for eating the first meal of the day, it is particularly beautiful in the dawn light. When used alone on walls and woodwork it becomes incredibly striking. Breakfast Room Green’s biggest asset is its versatility. This green can stand as an exclusive statement, but is also designed to work alongside other shades. This color pairs well with Farrow & Ball’s Book Room Red, Slipper Satin, Lulworth Blue, and Hay.

Breakfast Room Green

BENJAMIN MOORE | OCTOBER MIST

A soft and earthy shade, this gorgeous green reminds us of restoration, relaxation, and peace. October Mist offers any room a sense of balance and harmony. Benjamin Moore describes it as “a gently shaded sage that quietly anchors, while encouraging creative expression through color.” This tone is mild enough to act as a grounding base for the rest of your design. The relaxing shade is part of a larger Benjamin Moore collection of 14 other colors. October Mist is the anchor for their Color Trends 2022 palette which consists of several other earthy shades of green, inviting neutrals, and a mild, yet bold burnt orange inspired by florals. “From refreshed primary colors to luminous pales and botanical hues, the Color Trends 2022 palette invigorates the senses and gives root to personal style,” says the brand.