What colors go with green? Professionals propose these harmonious pairings for successful schemes

One of the most challenging aspects of any home improvement project is choosing a suitable color scheme, and if you’re thinking of using green, you may wonder what colors work well with the color of nature.

To avoid a monotonous effect while decorating with green, it’s essential to choose the correct accent colors. Ruth Mottershead, the creative director at Little Greene, adds, “Green is a terrific color to embrace in any setting.” We may bring the soothing benefits of nature within and experience a dramatic shift in mood, as the author puts it.

Here, we have compiled a list of the best color combinations with green, including some that you might have yet to think of.

What Colors Go With Green?

Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr, predicts that by 2023, green rooms will be widely adopted as a “new neutral” that works well with any other color when used correctly. ‘Colors can be paired using the 60-30-10 guideline, which suggests using 60% of your dominant color (such as the wall color) and 30% of your trim and furniture, with 10% serving as an accent or focal point.

For a simple, failsafe color scheme, “you can paint green walls, add some neutral-colored furniture, and then insert vividly colorful artwork.”

1. Warm Neutrals 

Whether you’re trying to create a relaxing zen place in your living room by painting the walls a soothing shade of green or you need to counteract the saturation of richer jewel tones in the rest of your decor, decorating with neutrals and green goes hand in hand. Ruth Mottershead of Little Greene comments, “Green blends well with neutral tones, we are very comfortable with this combination because we are used to seeing so much of it in our external world.” Think about the mood you want to evoke and the shades of green you want to use.

Olive greens complement the warm neutral tones of ‘Portland Stone’ or ‘Bath Stone’ quite well. Harmony is the goal; they achieve it by creating relaxing environments in the house. However, a wide range of green colors is employed alongside rich, deep woodland hues and earthy shades to create an authentic outdoor environment.

2. Pair Perfectly With Pinks

Pink and green are timeless color schemes that can transform any home from a soothing nursery to an elegant and engaging living room. Ruth recommends incorporating green and pink into your scheme to add a more whimsical color combo. To create a modern and unexpected color scheme, try pairing the fresh and minty “Pea Green” with a highlight of deep pink “Leather.”

3. Energize A Space With Green And Red 

Since they are opposed to the color wheel, red and green provide a lovely complementary color scheme that may be employed at any time of year.

Given the association between these colors, using red as an accent for green, as in this green bedroom, rather than dividing the scheme in two, might assist in making the coupling feel revitalizing and invigorating rather than out of season.

4. Layer Different Shades Of Green 

Using varying hues of the same color to decorate a room can add dimension and harmony. Little Greene’s Ruth Mottershead recommends surrounding yourself in a soothing green oasis in your bathroom by adding various hues of green to the room and walls.

Think about painting the ceiling to encourage a relaxed atmosphere in the room. The ceiling, which is often painted white as a matter of habit, has a significant effect on the atmosphere of a room and, by extension, on your mood. The ceiling, rather than being the room’s focal point, becomes an extension of the walls when painted the same green as the walls. This method of painting is conducive to creating an atmosphere that is at once relaxing and inviting.

If “tonality” is the goal, she says, “selecting colors with comparable undertones” will guarantee a “harmonious” color scheme.

5. Balance A Zen Space With Blues And Purples

As the color most associated with nature, green is one of the most calming colors for interior design. It works particularly well when combined with other calming colors, such as blues and purples, to help ground the room. Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr, observes that green “almost behaves as a neutral itself” and mixes well with other hues. Combining green with other cool colors, such as shades of blue, green, or violet, produces a soothing effect.

We like how the bottom counters in this green kitchen stand out in a striking shade of eggplant purple.

6. Create An Uplifting Scheme With Yellow

Rooms decorated with green and yellow can range from earthy and grounded, like this yellow room, to bright and refreshing.

This classy color scheme looks great in a wide range of tones, from the pastels that evoke a spring palette and are lovely for bringing light into children’s little bedrooms to the murkier mustards and sage greens that are an adult take on a nature-inspired design scheme.

7. Brighten Up A Black Or White Scheme

For a more daring look, try adding splashes of green to a predominantly black and white room, like this green and white kitchen. Erika Woelfel of Behr explains, “The tone and saturation make a difference as well: Bright green coupled with black and white produces a dramatic effect.” With all the different tones of green, the possibilities for color combinations are practically unlimited.

According to Behr’s 2023 Color of the Year report, Blank Canvas, this neutral color option goes well with a dark green-grey, such as Conifer Green or Vine Leaf.

The Secret To Pairing Green With Any Color 

Since green is a very green option for paint, successfully balancing it with other colors is more important than learning to avoid certain colors altogether.

Ruth Mottershead of Little Greene explains, “Green is highly adaptable, but it’s necessary to consider the colors that already present within the room.” This includes the colors of the furniture, flooring, artwork, and fabrics.

Think about the mood you want to set. Do you want it to be cozy and quiet or lively and exciting? Using a bright, vivid green like ‘Sage and Onions’ on dining chairs or woodwork or painting a single door is an easy way to add impact and a sense of surprise to any room’s design.

Does Grey Go With Green? 

Invigorating color schemes can be achieved by combining green and neutrals like grey. Green and grey are great neutrals, but adding a third accent color will make the room pop. In North-facing rooms or rooms that don’t get as much warming natural light, using pinks, warm-toned neutrals, or reds can assist in warming up the space and keep it from leaning too far onto the cooler side.

What Is The Opposite Color To Green?  

Green is the opposite color of red on a color wheel. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the classic holiday pair complement and bring out the best in one another.