How to make Greenery work in your home
- Jenny Kakoudakis
- Dec 31, 2016
- 4 min read
When the good people of Pantone got together and announced Greenery as their colour of the year for 2017 a few weeks ago, the rest of us were quick to boo-hiss them. I was one of the first to do so. So shoot me. Any green with yellow undertone is not on my palette and although I tend to go for the eclectic look, this was pushing me (and a lot of people I know) waaaaay out of the comfort zone. I was never a fun of Kermit from the Muppet show (Miss Piggy did it for me).
I was talking to my kid the other day about it and of course, him being a seven year old, he declared with all the confidence a seven year old can master, that this neon-like green was his favourite colour (that was news to me) and that it made him happy. This made me put my thinking hat on.
Greenery at home
Bohemian and eclectic homes have no fear for dark walls. This is an ideal setting for a green velvet sofa, as shown below. For the background, choose a really dark shade - Pitch Black, Railings (if you are a Farrow and Ball fan) - to work as a neutral background.
Source - The look, deconstructed. For a similar sofa try the Sofa.com Bluebell in deep moss brushed linen cotton available here.
By all accounts, 2016 has been a pretty shitty year. For me, the absolute nadir was the Brexit result because, although I have been in the UK since 2003, married, gave birth, bought my home and pay my taxes here, I still have a Greek passport and that was kind of a blow to me. But that's another post for another day. Anyway, what do you do when a year has been really bad? Well, you try to be optimistic about what's to come next.
That's Greenery's purpose in my mind. It's not meant to be a colour that you will want to paint your whole house in, but it sure is one that if used sparingly, can make you feel happy (use it some more and it'll overwhelm you, just like too much happiness!).
Above and below: photos of the fabulous (love eye emojis here) Pink House by Suzie Lowe. The fabric on the sofa above is by Christopher Farr ("Carnival" in Verde).
Accessories - cushions
Accent cushions can be in complimenting colours or have a little bit of contrasting colours. The cushions below are available from South African firm Halsted Design (their products have been featured in Kit Kemp's designs).
Above: Roberto Cavalli Giungla Silk Bed Cushion, £134, Amara; Eames elephant in Green,£175, Conran Shop; Brero Lino stitch cushion, Designer's Guild, £35 (was £70); Tea Towel, £15, Heal's; La Boheme Vase Stool, £99, Heal's; Tea cup and saucer in apple green, Conran Shop.
Lighting
Using colourful lamps and shades is also an easy way to incorporate Greenery in your home, especially if you don't have a particular style you abide by but still have a modern home.
A cluster of pendant lights won't work with this colour - it's too intense. One pendant on its own is great (thinking industrial enamel pendants here) but also consider articulating lamps on a corner - maybe in a reading nook.
Above: Giant Anglepoise lamp, Heal's; Filippo Ice Bucket, £57, Amara; La Boheme Vase Stool, £99 (usually £117) Heal's; Eames DSR Chair, £195, Conran Shop, Artificial Green Amaranthus Spray £8.95, MiaFleur Home.
Fabric & Wallpaper
If you're good with the sewing machine, you may want to make your own cushions. Or even better, ask a pro to help you with curtains and cushions - personally, I am totally rubbish at sewing so there you have it, I am calling the pros. Christopher Farr has some beautiful fabrics that are bang on trend like the Carnival and Brisa.
For those of you who thought that blue and green don't go together...
When it comes to wallpaper, you can find all the below on Wallpaper Direct if you search under "Green".
Artwork
If you plan on adding Greenery on your walls through a print or photo, you might feel inspired by Jonathan Adler who is famously pairing limey green cockatoos with azure blue walls. Still, Greenery is not that tricky if your walls are crisp white and you are looking for pops of colour through grown up art works.
Clockwise above: 'Complicate Discussion' by Naomi Vona, £135; Abstract by Pol Ledent, £235 both, Riseart.com; 'Boys don't cry' limited edition print, David Luepschen via Tictail; 'Kiwi fruit' Limited edition print by Lu West. Below: Large green and pink canvas art by one of my favourite shops on ETSY: Tamarrisart.
More interiors using Greenery
Above: I simply would not recommend this. You spend a lot of time in your living room, so why live with such an offending colour? This is just too much - for me at least.
Restaurant Interior by Humbert & Poyet | Photo by Sisters Agency
The small print: Where no image source is offered it's because I cannot trace the original source/ magazine. If you own any of the photos included here and would like it to be properly credited (or removed) please contact me directly. This post may contain affiliate links.
