So Many Shades of Green, Forrest . . .

WARNING: This post will not help you save the planet, clean up the environment, or feel good about all the sacrifices you make for Mother Earth. This post is about pure self-indulgence, the appreciation for and even the wildly injudicious use of the color green.

Green promotes balance. In the center of our visible spectrum, green’s cooler hues are calming; it’s warmer hues, energizing. In feng shui, green is the color of growth and healing. Blah, blah, blah . . .

Ah, so many greens, so little attention span. Seriously, covering all the various shades, tints, and values of the color green would be like that scene in Forrest Gump in which his pal Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue tells Forrest about all the ways you can prepare shrimp. But since I don’t have the attention span of Forrest Gump—and you probably don’t either—here are just a few paint chips to get us started.

Now, how about this green room for clean and crisp?

If you prefer, you can tone this green down with browns, grays, and other muted shades for a more relaxing effect as in the room below.

It’s okay to mix your greens.

Green can be fun.

How about this back-painted green glass wall in the shower (below) in place of tile and grout? Clean, contemporary, and no grout to clean. It’s probably not a DIY project because you’d need that baby to be watertight. But in the long run a lot less trouble, no?

According to Luisa Interior Design, that’s a Stegbar Glass wall in Protec Apple Green. Apple? When’s the last time you ate an apple that color? Oh, that’s right—you’re dead now.

Inside looking out of this gorgeous wall of windows below, you might fail to notice the color of the walls. Unless you go bold. And somebody did.

I imagine you’d need a some type of security to sleep in a room with all those windows, or anyone might enter uninvited. Look at the intruder who showed up below in another room of the same house.

Hmmm. English or Western?

Getting back to our green theme, notice how the green throw pillows and matching chair help brighten this predominantly white room while picking up the greens in the foliage outside. The moose is cool though—I mean, how many people have a pet moose? Most people I know have giraffes—but I think he’s definitely co-starring with that chair with those big, splashy, citrus polka dots. I love this room—it’s colorful, whimsical, and fun. Here’s the other end of that room.

Damn. These homeowners look like fun people. I wonder if they’d like to adopt me . . . send me to school . . . teach me some skills—

Okay, back to green, Forrest. Green can be subtle and quiet, as in this kitchen.

I’ve been looking for this paint color, and Ben’s site let me down. But I found two paint colors on this cool site called MyPerfectColor.com.

Sico 4178-42 Dusty Aqua Match | Paint Colors | Myperfectcolor.

And . . .

Sico 3182-11 Ondine Match | Paint Colors | Myperfectcolor.

Then afterwards, I found this one by dear old Ben.

Just a touch of green here and there can be fresher than springtime. Plants like this giant umbrella tree, of the Schefllera genus, bring summer inside all year long.

You know what else I like about green? Green is a color that plays well with others.

You just can’t post an article on green decor and not include the green door. It makes a bold statement whether you know what’s behind the green door or not. The acid-green door (below) wakes you up before you enter the calming interior with its cooler, muted shades of gray-green.

And I’m not sure but this door might be painted in Benjamin Moore’s Margarita or Benjamin Moore’s Tequila Lime.

I should buy stock in this paint company.
If you prefer your green doors on the mellow side, how about this one? So cute with the flower.

And I love this combination—the cool grays with the energizing lime green door and red chair.

Mmmm. This looks so cool and peaceful.

According to the owner, the color is Benjamin Moore Palm Trees.

But if we’re talking green decor, why stop with paint? There’s this cool POD (Print On Demand) site called SpoonFlower.com where you can design your own fabric—yes, just like on Project Runway—also wallpaper, wrapping paper, and decals, or you can purchase from other designers who sell their original designs on this site. Here are some that are currently available on SpoonFlower.com:

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Yes, that’s what it looks like. It’s called “Proud Mary Jane.”

Seriously, this small sampling doesn’t begin to cover all of what’s available on SpoonFlower. If you really want to see even a fraction of the products they offer, pack a lunch and plan to spend the day there. For that matter, try making some of your own. Framed fabric of your own design will make a unique statement in your home.
I know some of you came here looking for ways to help the environment and find sustainable ways of living. And instead of reading this post, you could have been out somewhere riding your bicycle and not eating meat and making the rest of us feel guilty. So, for those of you who took time out for this post, here’s a green tip: when you paint your room green, use green paint, that is, paint with paint that has No VOCs (volatile organic compounds found in regular paint that off-gas and might cause a variety of health problems like nausea, eye and respiratory irritation, lung or kidney damage, and even cancer). Oh yeah, and No VOC paint smells better too. Look, Ma, no headache.

Don’t sew? Don’t feel like painting? Don’t feel like working at all? There are other ways to green up your space: Plants, for one; home decor items pre-made (though you can personalize most them too–or not. Who’s going to know?). Here are a few: