Decorating with Green

Green mixed with yellow is the color of new plants, renewal and youth. If tinted towards blue, green becomes the color of mature forests or seawater. Because it serves as a background in nature, green mixes well with all other colors. In this Wisconsin home's den, a leafy green (Ace #C31-6 Palm Green) blends harmoniously with the woodsy tones in furniture and upholstered pieces.

In this guest bedroom, bright green walls (Benjamin Moore #2029-40 Stem Green) are a vibrant but accommodating background for a colorful mix of accent colors in the bed, side table and art.

Green walls (Graham Paint, Sweet Olive) pair with deep blues for a trendy-looking room in a Michigan home. The black window trim and furnishings ground the colors and reinforce the room's modern aesthetic.

Soft greens offer a sense of stillness and peace. In this Missouri dining room, a gentle green (Glidden 884 Silent Fog) mixes prettily with silver and glass accents; wood and wicker furniture provide contrast. The colors offer a calm environment in which to enjoy good food and conversation: antidotes to a stressful day.

The rich green background (Benjamin Moore #427 Napa Vineyard) adds glamour to this room, especially when paired with sapphire accents. As in any room with strong colors, lighter touches-such as the upholstered chairs-keep the intense colors from overwhelming.

Greens a little on the blue side are perfect choices for bedrooms; they embody the most tranquil aspects of both colors, doubling the serene mood. This Illinois bedroom makes you feel as if you were sleeping deep in a peaceful forest.

In this quirky, artistic living room, a neutral wall color tinged with green (Benjamin Moore #HC-28 Shelbourne Buff) provides a suitable backdrop for colors that are across the color wheel from each other: pinks and greens infused with yellow.

Adding gray to green creates a subdued hue. In this dining room, the gray-green walls pair with yellow (an analogous color to green) in the furnishings.  Simple rule: The best color combinations are those that pair either colors opposite each other on the color wheel (complementary) or next to each other (analogous).

See a color you like? Most home improvement stores are happy to mix colors if you show them a picture or a fabric sample you're trying to match. They're also usually able to match discontinued colors. Remember that colors can look different depending on factors such as light and the size of your room-plus colors can look different on a computer screen or a printed sample. Always buy a small container first and try the shade out before painting the entire room. Get more color inspiration by browsing any of our slideshows below.