SPRING GREEN
“And suddenly you know…it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings.”
Pantone announced their 2017 Color of the Year – Greenery. Somehow this color choice seems extremely relevant in our current political and economic times. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute says it best. “Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with reassurance we yearn for in a tumultuous social and political environment. Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate and revitalize, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose”. I don’t know Ms. Eiseman but I think she’s genius and spot on.
While green may seem fresh and new today, it has an extensive interesting history. Green has long represented the color of life and seasonal renewal in art. The Chinese associate green (and black) with the female Yin – the passive and receiving principle. Islam revers the color green as expecting paradise to be full of lush vegetation. And in painting green is not primary color. Instead it is made by mixing yellow and blue. Green pigments have been used since Antiquity by the Egyptians. Greeks introduced verdigris. Thanks to chemistry, a new generation of greens was introduced in the late 18th century: cobalt green, emerald green and viridian. Want to learn more? Get your green geek on here .
Green in our homes can instantly breathe new life into tired space. Start with the floors. A rug or runner in multiple shades of green is a versatile option you can easily transfer to another room when you are looking to spruce things up. Move on up to chairs. I recently swapped out my grandmother’s dining room chairs with a fresh green and white lattice patterned fabric on the seats. Simple, easy-breezy and inexpensive. Moving onto accessories…a quick pick me up could be a textured throw or punchy emerald green pillows mixed in with crisp white and tailored linen pillows. On my dining room table, I have an oversized white bowl (typically saved for pasta night) filled with luscious green apples. Fake as they may be, they do the job just as well as the real stuff and they add that oh-so-right pop of green with low effort yet give off a big effect.
If you are feeling bold, grab the paint brush and roller. Hit those walls with your favorite green hue. But don’t stop there. Carry a host of green shades into the room. Layer forest on top of mint. Mix olive with sage. By melding the various hues with each other you give the room dimension and visual interest. And when in doubt if two shades of green will work together, turn to nature. There are no bad color combos there so let it be your guide when creating a new look and a new beginning.