I always enjoy looking at modern-day trends through the lens of history. What do I mean by this? The term “fashion is cyclical” is more accurate than most know. Whether it be interior design, art, or even clothing, styles will come in and out of popularity like they’re on a Ferris wheel. Amazingly as trends come and go, they seem to always come back around with time.
The cyclical nature of interior design trends can sometimes be less obvious than fashion because painting walls and tearing down kitchens are not as easily completed; however, design trends do find popularity in some decades and fade in others. As a color expert, I love recognizing the patterns of color popularity in design, fashion; you name it!
What makes this trend interesting, is that we are talking about a classic color that has been overlooked over time. Other classic colors are navy blues, dark reds, or charcoal gray. All of these colors have had a resurgence recently, now it is green’s turn!
At last, many homeowners are looking to incorporate green in color schemes for their interior spaces whether it is for paint colors, furniture selection, or even appliances. I have also used green as the body color for exterior color palettes, another example of this color’s rebirth. The “new green” is here, but just how different is this new green from the iterations we’ve seen of the classic color in the past!?
There are many reasons why certain colors can come in and out of style. Sometimes color arrangements become popular because they are reactionary to the trends that came before them. Sometimes the fashion world is taken by storm by a unique look and design that catches the attention of everyone in the industry and is then copied.
Natural colors like sultry browns, creamy yellows, oceanic blues, and yes greens have become popular with homeowners once again in more recent years. I had predicted gravitation towards natural colors to be one of the most popular 2021 color trends in an article at the beginning of the year.
One of the most significant reasons I believe natural colors have come back into style is that they represent the outside world many people are now reconnecting with. Natural colors allow us to take a piece of that natural world and bring it home in its purest form.
Green represents life, flora, rebirth, growth, energy, freshness, and the earth’s health; it’s no wonder that more and more people want to be reminded of those pleasantries in their own homes!
Throughout the 1970s into the early 1980s, earth tones were very popular, and interior designers created some of the most notorious color choices of the past century in those years. This affection towards earth tones may have been counterprogramming to the synthetic, overly enthusiastic colors of the 1960s.
In the 1970s, It would not be unheard of to have a mustard-yellow kitchen with turquoise bar stools or an avocado-green couch placed on a bark-brown shag rug. As interesting as these color and design choices were, today we are seeing this family of colors in a whole different light.
For the better part of the 21st century, cool greys, whites, and blues have dominated areas like kitchens, dining rooms, and even bathrooms. Cooler neutrality was the going style in these areas. I can confidently say that warmer earth tones like green are coming back with force in these areas of interior design.
I have more and more clients asking me how they can best incorporate green color schemes into their homes; this is why I call the movement “the new greens.” I am not seeing the olive/yellow avocado greens of the past, but instead seeing rich colors with olive undertones, soothing blue-greens, and even lime green as an accent color!
Surprisingly, many people think of natural colors as being neutral colors. Certainly, colors in the beige, taupe, or brown families are considered neutral and can be used alongside any color on the color wheel. Think of greens with blues, greens with yellows, or even greens with purples or pinks, all of these colors can work together seamlessly.
Seeing green’s versatility will help you understand how it also can work as an accent color and can be applied to accent walls in almost any room. Use green for your accent wall in your living room or dining room and it will complement almost any other color in your design.
Looking for more examples of new greens? One of the most popular green color trends I’ve encountered lately is the desire for green kitchen cabinets. From muted-mint, emerald to olive, green has such a vast spectrum of hues and shades to use, which is why it looks amazing in kitchens and has such a popular appeal. These different greens still carry the same essence of the color, but each adds some variety and will serve to either lighten the tone or add some weight to the kitchen space.
Picture a beautiful kitchen with black marble countertops, silver appliances and faucets, and a soft olive-green color for the cabinets. It screams elegance, beauty, and a reverence towards nature. I adore using green as a statement color in kitchens. It’s a color consultant’s dream!
I received an email recently which supported my concept of green being more sought after and I could not wait to share this information with you!
Houzz reported that their search requests for green kitchen cabinets are up 829%, for green tile bathrooms up 771%, and for green accent chairs up 754%. I see green as the way of moving away from what was the trending cool grays and going more towards warmer natural colors and I am so happy to see that their statistics tell the same story!
I’m happy to see green and green color schemes coming back into the home bringing some much-needed change to the standard color palettes many people have become accustomed to over the years.
How do you feel about green? Are you inspired to bring this color into your world? Does it give you a good or bad feeling thinking about green in your home? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
