Interior Design and Redesign

Monday, October 31, 2005

What goes with mint green?

June wrote me this question.

"I'm moving into a new apartment . . . I fell in love with a mint green contemporary sofa, . . .What color would go best the mint green as an accent wall. I want to cut down on the green . . . be as warm as possible.

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MY ANSWER

Hi June,

It's always fun to start anew and get new furniture and plan, plan, plan.

There are warm greens and cool greens, so you first need to establish whether you
have warm or cool.

You didn't say whether there was any other color in the sofa, etc. other than mint
green or I would suggest you pick up the other colors in the fabric to use as your
neutrals.

If the furniture is solid mint green, then it is imperative you find other colors
that blend with it in the same Color Key, irregardless of whether you like warm
or cool. You don't want to cross Color Keys.

Take a pillow to Home Depot or your favourite paint store.

Most paint dealers have pre-arranged their colors from warm to cool. You should
be able to hold your pillow over the chips and see where the lion's share of colors
brighten next to the mint green. That can help you narrow the field if you're not
sure.

The current color palette is warm, but you have to go with the color of the fabric,
nothing else.

Autumn colors usually look good with green, or you can go into the blue/rose families.
Or you can go split complementary, such as red. There are a million directions.

Best advice: keep the major portions of the room neutral and soft. Choose bright
accent colors to put into your accessories: pillows, books, rugs, art, candles.
Then you can change the accent colors with minimal time and cost and get dramatic
looks that are quite different.

Orange is the "new red" so if you like it, use it.

Check out the free tips pages on the website regarding color.

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Hope this helps,
Barbara