Green living room ideas: 27 ways to decorate with green
The ultimate in nature-inspired decorating, green is one of the most popular and versatile colours to use in a living room. In colour psychology, greens are usually associated with balance and harmony, and act as the bridge between stimulating warm colours and calming cool colours.
The versatility of green makes it a bit of a gift in interior design, but doesn't make it easier to narrow down your choice of colour combination – as a general rule, mid greens sit very happily with black and white, paler shades can desaturate rooms with lots of warm oranges and pinks, and sophisticated forest greens are a great accent for neutral rooms.
A green living room doesn't necessarily mean wall-to-wall colour however. Indoor plants are the most obvious way to bring in elements of green, you can use clever paint techniques to highlight wall panelling or window frames in pretty shades of sage, or go for one of the most desirable living room pieces – the green velvet sofa.
If you're considering a living room makeover in the near future, read on for 27 ways to decorate with every shade of green...
Light and airy
For a living room that feels fresh, light and airy, pops of green on a crisp white base are a safe bet. Aside from the fabulous green velvet sofa, the key components that make this living room work are the black and white accents, blonde wood and hints of brass – a combination that can be replicated in any room in your home with great success.
Pictured: House Beautiful Emerald Darcy Sofa at DFS
Green living room ideas: light and airy
There's an abundance of botanical references in this light and airy living room. The crisp apple green makes the perfect companion to accents of fuchsia and the pale browns of jute and rattan. Indeed, if you are going to live with botanical influences so closely, it is best to offset with as much wood as you can get away with.
Pictured: Banoffee Sofa at Loaf
Green living room ideas: clever paint tricks
Painting your ceilings is a good trick for large living rooms that feel a bit cavernous and uninviting. Where light colours expand, dark colours recede, so using a dark colour will create the impression of a lower ceiling, making a large living room feel more intimate and cosy.
Pictured: Ceiling painted in Novara Green at Victory Colours
Green living room ideas: saturated colour
If you're a confident decorator, hints of green might not have the impact you want. Here, an all-over green (spot the painted ceiling) makes a great backdrop for lighter colours to stand out. Note the abundance of natural light in this room which helps to lift the dark walls.
Pictured: Ercol Novara Sofa and Footstool at Furniture Village
Pastels
This is a great example of using pastels in a really sophisticated and serene way. This is also a nice one to reference for living rooms with an all-over pale colour scheme. The modest accents of black provide some contrast but there is a real embrace of pale and delicate green tones.
Pictured: House Beautiful Ada Chenille Left Hand Facing Sofa at DFS
Retro
Reddish browns, forest greens and warm pinks and terracottas are part and parcel of a new wave of 70s design references. Heavy, floor-to-ceiling curtains are a great way to highlight high ceilings and frame an interesting view of the outdoors.
Pictured: Astro Voiles at Hillarys
Feature wallpaper
If you're going for a retro or Art Deco theme, dusty pink and vibrant green are a classic combination. This pairing works particularly well with darker and red-toned woods (imagine a pale wood here, and the effect loses its retro references).
Pictured: Rozalia Sophia Green Wallpaper at Divine Savages
All over green
The architectural details in this living room lend themselves to a two-tone scheme – if you have similar panelling or coving, it's an easy one to replicate. We would always recommend using the darker of the two colours on your walls as a contrast to highlight the more interesting details.
Pictured: Country Living Dakota Carpet at Carpetright
Wood tones
The versatility of green makes it a bit of a gift in interior design, but doesn't make it easier to narrow down your choice of colour combination. If you're lucky enough to have ample wood tones in your home like this fabulous living room, it makes for an instant pairing. Note the textured finish on the walls that is picked up so beautifully in a flood of natural light.
Pictured: Tense pendant light at Holloways of Ludlow, HAY Crate armchair at TwentyTwentyOne, Sofa at Aria
Green styling
Designers and stylists will always expound the decorative benefits of using different heights when styling a sideboard or shelf – the artwork has been arranged in a bit of a mismatch of placements, whilst candle holders and vases have been chosen and arranged in groups of alternating sizes.
Pictured: Elements 02 Print at Formworks
Light and bright
We are totally taken with this little reading corner that goes big on colour in a small space. Awkward pockets like these are perfect for experimenting with intense shades. Farrow & Ball suggests using this rich olive green paint if you're low on natural light – so it's perfect for awkward alcoves or any space under your stairs.
Pictured: Olive No.13 Paint at Farrow & Ball
Green and monochrome
If you're unsure of how to pair your greens, a black and white scheme is a safe bet. Just be sure to add a warming element – in this Habitat living room it's the red-toned wood, but pops of orange or yellow would do the job too.
Pictured: Julien 3 Seater Fabric Sofa at Habitat
Feature wall
Tiles have long been used to introduce colour and pattern to areas of the home that are high traffic, but uses are expanding and becoming more creative. The full height tiled feature wall is such an unexpected addition to this living room, but creates a fabulous irredescent focal point.
Pictured: Cosenza Sofa, Monza Coffee Table, Aldbury Armchair, Marino Armchair and Amalfi Sideboard, all Ercol
Green flooring
Green doesn't just belong on walls – and in fact if you have a really rich colour palette in your living room, a burst of refreshing green makes for a great companion.
Pictured: Stig Lindberg Bersa Rug at Layered
Gallery wall
We're big fans of a gallery wall in a living room, and this zesty green and yellow example works beautifully against a sage background. A gallery wall is a great place to introduce complementary colours – if you use green and yellow, a warming terracotta would make a great additional accent.
Pictured: Fresh Lemon Gallery Wall at Desenio
WFH corner
Green is on the cooler side of the colour wheel, so using green undertones can offset saturated colours like an intense yellow, orange, or pink. It's a clever design trick used in this neat living room/home office corner to balance the intensity of the walls.
Pictured: Desk, chair, and accessories at Habitat
Botanical
What green living room would be complete without houseplants? What we really love here is the unexpected placements – displayed on open shelving in front of the window, and those fabulous trailing plants hanging from the ceiling.
Pictured: Costello Sofa at Sofa.com
William Morris
If you like Bloomsbury-style florals, you can't beat a William Morris wallpaper. This green living room embraces a lively design scheme with clashing patterns jostling for attention – it's a nice way to make a room feel fun and energetic.
Read more: 15 best botanical wallpapers
Yellow-toned greens
The yellow-toned green of new shoots makes for a nice alternative to the more popular soft sage and deep forest. 'Our desire to connect to the outdoors is still so strong – serene shades of citrine and moss help bring this feeling into your home,' says Sarah Keady, House Beautiful's Style and Interiors Director. 'Use alongside plants and natural wood for maximum effect.'
Read more: 5 stylish ways to decorate with green
Green and caramel
This fabulous living room provides a ready-made colour scheme. Sage green and white are an easy pairing, but it is the addition of a warm caramel that really works.
Pictured: Chess Wool Rug at Layered
Brass accents
Another living room full of plants in all shapes and sizes. This design scheme uses the black, white and brass formula we mentioned earlier, but forgoes the blonde wood to create a slightly more luxe feel overall.
Pictured: Islington 2 Seater Sofa at Sofology
Bohemian
Bohemian decorating can quickly become cluttered and mismatched, but this light and airy living room executes it perfectly. To replicate the look in your own home, keep your larger pieces of furniture neutral, and use heavy pattern (a paisley or ikat would work,) in your soft furnishings. Any type of wood can work here, and finish with an abundance of greenery.
Pictured: Furniture, lighting and accessories, all Dunelm
Reading corner
The most peaceful corners of your home don't always have to be decorated in calming neutrals or soft whites. This sunny reading nook creates a warm welcome with buttery pastel yellows and lilacs – a brilliant backdrop too for these sunflowers to stand out.
Pictured: Pond Chair in Beige and Ingrid Vase in Camel, both Broste Copenhagen
Contrasting shades
Mid and dark greens are frequently matched with clean whites, light pinks or ochres, but green and blue are neighbours on the colour wheel, making them perfect partners. Both are cool colours, which can make them refreshing, just make sure to pick similar shades – an apple green with a vivid cerulean for instance – or as we see here, two soft and earthy tones.
Pictured: Ercol Aldbury Armchair
Whimsy
Layered rugs, Moroccan-inspired patterns and a chalky green limewashed wall creates something a bit dreamy and fantastical here. A limewash effect is a really nice way to soften colours and add a natural and pigmented effect.
Pictured: French Connection Hoxton Three-Seater Sofa at DFS
Jewel tones
Emerald greens always work brilliantly with other jewel colours because they share such rich undertones – the same applies to pastels that all share white undertones. This is certainly not a restful choice, but rather for those who feel invigorated by colour.
Pictured: Bijou Sofa in Chamonix Highland Green Landrillo Mix at Sofology
Mid-century
Green isn't just for bohemian or botanical living rooms, a sophisticated forest green can work wonders in a mid-century home too. This particular shade from Mylands is a great choice if the rest of your room is neutral, and note the use of black lighting and accessories – you don't have to use lighter colours against a dark background.
Pictured: Pleasure Gardens Green at Mylands
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