JOIN USWondering how to do up your home this time? Tired of the same-old design ideas and makeovers? Why don’t you give the Pantone Colour of the Year a try? This year, the colour is ‘greenery’. Calling it a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade, Pantone stated that it evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. A life-affirming shade, greenery is also emblematic of the pursuit of personal passions and vitality.
So, here are some things you could do to rev up the emerald rushes into your personal spaces to refresh and renew:
Flick in the foliage
“Pure, crisp and fresh, green works its magic in styling your home. The simplest way is to bring in green planters for a fresh breath,” says architect Smita Dixit Mehra, creative head and founder of Palettino. Whether it is potted plants on the kitchen balcony, sweeping ferns on the terrace, or a mossy rockery, the hue makes its calming presence felt. Arrange the green genies skilfully to keep the colour theme rushing through your home in nooks and corners as well.
You can work on the botanic rush through a vertical garden if you wish to maximise space. Remember, a green entry always helps to open up the spaces. This could possibly be included as a feature wall with blades of grass etched on apple green in the passage wall leading into your house.
Surface up
Says interior designer Minnie Bhatt, “Bring the soothing green into your apartment by colouring a passage wall. Alternatively, you could bring in minty window frames, especially if your home has a Mediterranean vibe. Since green is a bold colour, if not placed astutely, it stands out like a sore thumb. Less is more. Optionally, you can go in for a verdant palette in the blinds.”
Move beyond the walls onto hardtops like the kitchen counters and tabletops. Seaweed green, forest hues in granite and marble, together with a brilliant array of tiles offer enough options for you to choose from. Green is the colour of healing and creates a soothing well of calm if blended adroitly into your home spaces.
Try hints of pistachio for the pastel palette in your master bedroom, a muddy olive in the living area for a warm lounge feel; vibrant green tones on the terrace or balcony for a relaxed Moroccan spell; a splash of turquoise to rev up your bathrooms....
Accessorise adroitly
A skilful placement creates a harmonious well of calm. “Sage cushions on a neutral shade couch and curtains in mixed tones of green can work beautifully as a theme for a modern or a traditional style decor. Choose rich, elegant, relaxed or classic as the vibe you wish to create and then pick the tones. A jade lamp or even a nature-inspired wall art can transform the decor in a minimalist yet classy way,” says Smita.
You can use clever lighting with lampshades in stained glass to create accent pools and moods in different parts of your house. Jewelled tones on translucent materials work very well in filtering the light. Bring in curios in onyx and jade to rev up the green quotient across the lounge area.
“An upholstered chair or ottoman in the living room or a lounge chaise can be a great statement,” suggests home decor expert Sarita Handa.
“Adhere to neutral tones as they offer broad bandwidth to form a cohesive palette with the other colours in your decor. Remember, if a green is too acidic in complexion — too yellow or too blue — it may not be neutral enough when you want to add newer colours to your home decor palette,” she cautions.
Paper it
“If you are looking at refurbishing in bits and parts, then wallpapers are a great bet. They add a certain charm and character to spaces. Choose wallpapers with botanical designs or marbleised textures, or with a chinoiserie design with hues of green liberally mixed in,” says Sarita.
You could even have borders running as accents across the walls to unify the decor across the rooms. The idea is to have a single, strong detail without too many areas jostling for visual attention. Play around with textures and laminates to create a pleasing combination of the different shades of the treasured hue. These also serve as great conversation starters at the gatherings you host at home!
Fluidity counts
The idea is to knit together a pleasing visual rhythm throughout your personal spaces. Remember, less is more, and a tussle between too many strong decor elements always detracts and creates confusion. Bring in a subtle touch that threads together the decor in your personal spaces. Be it through eclectic dinnerware, soothing home linen, interesting artworks, a quirky trellis, or even exquisite figurines in your prayer area.
Whatever be your pick, go with the flow and create your own pool of harmony within your home spaces...