How to Decorate a Living Room with Green Walls

Co-authored by Katherine Tlapa and Dev Murphy

Last Updated: November 14, 2022 References

Whether verdant hillside-green or elegant emerald or calming minty sage, there's no doubt about it: green is having a major moment in interior decorating. Because this classic color comes in so many different shades, there’s an almost infinite number of ways to decorate a living room with green walls. So if you’re looking at your green walls and feeling overwhelmed, we’ve got your back! We’ve compiled the best interior design advice to help you feel inspired and confident as you embark on your decorating adventure.

Things You Should Know

Pair green and white to give your room a fresh, soothing feel.
Balance out the coolness of a green room with warmer colors like red, yellow, or brown.
Incorporate tactile elements, such as soft blankets or textured rugs, to elevate a room’s calm atmosphere.

1

Go green and white for a fresh, minimalist feel.

All-white décor will give your living room a soothing and clean feel. No matter your shade of green, white accents will match it. If your walls are a cool, minty green, pairing them with white will give your living room a spearmint-fresh aesthetic, whereas deep turquoise walls will give it more forest vibes. But regardless of the hue of your green living room, pairing it with all-white furniture will give your space a crisp, refreshing feel.
- Really accentuate that clean vibe by going minimalist with your décor: select simple furniture pieces, and limit your clutter. A less-is-more approach will make the space calm and soothing.^{[1]
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- Give your living room an art gallery aesthetic: the unobtrusive minimalist layout will make any colorful or exciting focal points stand out all the more. Hang an oversized piece of art on the wall, or install an eye-grabbing designer light fixture.^{[2]
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  Research source} You can even create a gallery wall with family photos, prints, art pieces, or any collection of wall décor in a curated pattern.
- You don’t have to give up your books and knickknacks for the sake of minimalism: hang curtains over your shelves to make your interior design more cohesive.

2

Turn a sage green room into a soothing refuge.

Add neutral furniture and use accessories for pops of color. Cool in the summer, warm and cozy in the winter, it’s a safe and lovely color for your living room walls, and it's the perfect color to create a relaxing space to unwind in. Gray furniture will complement sage’s mellowness, but make sure to counter these colors with pops of brighter, warmer shades, like yellow or gold. This will keep your living room from becoming too dreary.^{[3]
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- Scented candles will add to your therapeutic atmosphere. Try calming scents such as eucalyptus or lavender.
- A pink salt lamp will bathe your space in a warm, sunsetty glow without interrupting the calm atmosphere.
- Add some yellow throws to a gray couch, bright flowers in a shiny vase, or a few pieces of colorful wall art. The muted shades of green and gray will make your accents really pop.
- Consider the textures of your furniture and décor carefully: incorporating tactile décor can make your space even more comfortable.^{[4]
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- Consider sheepskin throws, knit blankets, or fur rugs—items that are soothing to the touch.

3

Create a solid, conservative aesthetic with dark green.

Opt for traditional fixtures and heavy furniture. In color psychology, dark colors give off a grounded, conservative vibe. If your walls are dark green, push the solid aesthetic further by decorating with heavy, angular furniture.^{[5]
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Research source} For lighting, opt for an elegant but staid light fixture emitting warm light, maybe affixed to a ceiling fan.
- Charcoal details will give your space depth and class. Adding some bold, angular charcoal lines—like shelves or lighting fixtures—will help define the space.^{[6]
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- If your room doesn’t get good light, balance out the heaviness with a large mirror as a statement piece or a few shiny decorative objects, such as a brass tray or hanging shelf.^{[7]
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4

Pump up pale green walls with modern accents.

Modernize your living room with glass and metal. Modern color palettes are often muted and neutral, with pops of color here or there, and décor is minimal. Opt for clean, smooth surfaces and simple, bright light fixtures: glass, metal, and sleek wood décor abounds in modern designs.^{[8]
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- While modern designs eschew knickknacks and anything else that could be deemed “clutter,” they emphasize art as the main form of décor.
- “Modern” is not to be confused with “contemporary”: while “modern” refers to a time around the early to mid-twentieth century, “contemporary” refers to the present moment, which is ever-shifting.^{[9]
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5

Create a traditional and elegant space with cool green walls.

Class up the joint with antiques. Cool greens like sage tend to work well for sophisticated, formal rooms. If you want to turn your living room into a nineteenth-century haven, go hunting at your local antique store: you can find Victorian-era coffee tables, Turkish rugs, doilies, rocking chairs, and decorative silver trays. Opt for rich velvet or silk for your sofa and drapes.^{[10]
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- Keep the color palette fairly neutral, adding pops of color here and there in the form of bouquets of flowers and oil paintings.^{[11]
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- For a lighting fixture, consider a glamorous crystal chandelier (or fake crystal).

6

Create a vintage vibe in a room with lime or avocado paint.

Give your space a retro makeover with 60s and 70s accents. Pair lime green or avocado green walls with burnt orange sofas, low-to-the-ground brown leather chairs, and a mid-century modern coffee table to make you feel like a character from Mad Men every time you sit on the couch. If you’ve got a sunken living room, all the better.^{[12]
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- For lighting, consider a mid-century sputnik chandelier. This will act as a great statement piece and really take you back to the 1960s.

7

Go for a warm cottage feel with lots of colorful accents.

Create a cozy refuge with warm accessories. In color theory, red and yellow are warm but energetic colors: they can communicate passion and joy, and they pair well with green, which is the most calming and restful color.^{[13]
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Research source} Detailing a deep green living room with dark red and golden quilts and pillows will give your space some extra warmth. These warm hues will balance out the coolness of the green, and the darkness of the walls will add to the cozy vibe of the room.^{[14]
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- If you want your living room to be a warm, cozy space, opt for warmer light bulbs.^{[15]
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  Research source} Warm light will bring out the yellows in your green walls, making the space appear warmer.^{[16]
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- Overlapping patterned textiles and wall art will give your space a comfy cottage feel. Think gingham blankets and worn quilts.
- Add a few decorative baskets, a wicker rocking chair, and some dried flowers, and you’ve turned your living room into a cottagecore dream.

8

Use wood accents for a rustic atmosphere.

Give your living room an outdoorsy feel with earthy additions. Adding wood accents to your green room will give your living room an earthy vibe—think wooden cabinets, even faux wood paneling. (And yes, wood paneling can still be chic!) Amp up the rustic cabin feel with a few plaid flannel throws and a deer antler chandelier. If you’ve got a fireplace, you’re all set for an indoor campout.
- Consider adding scented candles evocative of nature and camping: fir, campfire, marshmallow, or tobacco scents may all accomplish this.
- Keep lighting contained and warm to mimic the cozy glow of a fire.
- Adding wood and other earthy colors will balance out the coolness of the green.^{[17]
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9

Go boho with bold accessories.

Choose warm colors and textured accents. To achieve a boho vibe, start with a warm neutral color palette—think off-white, brown, clay red, or burnt sienna. Then add a few bold patterns via rugs, pillows, and blankets. Consider furniture and décor that enhances the jungle feel, like a wooden beaded chandelier, a vintage coconut shell coffee table, a rattan rocking chair, or maybe an animal-printed rug or two.^{[18]
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- Adding brown accents to your green room will not only amp up the nature vibes, but it’s also a safe and elegant way to add a bit of warmth to your space, and less flashy than red.^{[19]
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10

Add plants to earthy green walls for a calming aesthetic.

Sage + plants = calming bliss. In comparison to the electricity of lime green, sage brings a comfy coolness to your home. Augment that calmness by installing some hanging plants and adding a few looming dracaenas. Maybe bring in some rattan chairs and that beaded chandelier for an added boho vibe.^{[20]
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- If you don’t have a green thumb, go for fake plants, or amp up your plant-themed décor with botanical-patterned throw pillows, blankets, and curtains.

11

Throw some pink into the mix for a contemporary look.

Use bold colors for a fresh, hip feel. Pink is the opposite pigment to green on the color wheel, meaning these two colors complement each other well—and millennials in particular have flocked to the color combo of emerald green and dusty pink.^{[21]
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Research source} Adding some rosy accents to a dark green room will give your living space lift as well as a bit of playfulness.^{[22]
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- Play it safe by accenting your green room with white or oatmeal-colored furniture and dusty rose throws and lighting fixtures, or be bold and deck out your whole room with salmon-pink sofas and shelves.

12

Create organized chaos with lots of colors and textures.

The busier and more colorful, the better. Lime green is a fun, bright hue, and those electric green planes demand to be met with shocks of exciting décor—consider brightly patterned curtains and rugs, bold abstract artwork, magnetic floral couches, and a statement lighting piece.^{[23]
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- This is a great way to integrate your knickknacks and books into your space! Rather than cloaking belongings that might not match your desired aesthetic, show them off as a cohesive part of your design.

13

Give a blue-green room an airy beach house feel.

Think “oceanside” with nautical accents. If your green walls lean more blue than yellow—such as turquoise or teal—dive into a seaside theme. Decorate with neutral colors and dark ocean blues to achieve an easy-breezy atmosphere, and bring in plenty of texture to make up for the lack of color variety—think crisp, natural materials like cotton and hemp.^{[24]
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- Keep patterns to a minimum, and opt for simple stripes when you do incorporate patterns.
- Add some linen curtains and plenty of natural materials like baskets and light woods, and rely as much as you can on natural light.
- Go full coastal grandmother and add doilies, a humidifier, and slip-covered furniture for a retiree-in-the-Hamptons aesthetic.^{[25]
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14

Create an industrial vibe if you have an open floor plan.

Keep things rugged with natural materials. If your green walls are lighter or more muted—say, moss green or sage—an industrial makeover may be just the thing. Bring in a leather couch, raw wood coffee tables, and end tables with exposed metal legs for a warehouse-chic look, and add a cozy fur rug and some cable-knit throws for a little softness. For lighting, consider an elegant metal statement chandelier, as well as track lighting.
- Leave the space as open as you can to really get the “mid-century artist squatting in an abandoned Meatpacking District warehouse” vibe.^{[26]
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15

Go full green for a monochromatic space.

Paint your radiators, cabinets, and windowsills to match your green walls. It may sound like a somewhat maximalist approach to green, but the overall effect will be minimalist and elegant, as any clutter or attention-attracting wall accents will be subsumed into the green walls.^{[27]
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- Painting your woodwork to match your walls means you have more freedom to experiment with exciting patterns in your furniture and décor. You can incorporate busy throw pillows and rugs without the room feeling too chaotic.^{[28]
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