One of my favourite colour combinations has to be dark green and gold. I love the richness of these colours and always dreamed of having Dark Jade bridesmaids’ dresses with gold accessories for my wedding.
I have always loved dark green living rooms but never thought I would be able to carry it off. I was wrong!
Using Dark Green in the Living Room
I have written this blog post before, but that was a couple of years ago so I thought it was time I updated it! Any blog post I write about the colour green always gets a huge amount of traffic, so I guess you all love the colour just as much as I do!
One of the most commented and talked about interior design blog posts I have ever published has to be my dark green wall in my living room in our old house.
The Blue Jade paint by Valspar gets more comments than I’ve had hot dinners (and believe me, I eat a LOT!)
If I had been paid a commission for every time I told someone what the colour was, I could have gone offline, booked a round-the-world cruise and paid Ryan Gosling to come with me (sorry Mr B! )
Dark green is such a strikingly beautiful colour and one that I would happily use in every room if I had the budget to change all my furniture and accessories! Although, saying that, it does pretty much go with everything.
From white to dark green
When we moved into our old house, the Living Room was bright yellow, with green and white curtains and wooden furniture.
I get why they decided on the yellow, it brought out the colour in the Sunflowers on the tile surrounding the fireplace, but it was just a bit much for me.
Also, the walls were crumbling and had holes in them, so we had to get the room replastered and start again.
Our builders did a superb job and when they finished replastering, they asked what colour we wanted it painted and immediately I said white.
I had literally whitewashed my whole house without a spot of colour in there and that was how I was going to keep it.
I think I was a little afraid of colour at this point until one day I saw this photo on Instagram…
My obsession with dark green and gold begins
At this point in my life, I didn’t know how much I loved the colour Jade or emerald green and suddenly I became obsessed with it.
I had already found a mid-century chest of drawers in a charity shop for £25 which we were using as a TV unit and I knew they’d look perfect together.
Buying the paint is not an easy decision!
The hardest part was trying to find the right colour green for the living room and boy! I didn’t know how many green paint choices were out there!
I wanted something that was deep and rich and was a good contrast to my furniture. In the end, it took me nearly 6 months to choose the paint and I went with Blue Jade by Valspar.
I was also torn between painting an accent wall and painting the whole room.
Our old living room is west-facing, but it is always quite dark as there are tall trees and bushes in the front garden blocking out a lot of light.
I decided to go with an accent wall, to begin with, and see how we got on with it.
Once I had finished painting the accent wall dark green, I knew that I didn’t need to paint the whole room, but to add splashes of dark green and gold throughout bringing the whole room together.
The first thing we had to decide on, was what rug to use on the floor. The trend at the time was the infamous monochrome “La Redoute Rug”. I purchased this in the sale which fitted in perfectly with the dark green wall.
Now for the furniture
Next, I needed to decide what furniture to use in the living room that went with the dark green wall, fireplace and walnut TV unit.
I was really drawn to the industrial-style shelving units and coffee tables so we bought some shelves from Maisons Du Monde and the parquet-style coffee table from La Redoute.
I needed to hang something above the fireplace and I’ve always liked mirrors in the living room, especially when it’s quite a dark space like this room, as it reflects more light.
I found our nonagon mirror in a charity shop for £3 and spray-painted it gold.
Creating a gallery wall
When I had finished painting the dark green wall, I knew I would probably keep it as an accent wall as it was such a rich colour, but I had to decide what to do with the wall opposite.
I’ve always loved gallery walls so I found different pieces of art that picked out the colours of the room, mainly green, gold and yellow and tried to not make it too over-curated.
I also found a few monochrome prints as I liked how this tied the La Redoute rug into the gallery scheme.
I was lucky enough to find some cushions from Fox & Ivy at Tesco to match the green wall perfectly, tying in the soft furnishings on my old brown sofa.
Add Wall Decals
If you don’t fancy putting up a gallery wall and putting lots of holes in your wall, adding wall decals for your living room is also a really good way to add pattern and dark green.
You could create a nature wall with a floral mural of pinks and greens, or include a wall sticker of a tree.
And finally, the green velvet sofa arrives.
I always knew we would eventually replace the sofa as it was too brown and bulky and looked ridiculous as two separate pieces.
I had my heart set on a green velvet sofa, so we decided to go with one from sofa.com The colour is aptly named Jade smart velvet, so it was perfect for this room.
The sofa.com green velvet sofa was the icing on the dark green living room cake and I was extremely happy when it turned up.
It really did pull the whole room together and looked fabulous with the gallery wall.
Dark green and gold also looks amazing against wood, be that wood flooring, furniture or doors and I couldn’t decide whether to keep the monochrome rug or the bare wooden floors.
The rug won out eventually, especially in winter! I love wooden floors, but they do make a room feel cold.
Adding a bar cart
One of the last additions to the room was a gold bar cart that I found in a charity shop for £15.
I upcycled it with botanical wallpaper from Wilkinsons and found a few gold candles and ornaments which provided a good contrast against the green wall.
I then added some botanical and floral prints, plenty of houseplants and the important stuff, alcohol!
No longer did I have to leave my velvet sofa to get a top up, I could just wheel the trolley over to me and never have it more than an arm’s length away! Chin chin!
Dark green living room ideas
The decor in my old living room came together over a couple of years. As I got bolder with my interior decor choices, I added more pattern and colour to the room until I was completely happy with it.
If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration on how to create a dark green living room, here are a few ideas.
1. Choose a Green Sofa
I think the easiest way to create a dark green living room, without committing to painting, is to add a dark green sofa.
If you go for a beautiful forest or jade green, it adds a pop of colour to the room.
Dark green sofas are an amazing way to add colour to your living room and can be the real star of the room.
You can keep the rest of the living room neutral, or slowly add more accent colours of green to compliment the sofa.
I would suggest that if you’re going for a large green sofa, do not paint your whole living room in a dark green colour as the sofa will become camouflaged!
2. Add a Dark Green Occasional Chair
If your budget doesn’t allow you to add a new sofa, maybe look at adding an occasional chair that can sit in the corner of your living room.
If your living room is largely neutral or monochromatic, a green occasional chair can add a bold pop of colour to the space. This can make the room feel more lively and energetic.
3. Paint the walls
Dark green walls are a huge commitment, so I would look to paint an accent wall in the colour first to make sure you really like it!
Depending on the colour of your sofa (see above), if you really love the colour and the room isn’t too small, think about painting your whole living room in this colour.
Dark green walls can be quite enveloping so if your room is quite small, it can feel a little claustrophobic! This is why it is always a good idea to paint a feature wall first (no, feature walls are not outdated. If you like it, go for it!) and if you are brave, paint the rest of the room.
4. Add Dark Green Artwork with hints of gold
As I said at the beginning, I think dark green and gold are a match made in heaven.
If your artwork is going to be the only piece of dark green in the room, make a really bold statement!
Go for a large abstract piece with a gold frame, or create a gallery wall full of different shades of green to complement each other.
- Fall Morning Poster – Desenio
- Abstract Valley Framed Print – Abstract House
- Green & Gold no. 1 Poster – Desenio
- Rousseau – The Equatorial jungle poster – Desenio
- Green good music and good people print – Fy!
- Water Lily pond poster – Desenio
- Organic abstract shapes print – Abstract House
- Abstract Monstera Leaf Canvas Art – Green Lili
- Golden crane poster – Desenio
5. Dark Green Curtains
Another good way to add dark green in the living room without spending too much money is to update your existing furniture with green soft furnishings.
If your living room is fairly neutral, adding dark green curtains will instantly give it a luxurious look without the hefty price tag. I love adding bold-coloured curtains to a room, it helps frame the windows beautifully and you can go for colours you wouldn’t normally choose.
6. Dark Green Soft Furnishings
Another way to add dark green in the living room on a budget is to update your cushions and throws. If you have an old neutral sofa and no longer like the colour, think about draping dark green throws over the sofa and colour-matching them with cushions.
This is a brilliant way to quickly update your living room and inject a bit of colour without breaking the bank.
7. Home Accessories
Pops of green in the home are so easy to introduce, I’m sure you already have some green with vases, ornaments and candles around the home.
Look for decorative items like vases, bowls or figurines to display on your shelves and tabletops to introduce subtle pops of green throughout the room.
8. Use Plants!
Plants can be a great addition to any living room as they not only add natural beauty and texture to the space, but they can also help to purify the air and create a calming atmosphere.
Plants suit any kind of decor – minimalist, eclectic, neutral etc so if you want to add a bit of dark green in the living room, this is probably one of the easiest ways to do it!
9. Lighting
Green lighting in the form of lamps or light shades could help compliment the tones on your gallery wall. Go for dark green velvet pleats in the light shade for a luxurious look and pair it with a dark green marble lamp.
10. Dark Green Rugs
A dark green rug can add depth, warmth, and sophistication and is an easy way to add green in the living room.
There can be many ways to use a green rug such as –
- Place a dark green rug under your coffee table and arrange your seating area around it.
- Use it as a focal point by choosing a rug with a unique pattern or texture and pairing it with simpler furniture and decor.
- Dark green rugs can work well with other green decors in the living room. Try pairing it with green throw pillows, curtains, or a green accent wall to create a cohesive look.
- Dark green rugs can be bold, so it’s important to balance them with neutral colours like beige, grey, or white. This will help to create a more balanced and harmonious living room.
- Consider layering your dark green rug with other rugs in different textures and colours. This will add depth and interest to the living room and help to create a cosy and welcoming space.
So, there you have it! This a very long-winded description of how to use green in your living room.
I still think painting our wall dark green in our old house is one of the best decisions I’ve made since we started renovating houses. It gave me the courage to use more colours in our home.
“What colour and make is that dark green wall?” is probably the most asked question I get on Instagram so I thought I’d write a post on it.
I hope you took some inspiration away from these dark green living room ideas!
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Your room looks beautiful! Great post.
Thank you Fiona! xx
This inspired me to do my living room similar to yours. I did a green accent wall with white surrounding walls, white and black fireplace, and a black trim around my sunroom door.
Author
You can’t go wrong with a dark green wall! Do you like it?
Thank you Arlene! I absolutely adore this colour, it is so rich and beautiful during the day and night. I bet you will love it! 🙂
Hi Allison
It’s a beautiful colour isn’t it? It’s Valspar so I’m sure they would be able to get a colour match?
Mel x
I have a very similar living room and would love to add this color! What color did you use on the other walls?
Our other walls are white. I wasn’t sure I wanted the whole room to be that dark, but we have a dark green sofa and gallery wall (picture above) opposite the green wall and it ties the whole room in together nicely.
Wow. What an amazing, and brave choice. I’m renovating at the moment, and although I love the Scandi white and wood, you can’t beat colour to give it warmth/ depth and a bit of personality. Fab post.
Thank you Johanna! I don’t think I could ever have my living room a different colour. This dark green is fabulously warm in the winter months and amazingly bright in the summer. I love it 🙂
Johanna, your room is just fabulous. Just wondering where the wallpaper is from and did you use it as I couldn’t see any pics with it in situ?
Hi Christine
I didn’t use the wallpaper in the end as loved the green paint so much. Here’s the link https://www.annaglover.co.uk/samples/garden-of-serica-malachite
Mel x
Hi
What colour curtains do you have?
Hi Judy
We don’t have any curtains, we have a bay window with white wooden blinds and the rest of the room is painted white.
Mel 🙂
I can’t seem to find this colour on the Valspar website. Where did you buy it from?
Hi Sarah
I bought the paint from B&Q. If you go into your nearest B&Q and find the Valspar aisle, they will make it up for you.
Mel 🙂
It is a wonderful article stating about the how to use dark green in your living room.This article is very helpful. This article mentions and acts as such a moving trigger. It is an article worth applauding for based on its content. I have also found this resource pppainting.co.nz useful and its related to what you are mentioning.
I absolutely love this look, so much so that I’ve constantly referred back to it during the last few weeks when I’ve been revamping my living room and I’m so pleased with the final result! I know you’ve already said that you have white wooden blinds, but I just wanted to ask if you did decide to have curtains what style/colour do you think you’d go for?
Hi Lynsey
I love inspiring people to use bold colours in their home and happy you’re pleased with the results! We decided not to go with curtains in the end and just kept with the white wooden blinds. I think if I was to go for curtains as well, I’d keep them floor length and white also. This is because there is a lot of other things going on in our living room, like the green wall and gallery wall, pink and green sofas! So I would want to keep all other decor plain. Hope this helps! Mel 🙂
Amazing and useful tips… Thanks for sharing this post.
Thank you for commenting. Mel 🙂
Love the room!! Where did you get the black and white palm tapestry hanging behind the pink couch?
Hello! I got it from https://www.roseandgrey.co.uk/extra-large-jungle-print-wall-chart Mel 🙂
Hi, first of all your room looks fantastic, l love it. I am planning on using the same colour in my lounge, at the moment the walls are papered in a natural fern print by Laura Ashley, from floor to ceiling with a white dado rail, and is still in very good Condition , despite being up for approx 8 years. My husband has never painted over wallpaper before but l suggested we leave the paper on the top half of the walls and paint the below the dado rail with Blue Jade by Valspar. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Hi Carol
What colour is the fern print? I’m guessing a green? This sounds like a wonderful idea, I love paint and wallpaper mixed up together and a dado rail provides a fantastic border. Blue Jade is such a rich colour it can go with a lot of things I think!
Mel 🙂
Hi Mel,
Absolutely love your colours!! I’m looking to go over to the dark side in my lounge and love green. Would you say your colour has blue tones to it? I’ve seen two colours I absolutely adore, Angelica by Craig and Rose and Botanical Noir by Elle … stuck between the two .. any help or advice on choosing please ..
Hi Jackie
I would say the dark green in my living room doesn’t really have any blue tones to it, it’s such a rich green colour that changes throughout the day and I love it. Personally, I think Botanical Noir is closer to my colour and is a much richer green, which you may find easier to pair with other colours. I also think richer greens bring out wood tones better.
Hope this helps! Mel 🙂
Hi Love the look exactly what I am after though have a rectangle room with no feature fireplace and one floor to ceiling window
Debating the dado rail as above if to take off and wallpaper. Or Missprint Skylark wallpaper and paint combo and then plain or green wall at the end . Scared it will be TOO green ! I LOVE your sofa do you find velvet is easy or hard to keep fluff free ! ? Thanks for the inspiration
Hi! I always think you should go with your instinct. The best thing about decorating is that if you don’t like it, it can be easily changed. The velvet is so easy to keep fluff free and I’ve got two very messy kids! I hoover it once in a while but it never seems to be that dirty!
These are brilliant ideas! Thanks for sharing
Perfect timing for this post! Appreciating the time and effort you put into your website and in-depth information you offer. You’ve really covered up almost all the possible info that every interior lover should follow. Worth sharing! Please do continue sharing updates! Thanks!
Hello
Thank you for your lovely message. I love writing my blog so will continually try to improve and write more.
Mel 🙂
Love love love this,where did you get you Kilim rug,been looking everywhere
https://www.rugsdirect.co.uk/rugs/traditional/gabbeh/matruh-51c/
Hi
Can you tell me where you got your kilim rug from it’s the one with pastel colours.
Hello. It’s from rugsdirect.co.uk https://www.rugsdirect.co.uk/rugs/traditional/gabbeh/matruh-51c/
Amazing! This is the exact colour I’ve been looking for.
I really want to paint my hallway and stairs this clllur. We have a very boring white new build house!
Do you think it would be too much in the hall and stairs if all woodwork is white?
Hello! No, I don’t think it would be too much at all. We only have one wall this dark green and the rest is white. I would paint one wall to begin with to see if you like it and go from there. Mel 🙂
Hi, commenting allll the way from Houston, Texas, I CANNOT find This paint anywhere, I’ve tried Hone Depot, Lowe’s, and they don’t seem to carry it. I’ve swatched 6 samples of anything I think that comes close to it, and nothing suffices!!!! Helppppp!!!
Hello!
I have so many questions from the US about this paint and I think the answer is, Valspar in the US do not make this colour! You would think that a company that operates in different countries would still market the same products but apparently not.
I have been told that Water Garden by Magnolia is a close match. Mel 🙂
Hi, I love the room, we have just had a log burner put in and want to make a feature of it in the room. what sort of white did you use for the rest of the room? I have found the blue jade but am trying to find a white that will go well with, we currently have a room stripped of wallpaper and in need of paint! please can you advise?
Hi Katie
We don’t have anything exciting on the other walls, just Pure Brilliant White by Dulux. I think we can get so bogged down with paint colour decisions, especially when there’s so much white out there! So I always use this colour when there’s a lot of other things going on in the room. It works for us, it’s clean, bright and fresh.
Mel 🙂
Love it! Taking out our log burner and renovating our living room. Hoping to do this dark green but need to see what hubby thinks first
Thanks Lynn. Good luck! What are you replacing your log burner with?
Hello 🙂 I really love your living room and was wondering where you got the brown rug and Aztec rug I have seen in previous photos of the room please? Many thanks, steph
Hi Steph, I got it from Rugs Direct – https://www.rugsdirect.co.uk/rugs/traditional/gabbeh/matruh-51c/
Love love love this design! I’m looking for a sofa like that but what’s the name of it as there are quite a few in sofa.com and yours is the perfect style I’m after. Also is it comfty??
Hello! Do you mean the dark green velvet sofa? This is the mabel in Jade matt velvet from sofa.com but they don’t do it anymore. You could try the Remy sofa or the snowdrop button back?
I really love this style. I am doing something similar with my living room. What exactly would you call this style? Tropical? Green luxe? I would love to put a name to it.
Author
Hi Kate
I struggle with it myself! I recently came across the term “Industrial Boho” which is explained as raw industrial spaces kitted out with rich eclectic furnishings and lots and lots of plants. This room might not hit the nail on the head but this style definitely resonates with me the most! Mel 🙂
I love the green sofa and green wall, it is giving a royal and classy vibe. I am for sure going to use these ideas for future living room interiors. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.
Hi Mel painted my wall around fire green have a stone colour sofa what throw would you have with this .
Author
I would keep the throw neutral with the sofa, like beiges, browns and greys.
Your colour palette is so pretty! And with the colour blocking, you’ve made it a practical, lovely and fun space for a family home – what all hallways should be but rarely are! The white floors look beautiful, looking forward to reading your post about it!
Absolutely stunning! Would you mind sharing your white paint colour?? Looking for a perfect white to go with an emerald green like yours. Would appreciate your suggestions..
Thank you so much,
MK
London ON Canada
Author
Hello! This paint is just Pure Brilliant White by Dulux UK
Do you still have the color code for the blue jade paint, valspar don’t have any longer will have to try replica.
Thank YOU
Barbara
Author
Hello
I’m not sure if they sell this colour in the states? Here is the link to the colour in the UK – https://www.valsparpaint.co.uk/colours/pre-selected-colours/teals/blue-jade/
Mel 🙂
The fireplace was wood, a perfect accent to green. It made it through the yellow and the white walls without being painted. Then when the one and only dark green wall was painted, the wood was finally covered up?
Accent walls make a room look unfinished and without a place for the eye to rest. You have split the personality of the room between manic and depressed. Dark green is a favorable shade over white. Finish the room. That will bring calm to the space. Goodbye wooden accent fireplace. Your missed And your value halved. I would not be the next person to move in after somebody painted over wooden anything in a home. The Jade paint was a good choice.
Author
Hi Ashley. I didn’t want to paint the room dark green as it would have made it extremely dark and not calming at all to me. I love an accent wall and have them throughout my home. What works for you, does not necessarily work for me and that’s the beauty of being able to decorate our homes as we see fit. Not tell other people how to do it. I love wood, but the original was a cheap pine replacement and it was too much with the pine flooring for us.