So you want to try out decorating with green? Out of all the cooler-toned colors, green is one of the easiest and most versatile to work with and also looks lovely when paired with other shades. And in fact, it's what you pair with green that can really make it work in any space with any style.

'Green is at the center of the color wheel so you can combine it with both warm and cool hues. Greens with a blue base are impactful, so introducing soft tones of clay white and chalky grey in furniture and accessories bring a calming feel. Greens with a yellow undertone, such as olive, pop alongside gold or bronze, enhancing their warmth.' explains Sarah Spiteri, Editorial Director of Livingetc.

Essentially, anything looks good with green. And whatever shade you like, whether it be sage, lime, fern, forest or chartreuse you can bring it into most color palettes. Here are our favorite combinations to get you inspired to start decorating with this invigorating shade.

1. Green and yellow

'Adjacent to each other on the color wheel, yellow and green rooms are harmonious and easy to live with. It’s a look that feels fresh and invigorating.' says Sarah. 'Yellow and green schemes have an affinity with nature and with spring. It’s a combination that instantly suggests leaves and flowers.'



Now depending on how bold you want to go, you may want to stick with just a few accents of yellow and use green and maybe another neutral hue throughout most of the space. Bring in just pops of yellow with your throw cushions, drapes and prints.

2. Green and pink

Pink and green should never be seen right? Wrong! This is a color combination that we are seeing gain popularity yet again, after its surge a few years ago. And really it's and is not as dramatic a paring as it sounds.

'Green and pink are complementary colors, sitting opposite each other on the wheel. This means that the scheme is high impact.' explains Sarah. Get your proportions right for a truly restorative space - a generous amount of green against touches of pink is gorgeous. Nature-inspired patterns, such as florals or botanicals, are particularly effective when decorating with this combination.'



If you love this combination but after it in its most subtle form, pair a light sage green or a creamy pistachio with a grounded deep pink.

'One of my all-time favorite color schemes is a sage green with an earthy pale pink. These colors are all luxuriously rich and soothing, inviting you to be cozy and relaxed in your home.' says color expert Annie Sloan.

3. Green and white

White is the perfect color to pair with any green. From deep forest greens to vivid limes, white will instantly add contrast and freshness to the scheme.



Now as you will know if you have ever faced the seemingly simple task of buying a 'white' paint, white comes in many forms and certain shades work better with certain greens.

As a rule of thumb cooler-leaning greens and yellow-toned greens like lime, fern greens, jade greens and emerald greens work best with crisp true whites. You have more choice with more muted, dusky greens like sage and pistachio. They will usually work both with a bright white to add a freshness to these more muted tones or an off-white for a more warm, cocooning feel.

Already feeling tempted to go green? Find all of the best green paints in our buying guide.

4. Green and orange

If you like warmer tones in your home, but want a color combo that still feels fresh and interesting, try pairing a deep forest green or a dark olive shade with a muted orange. You have that clear contrast here, so it still feels daring and has an impact but it's not too overwhelming.



There are of course more punchy variants of this combination – tangerine hues with chartreuse, emerald with bold terracotta, we would just always recommend adding a touch of into these bolder schemes to break up the colors.

'Pairing green with a vivid orange will give more energy to a space; contrasting complementary colors emphasizes the qualities of each and creates a bold statement look. I’d use a strong black, too, to give a solidly masculine mid-century modern scheme. It’s calming because it’s strong and looks very put together.' says Annie Sloan.

5. Green and grey

Neutral lovers that want to inject just a hint of color, this is the combination for you. Grey works with lots of different tones of green (just look out for shades that have a more cool grey undertone) but a very on-trend scheme is grey and sage green.

'Sage green is the optimal color choice right now. It harnesses the calming energy inherent in green but anchors it with an earthiness and depth not present in more vivid hues.' explains Sarah Spiteri.



Pair a cool light sage green with a really pale, cloudy grey for a contemporary combination that works particularly well in kitchens and bathrooms, or any room that might lack natural light. Then ground all those light, airy colors by adding just a hint of black, or as you can see in this gorgeous sage green kitchen, a dark marble or wooden accent.

Love this kitchen? Find plenty more sage green kitchen ideas in our gallery.

6. Green and red

A surprising color to pair with green, but red, used in the right amounts can work. Plus, red seems to be having a bit of a renaissance and over the last year there has definitely been a trend towards bringing bolder, warmer colors into our homes, so don't be afraid to start dabbling in red tones.



'For this to work, I suggest that the red is purely an accent color, used to bring in hits of life and energy, but not as a lead. This balance will ensure that it stays well away from looking Christmassy. Something as simple as a red cushion or lamp base can be a great way to pep up a green interior. Look at brick or earthy reds and never introduce a metallic.' suggests Sarah.

6. Green and purple

Purple and green may sound like a bold look but as Sarah says, it's one that 'can be very charming, particularly in a smaller room where you want to make an impact and embrace coziness. Botanical greens and jewel-toned emeralds look amazing with plum - these colors are a wonderful foil for each other.'

Again, if you want to slightly tone down the combination bring in some neutral tones like soft greys and whites as you can see here in this bold modern bathroom.

7. Green and wood

While, we know this isn't technically a color combination, we could not ignore how well green works with those natural shades and textures. It makes sense since green is such a nature-inspired color to pair with other natural materials, so you will find that almost any shade of green looks lovely when combined with wooden accents.

But what is particularly on-trend is pairing green with pale woods. You can choose between light sage greens for a soft, subtle look or break up a dark and moody green with some light wood accents.



'Green goes very well with natural textures, and in particular pale wood. A sea-green works so well with raw timber, for instance.' explains Sarah.

'From a color pairing perspective, of course this harmony extends to combining green with neutrals. As mentioned, green sits in the center of the wheel so can be combined with both cold and warm tones. As an example - combining verdigris green with a chalky, blue-toned grey will create a cool, calm scheme, whereas pairing it with a warmer, yellow-toned beige will create an earthy, outdoorsy feel.'