Emerald Green and Gold Living Room Ideas

Considering Using Emerald Green In Your Living Room?

My youngest daughter and I just finished reading The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum, and I have to say, I was impressed by the author's dedication to the color green. But not just any green, a very specific shade of green, the infamous, "Emerald Green".

Emerald green is such a bold, deep color. How and where can you begin to start committing to use it in your house? In this particular article, we are going to focus on using Emerald Green in your living room.

When you think of an emerald (the physical stone), you think of opulence, depth, and brilliance. It is a pure dark green that is hard to find in other areas of nature.  But lately, it is starting to show up more and more in interior home decor.  I have seen it used in multiple design motifs with varying degrees of success. Accent walls can offer a great opportunity to bring the outside in with an earthy pop of color or well-placed furniture pieces in the saturated hue can work well also.

We recently completed a cosmetic renovation of a 1915 cottage and all the rooms were painted white. I wanted drama in the dining room and opted for Sherwin Williams SW 6440 Courtyard rather than a deep dark blue.

In this particular space, the abundance of white combined with the paneling texture on the lower portion of the wall balance out the heavy saturated emerald green color. I don't think the look would have been quite as successful otherwise. Additionally, the natural light in the space adds a layer of brightness, and the wood tones of the floor bring the look together. I opted for a dark rubbed oiled bronze finish for the dining room light fixture.

Even though this is a dining room, the critical elements remain the same to pull the look off in another room like the living room.

 A few things to consider:

• How much natural light does the space get, and what time of day?
• Are you going to dip your toe in and explore an accent wall, or a partial wall?
• Are you going all-in and making a big statement by painting all your walls emerald green?
• Will the floor and fixtures need to be updated to match as well?

If you aren't ready to commit to four walls of emerald green, consider purchasing a sofa in the color.  

Image courtesy of Joss and Main

What colors compliment Emerald Green?

Because emerald green is such a saturated color, other saturated colors make great compliments. One particular color to consider is gold. You can bring in the color gold through metal finishes or through upholstered items such as an accent chair or pillows. A great way to tie a color scheme together is through a rug.

Image courtesy of CB2

Emerald green and gold go well together because both colors are associated with luxury. But they are also both colors found in nature. If you are looking for a more upscale living room for entertaining or just hanging out in, considering using this color combination together. The other really nice thing about this color combination is that living plants will help enhance the scheme.