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6 gorgeous greens to try when your client can’t choose a colour

26 Jan 2021

The colour green is thought to bring balance and harmony to your surroundings, so it's no wonder that it's a favourite colour choice among design professional and layman alike. It’s a hue that can evoke thoughts of everything from nature, growth and restoration to connotations of wealth, health and nurturing – making it one of the most flexible colour options out there. Depending on the shade you go for, green can be just as suitable for a residential home or office as it is for a school, medical facility, bank or yoga studio.

With so many gorgeous Resene greens to pick from, you might be at a loss for what shades to suggest to a client that struggles with making decisions. Narrow it down to these six on trend versatile verdant options and you’ll be sure to find one that sings out to your client that’s in need of convincing.

Resene New Leaf

Enveloping, soothing, refreshing, tonic, green is said to relax both the mind and body, supporting good moods, relaxation and meditation – especially in shades that directly relate back to nature. A swampy olive green, Resene New Leaf looks like it was plucked right out of the bush and practically pulsates with a lush yellow undertone that makes it ripe for pairing up with other warm stone and woody tones like Resene Grey Seal, Resene Napa, Resene Route 66, Resene Grey Area and Resene Sambuca.

For a different look, try it with venetian blue, bold red, or ivy green such as Resene Venice Blue, Resene Guardsman Red or Resene Deep Fir.

Background in Resene Quarter Spanish White, green vase in Resene New Leaf, A4 drawdown paint swatches in (from top to bottom) Resene New Leaf, Resene Grey Seal, Resene Napa, Resene Route 66, Resene Grey Area and Resene Sambuca.

Resene Norway

It’s hard to look past mid-toned Resene Norway when you’re searching for a hero hue. Calming and quiet, there aren’t many colours out there that wouldn’t look lovely saddled up next to it. Team it up with darker and lighter greens such as Resene Amulet, Resene Highland and Resene Pale Leaf offset with beige-green Resene Quarter Fossil and sharp clean yellow white Resene Rice Cake for a tonal colour palette that would look as at home inside a traditional villa as it would in a contemporary concrete structure.

Background in Resene Quarter Fossil with A4 drawdown paint swatches (from left to right) in Resene Amulet, Resene Highland, Resene Norway, Resene Pale Leaf and Resene Rice Cake, vase in Resene Pale Leaf and plates in (clockwise from top left) Resene Amulet, Resene Pale Leaf, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Highland and Resene Rice Cake with dots in Resene Highland.

Resene Finch

While complementary colours red and green can be an oft-maligned combination, it’s a scheme that sings when you get just the right pairing. Shadowy and placid, you can’t go wrong with lichen green Resene Finch as your green of choice. But rather than overpowering this delicate greyed green with a true red, try pairing it with a dusted red brown like Resene Redwood and Resene Digeridoo (or, even better, both!) instead for an unexpected yet refined combo.

Background in Resene Digeridoo with A4 drawdown paint swatches in (from right to left) Resene Finch, Resene Cumin, Resene Fahrenheit, Resene Redwood and Resene Eighth Joss, tea light holder in Resene Woodrush and vases in (clockwise from top left) Resene Twine, Resene Black Forest and Resene Toffee. Cushion cover and throw from Citta.

Resene Green Meets Blue

 Unlike blues, greens are always slightly unexpected, making it a more confident design choice. But if a straight up green seems too scary a solution for your client, get the best of both worlds with aptly named Resene Green Meets Blue. Softly dusted, this oceany grey green colour is incredibly versatile and works well with silvery blues, lilacs, daffodil yellows, mushroom taupe, peach whites or even summer blues like Resene Unwind, Resene Dreamtime, Resene Hive, Resene Sixth Sense, Resene Quarter Solitaire and Resene Endeavour.

Background in Resene Green Meets Blue with A4 drawdown paint swatches in (from top to bottom) Resene Unwind, Resene Dreamtime, Resene Hive, Resene Sixth Sense and Resene Endeavour and vases in (clockwise from top) Resene Endeavour, Resene Dreamtime, Resene Sixth Sense and Resene Hive.

Resene Ravine

If your client is really hesitant to bringing saturated colours into their project, you might be in the perfect position to show them just how neutral the right green can be. Dry and cloudy Resene Ravine might as well be a grey for how well it blends with other neutrals – but without being cold or boring. For a contemporary yet zen-like colour palette, team it with other green-tinged ‘character neutrals’ like Resene Pumice, Resene Pewter, Resene Harp and Resene Blue Smoke as part of a tonal scheme.

Background in Resene Ravine and Resene Pumice, A4 drawdown swatches in (from left to right) Resene Blue Smoke, Resene Ravine, Resene Pewter, Resene Pumice, Resene Harp and Resene Quarter Napa, jug in Resene Armadillo, vase in Resene Pumice, coaster in Resene Quarter Napa.

Resene Away We Go

When a statement colour is what you’re after, Resene Away We Go is a winning choice. It’s bold and energetic enough to stand out in a crowd yet not as flamboyant as brighter lime greens like Resene FOMO or Resene Wham thanks to its tinge of blue. That means it’s easy to use more of it without it overwhelming the rest of the colour palette. For a really show-stopping scheme, try it with pops of high octane orange, lipstick pink, forest green and apple mint green grounded such as Resene Party Zone, Resene XOXO, Resene Atlas and Resene Aura along with a white like Resene Rice Cake or Resene Half Merino.

Background in Resene Rice Cake with A4-sized draw down paint swatches (from left to right) in Resene Away We Go, Resene Aura, Resene Party Zone, Resene XOXO and Resene Atlas, stool seat and decorative mixing spoon in Resene Party Zone and vase in Resene XOXO.

styling Gem Adams, Kate Alexander, Laura Lynn Johnston, Vanessa Nouwens

images Bryce Carleton, Wendy Fenwick, Melanie Jenkins

Published: 26 Jan 2021