Pea Green with Envy

Lately, I've really been drawn to weird and unusual shades of green. Yes, it may not sound particularly appetizing, but shades like moss, loden, and pea green can be quite beautiful. Still need convincing? Well, for me, it was the room at top, designed by Mario Buatta, that made me reconsider green (usually not a favorite color of mine). Of course, the fact that Buatta covered the walls in mossy green velvet makes it a rather easy sell. I don't think I'm alone, because others were won over by Nick Olsen's room below (I'm crazy for Nick's room too, but I saw the Buatta one first).



What I've noticed, though, is that the designers who have used these odd shades tend to be quite creative in their use of it. Buatta and Carolina Irving have both chosen mossy and murky shades of green fabric to upholster walls. Miles Redd chose a lacquer finish for the olive colored walls in one of his projects. And designer Richard Adams did not hold back with his use of green- he painted the walls, upholstered the banquettes, and covered the lampshades in the same shade of green.

Bottom line- after years of bright, happy colors, maybe it's time to inject a little moodiness into our homes.

(Nick Olsen used Benjamin Moore's "Oregano" for his apartment. My friend Clinton Smith used "Kyoto Green" from Valspar in his guest room to great effect.)


A room by Miles Redd (photo from Southern Accents)


A sliver of a shot of Carolina Irving's entrance hall.


Living room of London designer Richard Adams