Our favorite decor in Pantone's Color of the Year, Greenery

PHOTOGRAPHER: Pine Cone Hill

The color 'greenery'

Pantone selected its 2017 Color of the Year, Greenery, based on research that shows everyone just wants a big, deep breath of air. “We don’t all have access to the green forest, but we do have access to things we can bring into our home environment,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, which advises companies on color and forecasts trends.

One way to do that is with this powerful color. When used on an accent wall, kitchen backsplash or throw, it will refresh and energize you. Pair it with warm whites and neutrals for a clean, tranquil vibe, or use a bright white for a fun, contemporary feel. It’s especially nice in kitchens, where it’s natural to want a fresh feeling, but also in entries and hallways, to transition between room colors. “It is a very optimistic color,” says Lori Weitzner, a textile designer in New York and author of “Ode to Color.” “Use it in the right way in your home, and it will keep your spirits high.”

– One of the best places to use a bright green, Weitzner says, is in the kitchen. Add plants and herbs, but also consider a green backsplash, an accent wall or even an indoor-outdoor rug. Dash & Albert’s Samode Indoor/Outdoor Rug pairs a vegetal green called Sprout with a warm ivory – and spills come out with a quick hose-down ($48-$672, dashandalbert.com).

– Play with Greenery in a small way with the Miguel Green Highball Glass ($7, crateandbarrel.com). Depending on how you set the table, the color changes like a chameleon. With bright whites, “it could be terrific and energetic,” Alexandria, Virginia-based interior designer Victoria Sanchez said in an email. It could also counterbalance gray or, when paired with other brights, signal a party atmosphere.

– Don’t worry about this color being a mere fad. Our eyes never tire of green just as they never tire of a view of trees. Ikea’s Fargrik 18-piece dinnerware set brings the timeless hue to your kitchen table ($25, ikea.com).

– As Eiseman traveled the world to collect data for this year’s color, she took note of people wanting a healthy diet, cooking with more herbs and embracing the green-tea powder called matcha, the color of which matches Greenery almost exactly. Sip your own green tea from the color-matching Pome Mug ($14, anthropologie.com).

– “Greenery is also great to use as accents in rugs and throw pillows in an otherwise neutral room,” Weitzner says. “They add uplifting energy and can elevate the mood – without creating too much intensity.” The Antibes Throw pairs the color with orange, aqua, ivory and navy ($185, lekkerhome.com).

– It’s widespread design wisdom that the best place to try out trends is in small accessories. A classic throw or pillow for a sofa will do, but why not go for the unexpected pouf? The Hand-Knitted Pouf by Chandra mixes green and cream, making the pattern lively yet serene ($164, burkedecor.com).

– Eiseman says she is seeing more light fixtures in vibrant shades of green. The ceramic Lauren Table Lamp, which has a traditional shape, reads contemporary in this glossy color ($129, ballarddesigns.com).

– If you love Greenery but don’t know where to incorporate it in your furnishings, Eiseman recommends taking an old, shabby chair and re-covering it in a solid-green or green-printed fabric. No lovelorn hand-me-down in your house? You can also buy that accent chair new. We like the overscale floral on the Frankie Cream & Green Armchair. ($450, pier1.com).

– “Greenery feels hopeful, happy, new and crisp,” Sanchez said. “Also, it is tying us into nature, which I believe is comforting, calm and yet upbeat, too.” The tassels on the French Tassel Shower Curtain by Serena & Lily emphasize the playfulness of the color ($78, serenaandlily.com).

– Weitzner would pair Greenery with other fun colors, such as melon, lavender and sunny yellow, but she’d do it in small doses. “These happy and curious colors are easy to live with in small amounts,” she says. “They are not too sweet nor too saturated.” Bold color doesn’t come in a smaller dose than on the hands of the Newgate Cubic Grey and White Alarm Table Clock ($40, cb2.com).

– Greenery is more of a new-leaf green, not the deeper green of plants in summer, Weitzner says. Build on that springy feeling by potting houseplants in the Better Homes and Gardens Bombay Decorative Planter ($30 for a set of two, walmart.com).

– Weitzner knows designers who love plastering a bright green on all four walls of a room. That can be too much for a bedroom, though, so try some fresh green bedding instead. The Parker Green Duvet’s preppy white stripes are a fun touch ($194-$262, pineconehill.com).