it’s giving green: a little brat, a little wicked
One of the most versatile colors in home design, there is a shade of green for every project. From magical, to luxurious, to iconic, green is a color to add to your home renovations.
Pop culture has been teeming with green lately. Consider the green of Elphaba’s skin and the sparkle of Emerald City in the film adaptation of Wicked, or the neon boldness of Charli XCX’s Brat album and the “brat summer” phenomenon. Green is lush and rebellious, bright and bold–it’s a color that draws attention, much like the characters it paints and the pop culture icons who put it on display.
Leaning into the trend, industrial, interior, and fashion designers, have made green the hottest color. Consider the Cafe Emerald Green Capsule Collection from Cafe Appliances, or the Evergreen design series from Kitchenaid or The Emerald Edit Collection from Banana Republic (to name a few). Adding a pop of green is an ideal way to upgrade your environment.
it’s magical
Wicked, the Broadway musical turned highly anticipated film, gives green one of its most magical roles. Elphaba, the misunderstood “Wicked Witch,” is marked by her green skin, a physical manifestation of everything society tells her is unlovable about herself.
Yet her story is one of self-acceptance, of realizing that being “different” is not a flaw but actually makes you powerful. It’s a refusal to conform to a world that wants her to dim her brightness. It’s what helps her defy gravity. In Wicked, it’s not just magical green characters, it’s also a magical green city. The Emerald City is a shining example of the glamor of green in architecture and design.
2024 custom millwork cabinets by guerilla in Mountain Olive green, part of a design build project by guerilla construction.
Similarly, there’s the Grinch, a holiday icon of complexity and curmudgeony-ness. He is both the villain and the hero of his own story. His green isn’t just about envy or greed; it’s a shield for vulnerability. When the Grinch finally allows himself to feel joy, his heart grows three sizes—but it’s not because he becomes something he’s not. It’s because he finally embraces who he is, grumpiness and all.
it’s luxurious
Green luxury is all about heritage design, think of Jaguars and Land Rovers, London’s Harrods, country club tennis courts or Lacoste Alligators. Other examples of green luxuries include; Veuve Clicquot champagne bottles, Beverly Hills Hotel banana leaf wallpaper, vintage Cuban tiles, jade jewelry, and plant-filled conservatories. If you want to add green luxury to your home, consider incorporating olive green, hunter green, or a similar dark green shade.
it’s iconic
Iconic green can be found in contemporary art and fashion. Consider Salman Toor paintings, or a green Hermes Kelly bag. This fall green has been the color of choice in advertising for B&B Italia, Minotti, Vacheron, Issey Miyake, and Gucci to name a few.
Then there’s the neon green of Charli XCX’s Brat. Brat is bold and hyperfeminine but in a way that celebrates loudness, confidence, and independence. It’s the opposite of the “clean girl” look that’s dominated social media and the recent “very mindful, very demure” trend.
Brat is about rejecting the idea that we must always be agreeable, always poised, always striving for some ideal version of ourselves. Brat isn’t about being your best self. It’s about being your authentic self, even if it’s not what society thinks is acceptable.
stand out. go green.
Perhaps that’s why we’re drawn to Elphaba, the Grinch, and being brat. A little wickedness, a little brattiness, and a little grinchiness might just be what we need.
Adding green to your design is an unexpected choice.
Where to begin?
If you haven’t already, adding plants to your spaces is an easy way to incorporate green into your home design.
Next, a few green textiles can go a long way, try adding green velvet pillows to your favorite couch.
Ready to green like a pro? We swoon at the thought of green marble counters and green terrazzo floors.
Your fresh green space may make your guests green with envy.
