Go for Green

Colors have so many associations for us. For example, we associate the color green with spring, and ideas of growth and renewal. It is also the color of money, as green relates to prosperity and abundance. Green is also associated with emotions like jealousy and envy. And for 2017, Pantone has announced its Color of the Year is “Greenery.” Pantone.com says Greenery (A.K.A., Pantone 15-0343), is “a refreshing and revitalizing shade… symbolic of new beginnings. Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore, and renew.”

Perhaps it’s the tough winter some areas have endured that’s part of what excites and inspires us when we see green being celebrated. Take some time, look around, and see if you should add a little, or a lot, of green to your life.

Decorating With Green

Use green to freshen your interiors. Psychologically, the color green is perceived as calming and reassuring. Many spas and doctor’s offices use soft shades of green to evoke relaxation, calm, and mindfulness. If you want to add green to your interior with paint, try a soft green tone as a neutral, or if you prefer to go bold, you may want to limit the color to an accent wall.

Other ways to add pops of green is with upholstery, painted accent furniture, area rugs, art, throw pillows, and plants. It doesn’t take much to brighten a neutral palette by adding the freshness of green to any room.

Let’s face it, green rules when it comes to its association with healthy foods. It’s the color of many delicious vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Avocados, kale, spinach, and most leafy greens, as well as apples, pistachios, and green tea are just a few green superfoods. Don’t forget to add the Green Goddess dressing to your greens! On the flip side, green is also a color found in fruit flavored sweets, candy, and of course, mint ice cream and cookies. Yum! (More Green Food)

Here are some of the more famous or historical green icons of our culture:

• Frankenstein
• Godzilla
• Gumby
• Kermit the Frog
• Leprechauns
• Oscar the Grouch
• Shrek
• Statue of Liberty
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• The Emerald City
• The Grinch
• The Hulk
• Wicked Witch of the West
• Yoda

The color green has also inspired language. In one of Robert Frost’s most famous poems, he declares unequivocally that green is most valuable, if short-lived, because it is nature’s first sign of Spring:

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.

We use green in many other common phrases and expressions as well, including:

• Green with envy
• Green thumb
• Green Room
• Going green
• Give the green light
• The grass is always greener
• Greenhorn
• Green-eyed monster

Hope you find fun ways to go green in 2017!