The Chinese New Year (which starts January 31) has us thinking about green, a color representing health and renewal in China. We looked to jade green, a shade inspired by the stone with a many-thousand year history in China, and to celadon, a color synonymous with pale green Chinese ceramics.
We asked members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory to fill us in on their favorites, and added a few choice shades of our own:
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Top row, left to right: Pratt & Lambert Clover; Benjamin Moore Aganthus Green; Farrow & Ball Green Blue; Farrow & Ball Arsenic; and Benjamin Moore Silken Pine. Bottom row: Farrow & Ball Green Ground; Farrow & Ball Vert de Terre; Benjamin Moore Sweet Caroline; Benjamin Moore Overcast; and Benjamin Moore Lafayette Green.
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Above: SF designer Kriste Michelini likes Benjamin Moore's Silken Pine. Says Michelini, "It's a pale celadon that's easy on the eyes and can act as a neutral. It's beautiful in a bedroom, living room, or bathroom for a serene and fresh look."
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Above: Portland, OR, designer Carole Magness singles out Farrow & Ball's Green Ground, which she calls "fresh and vaguely artsy, reminding me of certain verdant aspects in Flemish art." Green Ground is among the palest shades in this group.
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Above: Architect James Dixon recommends Farrow & Ball's Green Blue, a color he's used on the walls of an apartment in Paris.
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Above: We admire Clover from Pratt & Lambert, a rich jade green. Designer Kelley Wearstler (via House Beautiful) says the shade reminds her of patinated copper.
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Above: Another Remodelista favorite, Benjamin Moore's Aganthus Green is a grayed green just turning toward blue.
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Above: Eliza Hart of SF's Hart Wright Architects likes Benjamin Moore's Sweet Caroline, which is minty without being bright.
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Above: Designer Rozalynn Woods suggests Benjamin Moore's Overcast as a great alternative to white with just a hint of color. Next to Silken Pine, this is the palest green of the bunch.
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Above: We like Benjamin Moore's Lafayette Green at the darkest end of jade.
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Above: Carole Magness also uses Farrow & Ball's Vert de Terre, which she says "brings to mind a clear running brook in the forest." Vert de Terre is more olive than Aganthus Green but similar in tone.
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Above: Farrow & Ball's Arsenic is a bright jade. San Francisco interior designer Nicole Hollis calls it "just the right quirky mod color," which sounds about right to us.
See these greens in action in Palette & Paints: 10 Minty Green Rooms, and have a look at our paint picks in red, the Chinese color of happiness, at The 8 Best Red Exterior House Paints.