Seeing Green

Designer Suzanne Rheinstein is famously enamored with green. As she’s said many times, “I’ve never met a green I didn’t like.” Not only is it prevalent in her work, but it also appears in a line of fabric designs she created for Lee Jofa, throughout which green is a strong thread. Read on for her thoughts on this timeless, well-loved color.

On no-fail green tones: Part of green’s appeal lies in its universality – after all, nature is full of verdant shades that coexist in harmony. “I have what I call a green garden, which includes the deepest, darkest, blackest green; gray green; and chartreuse – every color there is,” Rheinstein says. “Somehow it all blends in a beautiful way.”

That said, certain tones are particularly easy to use. “You can’t go wrong with that wonderful Charleston green [a dark, blackish green],” she says. “And chartreuse is a wonderful exclamation point.”

On her favorite greens of the moment: “There’s a beautiful pale green – somewhere between avocado and Granny Smith – that can change in different lights,” Rheinstein says. “It’s a wonderful color, great punctuated with coral red, and also nice with more neutral, drab colors. Another current favorite is olive. I love the warm versions of gray green.”

On reviving greens from past decades: Although some shades have a strong association with a particular time period, that’s no reason to write them off. Used in inventive ways and with unexpected accent colors, they appear fresh all over again. For example, “a green that has been out of fashion for a while is hunter green,” Rheinstein says. “I wonder if it’s time to think anew about that.” Be wary of color combinations that can feel dated, however, such as hunter and burgundy. Another shade that might be ripe for a comeback in decorating: Kelly green, a darling of the 1950s.

Suzanne Rheinstein’s Paint Picks
(all by Farrow & Ball)

Gray Greens:
Olive and Green Stone. “Both of these look excellent in a shiny finish to suggest lacquer,” Rheinstein says. “It’s very attractive and seems new.”

Blue Green:
Arsenic. This summery color is “almost an aqua,” Rheinstein says. “It’s fun.”

Dark Greens:
Carriage Green and Studio Green. “In a shiny finish, Carriage Green would be wonderful on doors or shutters,” Rheinstein says. She suggests the latter for baseboards.

RESOURCES: Suzanne Rheinstein & Associates/Hollyhock, 310/777-0100, www.hollyhockinc.com. Lee Jofa (to the trade), 800/453-3563, www.leejofa.com. Farrow & Ball, 888/511-1121, www.farrow-ball.com.