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How to use a moody dark green paint as a neutral

I wasn’t sure it was possible either, but the first room I painted a moody dark green color, I realized it was more of a neutral than we give it credit for.

The first thing I did was head to Google and look up “What defines a neutral” and this is the exact definition that it Google gave me:

It is also a color which generally goes with every other color. Imagine colors like tans, beiges, ivories, creams, whites, blacks, and grays. These shades are very visually quiet in interior rooms.

December 28,2001

Ok, well that’s not helpful, but hear me out.

My first experience with the moody dark green paint color was the Woodgrain accent wall in the color Riverway by Sherwin Williams.

Maser bedroom accent wall
Primary Bedroom in Riverway by Sherwin Williams

This moody dark green paint color was absolutely stunning in person and it complimented every single color I put next to it.

Putting my moody dark green paint as a neutral theory to the test.

Pops of yellow for spring.

King sized bed with white pillows, coverlet and a gray blanket draped over the foot of the bed. Behind the bed is a moody green accent wall with a chevron patter. To the left of the bed is a white side table. To the left of the side table is a window with drop cloth curtains.
Adding pops of yellow for spring

When I added rust in the fall, it looked absolutely stunning next to this moody dark green paint color on the walls.

King sized bed with gray bedding, white decorative pillows, and a rust colored blanket at the foot of the bed. Behind the bed is a moody green wall with a chevron pattern and hanging on the wall is a rust colored wreath. At the foot of the bed is a brown trunk. To the left and right of the bed are white night stands. On top of the white night stands are black lamps.
I am convinced this moody green paint color is an unsung neutral paint color.

Then I just started holding up all sorts of colors next to it: black, navy, red…and they all looked great.

It was at that moment I was convinced, moody dark green paint was the unsung neutral paint color we were all missing out on.

Sadly we had to move and I wanted to try my theory again.

When we moved into our new home, I wanted to test my moody dark green paint as a neutral theory again, but this time with a different color.

This time, I chose Brooklyn by BEHR Paint in my home office.

You can read all about how and why I chose this color for my office here.

Walls are painted in a moody green color, including a set of doors on the left of the picture. The wall next to the doors is a window with rust colored velvet curtains. The flooring is tan carpet, but on top of the carpet is rug that matches the color of the walls and with a traditional design that matches the curtains, wall and the brown desk that is in the lower right corner of the photo.
My home office in the color Brooklyn by BEHR Paint

For my home office I decided to do more of a color saturation and even since this last picture was taken, I’ve gone back and painted the window framing.

The only thing that I didn’t paint in this room is the ceiling and even now I’m thinking it should get some sort of treatment be it paint, wood, or even wallpaper.

Walls are painted in a moody green color with a board and batten pattern that goes 3/4 up the wall. Hanging on the wall in the right side of the photo, are diplomas in gold frames, above the diplomas are three vintage pictures. On the left side of the photo is a brown modular desk with various picture frames and a clock. In the foreground of the  right side of the photo is a camel colored leather chair with a navy pillow. At the bottom of the photo is a traditional styled rug with browns, rust, and a complimentary green color to the walls.
I love how this rug pulls all the colors together.

Even though the color is darker doesn’t mean that you’re bound to stay on the darker side with decor.

Between the two room examples I used darker and lighter decor pieces to alter the look and feeling I wanted to achieve.

Speaking on what’s next, I found my inspiration for my next moody dark green paint color from a Stanley mug.

Close up photo of a moody green Stanley cup being held up in the middle of a store aisle
Color inspiration for my primary bathroom came from a Stanley mug of all places

Don’t hate me, I’m not a Stanley girl, but when I saw this particular color at Target, it stopped me in my tracks. (Of course that mug is sold out, but this Stanley was still available if you want to see it in person.)

And there’s no wonder I was drawn to it, because when I color matched it, guess where I found it… on the same swatch as the color I painted my home office.

Close up picture of paint samples with a pink sticky note next to Provence Blue.
The name says Provence Blue, but it has all the pull of the moody dark green that I want for my primary bathroom.

AND to top it all off, Watery is what we painted the eat in area of our last house so it was definitely destiny.

The bottom line lesson…

Don’t let rules and definitions literally paint you into a corner, instead I give you all the creative permission to think outside of the paint swatch and see color like you’ve never seen it before.

Photo of Cribbs Style Author Brooke Cribbs standing in front of a black hutch with various white and copper colored dishes and serving ware.

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2 Comments

  1. Those are beautiful colors! My daughter’s nursery was painted a similar color 23 years ago, paired with light pink. I believe it was called Wooded Path by Behr (yes, I tend to remember paint colors, lol). I like to think of blues and greens as nature’s neutrals, because well…leaves, grass, sky, water!

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