Go green for envy-inducing interiors

Creamy and indulgent, fresh and energising or calming and clear – what shade of green will you choose this season? Helpfully, the interior design community has spoken and it has cherry-picked two themes for homeowners to follow: pistachio and matcha.

Pistachio is having a real moment in culinary circles, with the nut used to flavour everything from chocolate to coffee. Its bright green coating is thanks to the presence of chlorophyll but when blended, the nut produces a soft pastel shade of green.

Matcha is pistachio’s slightly bolder big brother. The shade comes from the vibrant green powder made from the Camellia sinensis plant. It’s an ingredient favoured for giving cookies, cakes and even fudge an unmistakable hue and a grassy, natural sweetness.

Green has long been used in home decorating as it evokes feelings of peace and harmony, brings us closer to nature and, in some cultures, is linked to financial success and good fortune. In the case of pistachio and matcha, these shades of green err towards a neutral colour palette, allowing them to be used liberally throughout the home without overwhelming.

If you are decorating ahead of a sale or have just moved into a new home, here are some ways to incorporate pistachio and matcha into your design schemes:

Accessorise in the living room

Many of us have a neutral backdrop, with walls painted cream or beige, light-coloured floorcoverings, and white ceilings and woodwork. This provides the perfect blank canvas for pistachio and matcha. Pile a sofa with green scatter cushions and a throw, choose a pistachio colour-matched rug and make sure the finishing touches are green too – candles, vases and lampshades.

Paint your hallway

Interior designers can’t get enough of Farrow & Ball's Vert de Terre for the hallway, claiming it is neutral and light enough for large expanses of wall. This muted shade of pistachio works surprisingly well with black. The bravest among us can paint banisters, handrails, skirting boards and door frames, while black picture frames, lamp bases and vases dial the intensity back.

Layer greens in the bedroom

Almost every shade of green has soothing, tranquil properties so it’s possible to use multiple hues and tints without a jarring juxtaposition. Try an earthy pistachio paint colour on the walls, pastel matcha bed linen, and accessorise with sage and olive green scatter cushions. If you’re worried about overkill, add textiles in calico white and ivory.

Freshen up your kitchen

Some of the palest shades of matcha have amazing retro qualities: think almost Art Deco mint green and 1950s diners. If you have white cabinets, try pale matcha for wall tiles, crockery and blinds. Looking for a contrast? Add splashes of coral pink and you’ll be on your way to a modern Miami aesthetic.

Create a botanic theme in the bathroom

White sanitaryware always gives that clean feeling a bathroom needs but you can stop it feeling too clinical with a colour theme. As shades found in nature, matcha and pistachio can become the cornerstones of a botanic bathroom. Choose towels in shades of green, adding a matching soap dispenser and toothbrush holder for extra impact. To complete the look, introduce humidity-loving houseplants, such as ferns, peace lilies and philodendrons. 

As agents who have valued 100s of homes and taken 1,000s of property photographs, we know the interior schemes that look good online and in the flesh. If you’d like presentation advice, contact our team.