Green Area Rugs

Green rugs: An overall look

When it comes to fashion, diamonds may still be a girl's best friends. In room decor, however, other jewel-tone colors, like ruby, sapphire, amethyst, and emerald may have higher value. These intense colors, enliven any decor scheme. Used in excess, however, jewel-tones create a room that is more frazzling than dazzling. Several design strategies can help you meet the challenges emerald or other jewel-tones present when used to carpet the entire room.

Monotone Color Scheme

A monotone color scheme is based on a single segment of the color wheel. A paint-chip strip from the home improvement center shows a range of a single shade of a color, ranging from light to dark. Because it is so rich in tone, a monotone emerald scheme would best feature one strong emerald, two pale shades and a touch of pigment stirred into the white intended for ceiling or woodwork. With an emerald rug, that could mean a pale green couch, wall paint and drapes in an even paler shade, near-white ceiling and woodwork. Texture to vary this somewhat bland scheme could include a nubby couch fabric, silky throw pillows in the most intense emerald and carved detail in woodwork. Reflective neutrals like glass and chrome catch light in interesting ways to add further texture.

Complementary Color Scheme

Since the color opposite, or complementary to, green on the color wheel is red, caution need to be taken when creating a complementary scheme based on emerald-green carpet. Pale floral pinks or tropical corals, mediated with generous amounts of white and accents of either an icy mint or dark moss green provide variety, emphasize the natural origin of the green family and let the color glow without becoming too warm. Soft pink-to-coral walls, a similar medium tone used for side chairs, a white couch and a white-grounded garden or tropical floral print for throw pillows and drapes can bring out the best in emerald carpet, with care.

Tertiary Color Schemes

A decor based on white and navy, cobalt or sapphire blues needs an enlivening accent. Letting an emerald rug function as an accent is mildly daring, but the effect, given enough blues, can balance coolness with intense jewel-like warmth. Color blocks of a dark blue area rug and medium-to-pale blue couch reduce the visible amount of emerald. Pale blue or pale green walls are a good choice. Look for blue-white-green prints or even a print with tiny red, red-brown, or orange accents to soften the strength of the large color blocks. Both sapphire and emerald can coexist in a decor with Asian or Indian motifs. Add brass and glass accents to emphasize the jewel tones. A tertiary scheme including green's other primary component, yellow, might move as far as brownish or burnt orange tones to bring some dark hues into the mixture.

Neutral Color Scheme

There is nothing like a broad swath of emerald carpet to make you reach for off-white paint. Bring out the warmth of emerald-green by combining it with not just white but sand, beige, wheat and other browns. A black or brown leather couch calms some of the energy of the green. A woven grass area rug and perhaps wheat-colored grass-cloth on the walls. Dark brown tables, shelves and chair arms add accents to the rug that echo colors found in nature, and tropical-figured or striped fabrics in beige, brown and plant greens complete a complex and textured combination of pale, dark, warm, and quiet colors to balance out potentially overwhelming emerald.

Bring the Summer into Your Living Room with Green Rugs

Green is a beautiful color, ideal for lifting the interior of your home to carry you through summer well into winter. There are earthy, regal shades of green as well as lighter shades that bring a welcome breeze of change through your home. Just how can you use green rugs to their best effect?

Light Green Rugs

Lighter shades are perfect for any space but certainly for the smaller room or for when light is lacking. Make the most of light, natural and ambient, with light green rugs that introduce no more than the merest hint of color.

Top tip – don't worry about matching colors exactly. Even if you do achieve this result, which is almost impossible, you'll find it looks too contrived.

Switch it Up with Patterned Green Rugs

As a color, green is great for complementing and contrasting other colors in your scheme. Green is considered an important color in the ‘natural’ color palette that appeals to the human eye. And that means it slots nicely into a color scheme whether that is neutral creams, beige and grey or a room awash with stronger colors.

If you love the soft, delicate pastel shading of the color wheel, opting for patterned green rugs is one way forward. There are various options, as you would expect, including ‘strong' patterns such as patchwork large living room rugs. For less pattern definition, opt for an abstract green rug, ideal for sitting alongside the grey leather sofa in the living room or the dining room.

Center of Attention

A rug is a floor covering that works well in most rooms and spaces. Adding texture and warmth underfoot, it can be a sublime, gentle addition, or the center of attention. As well as an impressive shade of green, choose a ‘pattern’ that is clearly meant to stand out. A non-distinct pattern without borders allows the room scheme to flow and yet a bold printed rug will act as the cornerstone of the whole room. 

A Final Note on Size

No matter what color rug you are opting for, it needs to be the right size. Before you buy your green rugs for your summer interior design scheme, measure the room, and what is the largest rug it can accommodate leaving a gap around.