The adage that fashion moves from the catwalk to the home seems set to be proven once more with the rise of green in every room of the house.
Every shade of it is being worn by style leaders, such as the Duchess of Cambridge whose favourite shimmering green dress by The Vampire’s Wife shows that it can be both grand and alluring.
Suddenly, people are pulling out forgotten green outfits from the back of the wardrobe and retrieving green cushions and other furnishings from the attic.
Bright: A sitting room painted with Edward Bulmer’s Invisible Green described as a ‘beautiful grass green’
This suggests that going green is inspiring us to be planet-friendly. But it may be due to another reason.
Dulux selected Tranquil Dawn (a pistachio green) as the colour of 2020, somehow sensing that the nation would require more than a quantum of solace in their interiors.
And it is likely green has been central to the many home makeovers carried out by those working from home in lockdown.
These people will also have realised that much satisfaction can be had from poring over paint charts and wondering at the sheer variety of shades of green — and their often extraordinary names.
The Paint & Paper Library, for example, offers Hunter Dunn, a Hunter green named after Joan Hunter Dunn, muse to the poet John Betjeman. This looks particularly striking in a bedroom.
Meanwhile at B&Q, you can forget 50 shades of grey and get your thrills from the store’s 89 shades of green, such as Galway, a pleasingly misty shade.
Little Greene, the appropriately named paint company, offers Boring Green (an olive tone), Drizzle (grey-ish green), Obsidian Green (dark and sombre) and Harley Green, a pleasing dark shade with a hint of blue, ideal for bathroom cupboards (especially if the floor is stone-coloured).
Little Greene has a collaborated with the National Trust to create shades which evoke the interiors of grand houses of the past.
The servants’ hall was often painted in sludgy shades of green, nowadays seen as the hippest tones for smart kitchens. Upstairs, pastel green walls served as a backdrop for ornate furniture, statues and ornaments.
Such is the abundance of green paint shades, that it would be easy to declare the task of finding the ideal hue far too difficult
In the grounds and gardens of these mansions, ironwork was painted green to ‘vanish’ it, making it almost invisible amid foliage.
The Edward Bulmer company, pays tribute to this with its Invisible Green, described as a ‘beautiful grass green’.
Andrew Dunning of London Contemporary, an interior design business, says that the green movement has its roots in the latest clothing fashions but also in the enduring desire to be close to nature — which is ‘very comforting during hard times’.
He says: ‘After what I call the “grey period”, the return of green and other strong colours is providing much-needed joy, but also calm, particularly in living rooms.
‘In these spaces, sage green in particular is a perfect shade. You can combine it with bolder colour for accents. Some rusty red cushions give a great contrast.’
Dunning adds that green is also a perfect colour companion for the dusky pinks that are fashionable at present.
But he says: ‘As with all colour combinations, I would urge that you use testers, and check these testers in all lights: colours can change considerably throughout the course of a day.’
Such is the abundance of green paint shades, that it would be easy to declare the task of finding the ideal hue far too difficult and select instead a grey shade.
Anyone trying to breathe life into a home office space may, however, find more reassurance in one of the pale greens, such as Lauren from M&L, a family business whose paints can be seen in the chic Pig hotel at Brockenhurst in the New Forest.
If you are prepared to be brave and want to mirror fashion in your interior, Farrow & Ball’s Emerald Green is almost the same hue as the caped Emilia Wickstead dress chosen by the Duchess of Sussex for her last royal engagement.
But paint is not the only way to go green. A sofa in this colour, particularly in velvet, adds elegance and aplomb to even the tiniest living room, blending in with either a contemporary or a more traditional aesthetic.
A large Eden sofa in dusky grass from Sofa Workshop would sit well in a Shoreditch townhouse, a funky farmhouse or a suburban semi.
People seem to be waking up to green’s adaptability.
Megan Holloway, Sofa Workshop marketing manager, says: ‘Green is certainly having a moment; we’ve had particular growth in demand for emerald and moss hues. Whether in rich or lighter tones, green velvets can bring a beautifully luxe look.’
Marks & Spencer has velvet cushions in green and forest green (£19.50). A recycled glass green carafe from Arket costs £22 and matching glasses are £4 each, proving that the cost of admission to the green movement can be high or low, but, whatever you pay, joining will be good for the soul.
What your home really needs is… a ladder bookshelf
Workspace: Habitat’s Scout bookshelf costs £175
The ladder bookshelf has always had its critics. The style is too Scandi minimalist for some tastes. Other consider the tapered design to be inherently flimsy, believing a proper, grown-up bookcase should have a back, unless attached to a wall.
The ladder bookshelf’s fans, however, see it as solid despite its looks, and easily transportable.
It can provide a neutral background for books, plants and ornaments. In a small-ish bedroom, it can serve as a bedside table and storage for late-night reading.
Your home needs a ladder bookshelf because it adds an elegant mid-century touch to your decor and because many now incorporate a desk.
This means you have a display unit and a workspace in a single piece of furniture.
You can invest in one for under £200: Wayfair has the Morin (£97.99), Habitat has the Scout (£175) .
The offering from West Elm is more of a statement but at a flashier £697.
If you have a desk, but your existing bookshelves are full, the Loft from M&S costs £149.