Emerald Green Bedroom Paint: Shades Measured from Paintings
Emerald green bedroom paint works best when it is deep rather than bright. The three greens here were measured from paintings by Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec and Seurat, and each has an LRV between 10 and 24, so they make a calm, enclosed room.
Quick answer
Use the deep green #517C60 on the walls or behind the bed, keep the ceiling and trim in the soft white #D9D4CE, and add the terracotta #AC6759 in wood and small objects.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of emerald
#609179LRV 24
Soft Emerald
The lightest green here, with an LRV of 24 and a green undertone. It suits a textile, a headboard or a painted wardrobe; it comes from Cezanne's "Standing Bather, Seen from the Back".
A deep green with an LRV of 17, a good wall color for a bedroom you mostly use in the evening. It was measured from Toulouse-Lautrec's "Ballet Dancers".
A very light neutral with an LRV of 66 and no clear undertone. Use it on the ceiling, trim and bedding so the greens have a rest; it sits in the same Seurat sketch.
A mid-tone with a warm red-orange undertone and an LRV of 19. It works as a wood tone, a rug or a lamp base against green; it shares a canvas with the greens in Seurat's sketch.
A very dark pink-red color with an LRV of 5. Use it for curtains, a throw or a small piece of furniture, not for large walls; it comes from the same Seurat sketch.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Soft Emerald
Quiet Stone White
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Standing Bather, Seen from the Back.
Which emerald green suits a bedroom wall?
Choose by LRV. The three greens run from 24 down to 10, and the lower the number, the more the room closes in around you. For a bedroom that is mostly used at night, the middle shade, #517C60 at LRV 17, is the easiest to live with. It is clearly green without turning dark.
The lightest green, #609179 at LRV 24, reads as a mid-tone and can look a little gray on a cloudy day. Its closest measured match is Sherwin-Williams SW 60 Alexandrite. The darkest, #336445 at LRV 10, is best kept for one wall or a built-in, because four walls of it will make a small room feel tight.
All three have a green undertone, so they sit together without clashing. If you want a single wall color, pick one and use the others in fabric and furniture.
What goes with emerald green on the ceiling, trim and floor?
The soft white #D9D4CE is the cleanest partner. At LRV 66 it is light enough to read as white next to the deep greens, and it has no clear undertone, so it will not turn yellow or pink beside them. Its closest measured matches include Sherwin-Williams SW 7021 Simple White and Behr Dove. Use it on the ceiling and trim.
For wood, the clay red #AC6759 gives a warm contrast to green. A floor or furniture in a similar reddish brown will look natural. If your floor is pale, bring the clay red in through a rug or bed frame instead.
The dark plum #503B4C is useful in small amounts: curtains, a throw, a lampshade. At LRV 5 it is almost black, so it adds depth without competing with the greens.
How does emerald green look in bedroom light?
Deep greens change more than most colors through the day. In north light, a green like #517C60 turns cooler and a little darker. In strong south or west light it warms up and shows more of its yellow side. Under warm evening bulbs it settles into a deeper, softer tone.
Because these greens have LRV values of 10 to 24, they absorb most of the light in the room. A bedroom with one small window will look dark and enclosed, which some people want. If you want it brighter, use the lightest green, keep the ceiling in the soft white and add a lamp on each side of the bed.
Glossy finishes show every light source, so a matte or eggshell finish is the calmer choice on bedroom walls.
How do you test emerald green samples?
Paint a sample board at least two feet square, not a small swatch, and cover the edges with the soft white so you see the green against its intended neighbor. Move the board between the wall behind the bed, the window wall and the corner near the door.
Look at it at three times: morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening with your usual lamps on. Dark greens are the colors most likely to surprise you after sunset.
Test the pairings together as well. Place a clay red fabric or a piece of wood next to the board and see whether the combination feels calm or busy. The commercial matches listed here are the closest measured colors, so always compare the real paint chip against your board before you buy a gallon.
FAQ
Is emerald green too dark for a bedroom?
Not if you choose the right shade. #517C60 has an LRV of 17 and gives a calm, enclosed feel, while #609179 at LRV 24 is lighter. Keep the ceiling in a soft white to balance the room.
What color ceiling goes with an emerald green bedroom?
A very light neutral such as #D9D4CE, measured at LRV 66, works well. Its closest paint matches include Sherwin-Williams SW 7021 Simple White.
What wood tones suit emerald green walls?
Warm reddish browns such as #AC6759 sit well against green. A clay red wood or textile makes a gentle contrast without looking loud.
Should I paint all four walls emerald green?
Four walls work with the lighter shades. With #336445, which has an LRV of 10, many people prefer one wall or a built-in, so the room does not feel tight.
Which finish is best for dark green bedroom walls?
A matte or eggshell finish is calmer, because glossy paint reflects lamps and windows and makes deep greens look uneven.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From Standing Bather, Seen from the Back, Paul Cezanne
