Green Paint Colors for Living Room Walls, Furniture and Textiles
A good living room green is muted, with a green undertone and enough depth to feel calm. These three greens were measured from old paintings and range from LRV 31 to LRV 15. Three warm companion colors from the same paintings show what to pair with them.
Quick answer
Paint the walls #8F9C7E for a green room, or #D9D1BD for a light base and bring the greens in through furniture (#7E8571) and textiles (#6B6E58). Use the deepest green on one wall or in small doses.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of green
#8F9C7ELRV 31
Quiet Sage Green
At LRV 31 this is the lightest green here, so it is the best choice for living room walls that need to stay open. It comes from Puvis de Chavannes's "Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature)," and its green undertone looks calm in daylight.
With an LRV of 22, it suits a large sofa, an armchair or a single feature wall. It comes from Boucher's "Washerwomen" (1768), and its green undertone stays muted next to wood.
At LRV 15 it reads very dark, so use it on curtains, a rug or a built-in bookcase rather than every wall. It comes from Kerstiaen de Keuninck's "A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall," and it grows richer in evening lamplight.
With an LRV of 64 it reads light and bounces light, which makes it a good wall, trim or ceiling color beside the greens. Its warm yellow undertone comes from Puvis de Chavannes's "Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature)."
At LRV 4 this is nearly black, so keep it for small details such as frames, a dark floor stain or a rug border. It comes from the Keuninck landscape "A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall" and has a warm yellow undertone.
A mid-tone at LRV 24, it suits wood furniture, shelving or a leather chair next to the green. It comes from Keuninck's "A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall," and its warm yellow undertone sits well with all three greens.
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
Quiet Sage Green
Warm Parchment Beige
Antique Gold Brown
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 Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature).
How do I choose between these three greens?
Start with how much light the room gets, then choose by LRV. The three greens here share a green undertone and differ mainly in depth. #8F9C7E has an LRV of 31, the lightest of the three. #7E8571 sits at LRV 22. #6B6E58 is the deepest at LRV 15, below the line of about 20 where colors read very dark.
In a bright room with large windows, any of the three can work on a full wall. In a smaller or dimmer living room, the lightest green is the easiest to live with on all four walls. The two deeper greens suit one wall, a built-in bookcase, or a room you mostly use in the evening.
Think about scale as well. A wall is a bigger commitment than a sofa or a pair of curtains. If you are unsure, keep the walls light and bring the deeper green in on something you can change later. The warm companion colors on this page, taken from the same paintings, give you that lighter base.
What goes with green in a living room?
Warm, light neutrals are the natural partner for these greens. #D9D1BD has an LRV of 64, so it reads light and bounces light around the room. Its warm yellow undertone sits comfortably beside the green undertone of all three greens. Use it on the walls, or on trim and ceiling if your walls are green.
For trim, a tone equal to or slightly lighter than the wall keeps the room calm. A stark, cool white can look harsh next to muted greens, so stay with a warm off-white. For the ceiling, the same light neutral keeps the room soft and helps spread daylight.
For flooring and wood, #9B845D is a warm mid-tone with an LRV of 24 and suits wood floors and furniture in similar tones. Use #423928, LRV 4, in small doses: a picture frame, a window frame, a rug border or a dark floor stain. Too much very dark color in a living room can make it feel smaller.
How will these greens look in my living room light?
Light changes green more than most colors. In a room with north-facing windows, daylight tends to be cooler and dimmer, so mid-tone greens can look grayer and deeper. There, #8F9C7E, the lightest, is the safer wall choice. In a room with south-facing windows, light is warmer and stronger, and the deeper greens #7E8571 and #6B6E58 hold up well on a full wall.
Artificial light matters just as much in a living room. Warm bulbs add yellow, which pulls the green toward olive and brings out the warm undertones of #D9D1BD and #9B845D. Cooler bulbs push the greens toward gray. Pick one bulb tone for the whole room before you judge a color.
Check the room at three times: morning, mid-afternoon and evening. A color with an LRV of 15 can look very deep at night with only a lamp on, while LRV 31 stays open and soft.
How do I test these greens before painting?
Paint large samples rather than holding up small chips. Use sample boards, or paint two-foot squares directly on the wall with two coats. Leave a white border so the neighboring wall color does not change what you see.
Move the samples around. Put one on the wall that gets the most light and one on the darkest wall. Look at them next to your sofa, flooring and trim. Compare each green with the companion colors you plan to use, not on its own.
The hex values here were measured from paintings, and the paint matches are the closest ones found, rated from close to near-identical. Screens change color, so treat the hex as a guide and judge the real paint in your room. For example, Behr N350-5 Muted Sage is the closest match measured to #8F9C7E, rated near-identical. Leave samples up for at least two days before you decide.
FAQ
What is the best green for a small living room?
Choose the lightest green here, #8F9C7E, which has an LRV of 31. It stays open on all four walls. Pair it with a warm light trim such as #D9D1BD.
Can I use a dark green on all four living room walls?
You can, but #6B6E58 has an LRV of 15 and reads very dark. It works best in a large, bright room or one used mostly in the evening. In most rooms, one wall or built-ins is easier to live with.
What trim color goes with these greens?
A warm light neutral such as #D9D1BD (LRV 64) works well. Its yellow undertone matches the muted greens. Cool, stark whites can look harsh beside them.
Do these greens work with wood floors?
Yes. The warm mid-tone #9B845D suggests the kind of wood tone that sits well with the greens. Check your actual floor next to a large sample before you commit.
Will the paint match the hex color exactly?
Not exactly. The hex was measured from a painting, and the listed paints are the closest matches found, from close to near-identical. Always test the real paint in your room.
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 Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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 Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature), Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
