How to decorate with green

Have confidence to decorate with green, the hot colour for 2009. It can be relaxing or overwhelming - make green decor work for you

Have confidence to decorate with green, the hot colour for 2009. It can be relaxing or overwhelming - make green decor work for you

1. Learn the tricks of the colour trade

Colour is a vital conveyor of ambience; by harmonising the calmness of blue with the vibrancy of yellow, green is deemed the most peaceful of colours.

Courtesy of Mother Nature, we're used to seeing green as a background to life; do the same at home for a calming yet vibrant atmosphere.

Deep greens create hushed and secure feelings which is ideal for snugs and libraries. For a bathroom sanctuary, look to restful blue-greens and sage greens.

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2. Why green walls create a cool space

Green is the best neutral colour to choose for wallpaper in terms of temperature, according to Off The Wall Interiors artist Melissa Lewis.

The cooling shade of Spring Briar wallpaper (£47.95) from Clarissa Hulse releases a sense of calm into your home. To create a more vibrant atmopsphere, paint walls a bright olive hue.

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3. Bring the outside in with green touches

This year's bicentenary of Darwin's birth has given the time-old trend of foliage-inspired design a renaissance.

Imitate the natural world with fresh plants for an instant mood lift or invest in lasting leaf prints like these six cotton embroidered leaf napkins (£38) from OKA.

Look to nature for inspiring colour schemes; the oranges and greens in a bird of paradise or red, blue and greens in a macaw are wonderful colour combinations!

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4. Tone down large blocks of green

Break up blocks of green colour by balancing larger green prints with a white background.

Innovative interior designer Orla Kiely uses this trick of the trade keeping her prints like this apples and pears mug (£7.50) from Heal's looking funky yet controlled.

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5. Got a small room or cramped hallway?

The colour green creates an illusion of space. It gives the impression of receding and so tricks the eye into believing a room is bigger than reality.

Paint your hallway green and add a stripey green runner, like this Agadir Moroccan runner (£41.12) from Urbane Living, to make a spacious atmosphere.

Critics deem green to be the color of money so it will lend a prosperous air to hallways!

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6. What colours go with green?

Ditch the old proverb 'blue and green should never be seen' and pay heed to the Paint Quality Institute.

They say that as a neutral shade, green goes with most colours. To create a harmonious colour scheme, look to colours adjacent to green on the colour wheel; for example, turquoise, royal blues and bottle greens.

For a contrasting scheme, look to the opposite side of the colour wheel; add a splash of violet with lime green or red with grass green. This honduras cushion (£30) from Heal's shows just how well green can mix with browns, creams and yellows.

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7. Green is a saving grace for Mothers-to-be

Pregnant? And don't know the sex of the child? Play safe and decorate your nursery in green; this Duckling wallpaper border (£9.20) from Fabrics and Paper is charming and unlike pink and blue, does not 'belong' to a gender stereotype.

Representing nature, growth and luck, green's positive connotations make it a natural quality for a nursery. Once you know if your little mite is a boy or girl, you can add in funky wall stickers.

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8. Why hospitals and offices are green

Different colours affect our mood in different ways. Green and aqua has great emotional and physical healing power (it stimulates growth)and balances our moods.

Pale cucumber greens create a sense of trust and calmness which is important in hospitals. Muted shades of olives, moss and sage are restful hues for the eye. These Millefiori votive candles (£5 for two) from Amara are calming.

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9. Jade, bamboo and vitality; green in the Far East

Colours have varying meanings according to each culture. In the Oriental tradition, green represents hope, vitality and long life.

Sensibly, it signifies all plant life that is growing and hence, it symbolises freshness, fertility and harmony.

Jade statues that promote good luck and prosperity and green candles create energy. Bamboo plants, like this Bamboo in black pot (£20) from Debenhams, bring prosperity and abundance.

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10. Create a green kitchen

Think beyond green bathrooms and sitting rooms. A green kitchen can create a calming space; ideal for the heart of the home.

Shabby chic country-style kitchens look beautiful with soft pale green walls and distressed-effect furnishings.

The trick is to buy cheap units and customise with touches like these pretty antique-green cabinet knobs (£12) from www.notonthehighstreet.com

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