Color of the Week – Chartreuse

Posted on Dec 19, 2010Dec19
By 16 Comments
As a reaction to all of the hype about the ”color of the year” and what colors are “in” each season, I’ve decided to do a series of blog posts called the “Color of the Week”.  The series will focus on one color at a time.  You may love this color, dislike this color or perhaps you will feel indifferent to this color.  In any event, I feel strongly that one should never decorate their home (or buy clothing for that matter) in a color that happens to be in vogue at the time but is not a color that one enjoys living with. This week’s color is my favorite color – chartreuse!  According to merriam-webster.com, chartreuse is defined as “ a variable color averaging a brilliant yellow green”.

Photo compliments of The Pink Pen Word Studio

For those of you who know me personally, you may know that I wear chartreuse ALOT – usually paired with my black staples – but I love the color because it is bright, lively, cheerful (and I think, looks pretty good with my hair and skin color)!  As a matter of fact, when I look over the contents of my closet, the overwhelming colors in there are chartreuse and black (at least I’m consistent!). I’ve always been a green fan – ever since my teenage years when I decorated my bedroom with green shag carpeting and green/silver wallpaper (Ok – now I know that I’ve aged myself . . .)  Over the years, green has been a constant in my life, from the hunter greens of the early Ralph Lauren years to a more sage variety of the “earth tones” – but chartreuse has always been my go-to color. In addition to looking well with black, chartreuse looks great when paired with turquoise.  I did a whole showhouse room (see below) based on these two brilliant colors:

Boston Design Center Dream Home 2008 - room by Leslie Fine Interiors, Inc.

Chartreuse also looks great with chocolate brown:

Chartreuse and chocolate damask table runner from Etsy.com

And, of course, with pink:

Photo courtesty of warehousefabricsinc.

Chartreuse looks wonderful with aqua:

Photo courtesy of Glamour this! blog

So, what do you think of chartreuse? Love it? Hate it? Would you use it in your home? (Would you wear it?) What other colors would you use with chartreuse?  Looking forward to hearing your reponses!

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About Leslie Fine

Leslie Fine is the president of Leslie Fine Interiors, Inc., an award winning, full service residential interior design firm located in Boston, Massachusetts. Leslie is known for her personalized service and hands-on approach with her clients in creating functional and beautiful homes. Leslie’s Blog has a large national and international following, and she enjoys sharing her experiences with interior design and luxury living with her readers.

For more about Leslie, please go to the page.

Comments

  1. Yitzy says:
    December 19, 2010 at 4:36 pm

    One of the best articles I’ve read about Chartruse in a LONG time! B-) Also, I like the use of the folding screen in your showroom photo.

    Reply
  2. Jocelyn says:
    December 19, 2010 at 4:57 pm

    Well — finally you do a post on your color! What can I say? I too have a love affair with chartreuse, though depending on the season (and whether or not I’m feeling too pale), I have to be careful about wearing it. But it suits you well, and those images you’ve posted are gorgeous – that gown, and your BDC living room — oh la la!

    Reply
  3. Leslie says:
    December 19, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    Thanks Yitzy! I love using folding screens when I can. Thanks for commenting.

    Reply
  4. Leslie says:
    December 19, 2010 at 5:15 pm

    Jocelyn – Don’t you have a particular chartreuse coat that I have my eye on? Let me know when you get tired of wearing it . . .

    Reply
  5. Ann says:
    December 19, 2010 at 6:19 pm

    Remember the wonderful chartreuse you used in the bedroom in my Boston home? Award winning. And I always get a happy feeling when I walk in there.

    Reply
  6. Jane Gelbard says:
    December 19, 2010 at 6:24 pm

    Two beautiful chartreuse chairs in my apartment!!

    Reply
  7. Leslie says:
    December 19, 2010 at 8:19 pm

    Ann and Jane – I love that both of your beautiful homes are infused with my favorite color! I absolutely loved working on these spaces – enjoy!!

    Reply
  8. Jacqueline Corea says:
    December 19, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    Ohh…I love chartreuse too! I have used it in small doses in my living room with coral. It’s so springy and energetic.

    Reply
  9. Leslie says:
    December 20, 2010 at 10:12 am

    Jacqueline – Chartreuse and coral – beautiful! Thanks for commenting – I love your blog!

    Reply
  10. Lauren says:
    December 21, 2010 at 2:50 pm

    I loved reading about chartreuse! Your blog and website are fantastic!

    Reply
  11. lesliefineint says:
    December 21, 2010 at 6:10 pm

    Thanks for your compliments, Lauren! Stay tuned for posts on different colors each week!

    Reply
  12. Evelyn says:
    January 22, 2011 at 9:18 pm

    I recently acquired a beautiful chartreuse Drexel conversation sofa. Thinking of marrying it up with browns in my formal living room. I have wood floors where it will be located, what colors in an area rug would you recommend? My walls are a khaki brown.

    Reply
  13. Tiffany says:
    April 8, 2011 at 4:51 am

    Parma violet or mulberry looks great with chartreus!

    Reply
  14. Carol says:
    September 25, 2011 at 12:23 am

    I love the chartreuse color. I wear it frequently, and I’ve painted my kitchen in it, complete with white cabinets, purple countertop, brown flooring and dark wood furniture. Love it! So much, in fact, that I’ve also painted our bathroom in the same color. My problem is now trying to decide what color I can paint our living/dining room and hallway, that will compliment and fade out against the kitchen. Any ideas? They are small rooms, so I don’t want to go too dark.

    Reply

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