Emerald may be Pantone’s colour of the year for 2013, but teal could be a good compromise for people who prefer bluer-toned greens.
Erin Williamson from the blog design-crisis.com said she has always been a big fan of this colour in clothing as well as decor, so was keen to dedicate a room to it when she moved house.
She chose the sitting room and said she loves the elegant finished result.
“It’s sort of old-school library, is my vision. I imagined a place to sort of relax and look at all the things I’ve collected over the years. I guess there is sort of a little elegance, but I tried to keep it from being too fussy by mixing in some contemporary furniture and a crazy leopard rug,” Ms Williamson commented. “Hopefully the colour can kind of bear all the weirdness in here.”
Teal is very easy to decorate with because although it is a dark hue, it is not imposing like black or a deeper shade of blue would be.
Colour expert Leatrice Eiseman told Your News Now she loves the way it will adapt to fit with almost any design scheme, which will allow homeowners to have a go with it even if their budget is not big enough for a full room makeover.
“We want versatility. But versatile doesn’t have to mean boring,” she said.
Since blue-green makes a link in our minds with foliage and clear skies, it can act to bring anxiety levels down and so could be perfect for bedroom walls or window blinds in the living room.
In terms of complementary colours that teal can be placed with, DIYers may be pleased to know that pretty much anything goes.
Cream, ivory, taupe, and grey will create a toned-down look, while bright blues and yellows can make for a more retro feel, particularly if you add patterns such as circles and funky squares.
Coral also looks especially good alongside it because they are on opposite sides of the colour wheel, so this could be the perfect thing to try in a bedroom.
However, if you want a failsafe option, it’s nigh on impossible to go wrong with brown. A rich chocolate and teal scheme will appear instantly polished and chic without too much effort. Brown can also be easily incorporated through furniture such as chunky coffee tables and headboards, which may even already be in place.
And don’t forget to try teal in locations where you might not have considered it before – how about a baby’s nursery? It’s a gender-neutral hue so you don’t have to know the sex (or give it away if you have been told but are keeping it a secret), plus it will last well beyond the birth and into toddlerhood without having to be redone.
Perhaps the new parents of our latest royal baby might have used teal in their palace nursery.
We have lots of teal-based window blinds in stock at Louvolite whether you want either a pattern or a block colour, so browse our product range to check them out.