Dark Green Living Room Ideas
Dark green suits a living room when you balance it with warm neutrals and one metallic or golden accent. Use it on the walls with a cream or tan sofa, or on the sofa itself against a soft stone wall, then repeat the green once in the art so the room feels joined up.
Below: colours that work with dark green, how to plan sofas, rugs and wood around it, warm and cool greens, and how to choose art for a dark green wall.
Prints for this look
The colour palette
Colours that work with dark green in a living room
- Cream, stone and oatmeal are the easiest neutrals. They keep forest and emerald green looking fresh.
- Tan and cognac leather look especially good against deep green walls.
- Ochre, mustard and antique brass bring warmth. Use them in lamps, cushions and frames.
- Blush, coral and terracotta are complementary colours for green, so a single cushion or print in these shades makes the room feel lively.
- Charcoal and black suit a modern dark green living room, in metal lamps or a coffee table.
To keep it in proportion, the 60-30-10 rule helps: about 60% green or neutral, 30% wood and leather, 10% gold or blush.
Sofas, rugs and wood: planning the room around green
Green walls, neutral sofa. A cream, oatmeal or tan sofa stands out clearly against forest green. A patterned rug with green, rust and cream in it links the floor to the walls.
Neutral walls, green sofa. If you prefer lighter walls, an emerald or bottle green velvet sofa against warm grey or stone gives you the colour without darkening the room. This is the easier option for a small or north-facing living room.
Wood tones. Walnut and darker oak suit forest green. Paler oak and rattan keep emerald feeling lighter. Mixing one dark and one light wood stops the room looking flat.
A simple guide for the wall above the sofa is the two thirds rule: art about two thirds of the sofa's width. On a 200 cm sofa that means roughly 130 cm of art, such as one A0 or a pair of A1 prints.
Warm and cool dark greens
Hold your paint chip next to a sheet of white paper. If it looks slightly blue, it is a cool green such as emerald or teal-leaning forest. Pair it with chrome, black, white marble and cooler greys. If it looks olive, khaki or brown, it is warm. Pair it with brass, leather, rust and walnut. Art that shares the same undertone will sit comfortably on the wall.
Choosing art for a dark green wall
On deep green walls, pick prints with cream or pale backgrounds, gold detailing or a strong warm accent. Golden cranes, botanicals, abstract shapes in green and blush, and sporting scenes in muted greens all suit a dark green living room. If the walls are pale and the sofa is green, repeat the sofa colour in the print to tie them together.
For a TV wall, a pair of A2 prints either side of the screen or a row of three smaller prints above it keeps the arrangement balanced. Hang art with its centre at 145 to 150 cm from the floor, or 15 to 25 cm above the back of the sofa.
Browse our green wall art, or read more ideas in our post on dark green wall art.
Sizes at a glance
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Shelves, desks, small gaps, sets of 3 |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Hallways, side walls, pairs |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Above a sideboard or small sofa, the anchor of a gallery wall |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Above a standard sofa or bed |
| A0 | 84.1 x 118.9 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Large walls, open-plan rooms, statement pieces |
All our A sizes fit standard off-the-shelf frames, and every print is made to order on museum-grade matte paper.
