Why Green Was the Most Popular Living Room Color of 2023

If 2022 started the rise of the green kitchen, then a recent report by Living Spaces can officially credit 2023 as the year of the green living room. 

While designers remain split on whether or not gray is truly out, Living Spaces has determined that, at least for now, it’s taken a backseat to the lusher, more nature-inspired hue we’ve seen on a steady ascent in recent years. 

In order to see how this trend is happening in real-time, and to determine if green living rooms are the way forward, we turned to a few of our favorite designers. They eagerly shared their opinions on whether green really is the perfect living room upgrade.

Design: Alpha Kilo / Photo: Tom St Aubyn

According to interior designer Alice Leigh, one of the best things about green is that it causes different—and positive—reactions for everyone, and that’s down to the versatility of its various hues.

“Green can invoke so many different feelings, such as making a room feel fresh, comforting, or vibrant depending on the green that you use,” Leigh says. “A lot of people find green very calming, stress-relieving, and nature-inspiring.”

Design: Alice Leigh Design / Photo: Jonathan Bond

Monica Breese, founder of The Designed Domicilio and a real estate broker with Compass, agrees, noting that much of its versatility is rooted in its connection to the natural world. 

She says it fits well with natural fibers and is a great pick for living rooms—which is often where we’re most likely to find woods, leathers, and other organic materials. 

While other rooms are more dedicated to specific activities, Ashley McCollum, a color expert for Glidden paint by PPG, notes that living rooms are notoriously used for a vast array of activities. That’s one reason green