Green with envy

They say the grass is always greener on the other side. This year, international colour authority Pantone invites us to indulge our senses on the “other side” with its crisp, fresh colour of the year.

Setting the scene

In the world of decor and design, we look to global colour experts such as Pantone for visual direction, much as designers would scour Paris Fashion Week in search of the latest haute couture muse. Both provide inspiration and a visual language to articulate what’s new and now.

For 2017, the Pantone Colour Institute adds visual credence to the “green movement” with its colour of the year: Greenery (15-0343). This zesty hue represents a refreshing and revitalising collective visual zeitgeist. According to the Pantone Colour Institute, “Bringing the outside in, this shade – like the plant life it represents – can improve self-esteem, reduce anxiety and heighten awareness of one’s surroundings.”

So, take a leaf from the Pantone colour book and immerse yourself in lush greenery, tropical prints and exotic pattern. Here’s how to weave this nature-inspired hue into your home palette.

Indoor plants

If you’re conservative when it comes to bold strokes of colour, add a touch of the exotic with large-leafed indoor plants, living walls, kokodemas or terrariums.

MÃ©ridienne

Shop the look: Crassula spathulata hanging potplant, www.weylandts.co.za ; Monstera deliciosa kokodema, www.opusstudio.co.za ; faux plants, www.home.co.za.

Crassula spathulata hanging potplant, www.weylandts.co.za

Monstera deliciosa kokodema, www.opusstudio.co.za

Faux plants, www.home.co.za

As a focal point

Breathe life into your home with subtle splashes of this bright, optimistic, nature-inspired hue. Up the ante with botanical-themed wallpaper, tropical-print scatters or a rebooted rug.

Designers Guild

Shop the look: Maui – Tropical fabric, www.hertex.co.za ; Jungle book – Leaf, www.hertex.co.za; Gonsenhausers Reloaded rug, www.finerugs.co.za ; and Carambola on Tahiti scatter, www.shf.co.za.

Maui – Tropical fabric, www.hertex.co.za

Jungle book – Leaf, www.hertex.co.za

Gonsenhausers Reloaded rug, www.finerugs.co.za

Carambola on Tahiti scatter, www.shf.co.za

As a subtle accent

A tableau of green-hued glass vases is a more subdued way of adding a verdant interest to your living area. Fill the vases with lush foliage, for a striking style statement.

In the kitchen, a woven white-and-green basket filled with freshly picked lemons or green apples provides an instant pick-me-up. Or add crockery with splashes of green pattern to your alfresco lunch table.

Shop the look: Woven lemon bowl, www.roopip.co.za ; Vintage green vase, Inhabit Concept Store, www.inhabitconceptstore.com.