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No colour divides a room quite like chartreuse.
Years ago, while presenting a bedroom scheme, I included a chartreuse accent. Before I could even explain my reasoning, the client interrupted to tell me, in language far stronger than I can repeat here, that she found chartreuse absolutely disgusting.
I understand where she was coming from. Chartreuse is an unusual acidic yellow-green, but I am here to defend it.
David Hockney famously declared that ‘there are no off-putting colours, only off-putting combinations.’
To this statement, I could not agree more. I will concede that chartreuse doesn’t look great in all situations. When paired with orange or pink, for example, it feels juvenile, and against black or white, it’s too jarring.
The shade has drifted in and out of fashion for centuries. It appeared in luxurious silk gowns during the late nineteenth century; Vincent van Gogh used it to illuminate the night sky in Café Terrace at Night; the 1990s embraced it with characteristic enthusiasm; and more recently, we’ve seen its distant cousin emerge through the slime-green optimism of Brat Summer. More recently, Vogue published ‘Chartreuse Is Spring’s Newest It Color’ — who am I to argue with Vogue?
You can’t really be neutral about chartreuse. It’s not a safe colour. It’s not a people-pleaser. Nobody accidentally ends up with a chartreuse armchair.
Chartreuse reminds us that good design isn’t about consensus. The most memorable interiors are rarely built from universally loved choices; they’re built from conviction. The homes that stay with us have a point of view. They introduce a colour, material or piece of furniture that not everyone would choose.
Chartreuse is one of those colours. It’s a little strange, a little difficult. Occasionally misunderstood, and sometimes, those are exactly the qualities that make something beautiful.
Choosing chartreuse requires a level of confidence. A willingness to trust your own eye rather than follow a formula.
Which is why, when it’s done well, it looks fantastic.
How to use chartreuse in your home:
A floor rug is the perfect way to introduce this offbeat shade to make your space really feel different. It works so well with timber tones, so layering over a floor and combining with earthy tones would be the best backdrop to furnishings.
An accent piece, such as a chartreuse side table, really lifts a space by adding that zing every room needs to stop feeling flat. Because of its intensity, chartreuse sings when used as a high contrast feature. A chartreuse fabric armchair or ottoman can be a great option, or even cushions and throw blankets.
Chartreuse looks best paired with deeper colours. Use brick red, burgundy and navy as grounding colours to contrast the brightness of the green. Likewise, alongside espresso and chocolate, it feels natural, earthy, and strangely elegant.
If you’re feeling truly adventurous, colour-drenching an entire room in chartreuse can be surprisingly beautiful. The trick is to balance it with deeper, moodier tones and choose a room that isn’t flooded with bright sunlight. Chartreuse thrives in spaces with a little shadow, a little mystery.
