It’s a Scorcher Out There

Sometimes I fear I’ve decorated too safely. What would happen if we dipped our decorating toes in the fire sometimes? What would happen if we brought in a blazing hot color like … chartreuse …

From Cococozy, a chartreuse sofa by Ligne Roset:

I challenge you to think bravely. Could you imagine living with this color?

If you can’t live with a swath of chartreuse as big as a sofa, how about as an accent? Like in this room by Barry Dixon, at Traditional Home:

Or a little bit here n’ there like in this Elle Décor Miami show house:

Or a kantha throw such as this one from The Shop at Humanoid:

Can you sing the praises of it yet? Maybe your eyes have adjusted to it?

What about Trina Turk ikat bed linens from Horchow? For the summer, or to brighten up the winter:

On your walls? Like this textured chartreuse wallpaper by Romo Fabrics, via Design Milk:

If you try chartreuse in small doses, it might be the antidote to brighten your day. I’ve collected a bunch of chartreuse inspiration on a Pinterest board.

As you can see in all the examples above, chartreuse is shown with neutral colors or white, which tones it down and makes it more palatable. It looks great with gray. But if you want to really be brave, chartreuse can be mixed with other bright colors like magenta and turquoise.