If you haven’t considered decorating with teal, you should! Although teal was a fad color during the 1990s, it is making a big comeback.
The color teal is a blue-green shade reminiscent of lush greenery or the ocean, It is a more muted, richer alternative to turquoise, and teal brings a calming look to any space.
Teal is one of those shades of blue that can feel daring and a little unexpected. A blend of green and blue, teal is a bold color that feels like a punchier, sassier version of blue.
This pretty color gets its name from a bird that has the shade around its eyes. A teal is a freshwater duck commonly found in parts of Eurasia, and it’s a fairly newer color that didn’t have a name until the early 20th century.
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I partnered with Amy Howard Home to share their Color of the Month. This is a new monthly subscription where Color of the Month subscribers will receive a new color every month exclusive to the club. This month’s Color of the Month is Thanks a Latte, and it is a beautiful, deep teal – which is why we’re talking about all things teal!
I painted my kitchen step ladder, and the color makes a huge impact in my kitchen.
The step ladder now looks like it was made for my pantry.
Let’s go back to talking about decorating with teal, and discuss why it’s such a great color to use in your home.
When it comes to teal, we are evenly divided along pretty deep lines. One half the world sees teal as blue-green and the other insists it’s green-blue. And the great thing is that both sides are right because color is always subjective – what you see is what you get!
COLOR THEORY
The soothing blue-green shade of teal evokes tropical lagoons and dense jungles. From oceans to peacock feathers, teal is a common sight in the natural world.
Polls show that blue and green are Americans’ favorite colors, and teal is the happy medium. Teal combines the stable tranquility of a royal blue with the optimism and nature that are inherent in green.
Teal blends blue’s tranquil stability with green’s optimism and healing properties. Teal is the color of restfulness and mental and spiritual balance. The color’s understated elegance encourages a calm, reflective mood.
With its lower saturation, teal is a much calmer shade than turquoise, whose brightness gives it a certain energy.
The color teal can be made by mixing blue and green into a white base. To deepen the hue, it can also be mixed with a black or grey base.
SHADES AND TINTS OF TEAL
There are two variations of teal – teal blue and teal green.
This bluish-green color comes in dark shades, light shades, and everything in between.
COLORS THAT GO WITH TEAL
When in doubt, consider colors with similar undertones to your favorite shade of teal. Richer, deeper shades of teal pair perfectly with bold greens while bright, medium shades of teal are great with blues or cool neutrals.
- Teal + Green – Since teal has green undertones, paring green with teal can create a monochramtic and tasteful space.
- Teal + Navy – Navy brings sophistication to any space but teal keeps it from being too dark and/or traditional.
- Teal + White – Pairing white with a white is safe and a sure bet. A lighter shade of teal may seem too childlike to bring into your room, but the truth is that when paired with more sophisticated hues like gold and white, it becomes incredibly chic.
- Teal + Orange – These colors are opposites on the color wheel which means they know how to play well together. Teal and orange are cheerful colors, and the result is a happy space.
One Step Paint Color Palettes:
Hopefully, these palettes are the inspiration you need to go paint some furniture pieces!
Teal + Green: try Aston Manor and Cranley Garden
Teal + Navy: try Aston Manor and Lady Singing the Blues
Teal + White: try Aston Manor and Ballet White
Teal + Orange: Try Aston Manor and Adler Orange
Which palette is your favorite?
Try adding pops of teal to a neutral room. Paint a piece of furniture using Thanks a Latte, paint your walls teal, or add teal curtains (or other teal accessories).
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