We all use green: Ireland's favorite color abounds in nature

Whether or not we're all Irish on St. Patrick's Day, we all use the favorite color of the Emerald Isle in our decor.

Green is natural, soothing, balancing and always popular, say designers.

While the yellow greens of spring - lime and apple - are youthful and sought after these days, don't despair if you still have a passion for those shades touched with browns and grays such as olives or sage.

"When you add yellow to a color you are bringing sunshine into the room," said Marilyn Akins, whose Oak Brook firm carries her name.

"That way you can have a soothing but exciting, uplifting room at the same time."

But designers OK almost any shade of green for your home.

One caveat: If you're considering that bright Kelly green that we see so much on St. Patrick's Day, Tuesday, March 17, try it in small doses as an accent color or you will be outside the realm of design.

And another warning: Akins said green fabrics are not as easy to find as the color's popularity would dictate.

"Green is one of the easiest colors to work with because you can mix blue greens with yellow greens with brown greens," said Akins. "I think because it's mixed in nature. Take a look at a grove of trees."

But she does caution care in mixing clear greens with those muddied or tinted with browns.

Greens can be cool or warm, says Kathleen Newhouse, Park Place Interiors in Geneva.

She likes blue-greens such as turquoise or teal with earthy browns - try mocha.

And she'll also mix apple green with chocolate brown.

Joan Suzio, of Interiors by Decorating Den in Libertyville, says greens combine readily with blues or golds, but says you must be careful mixing with reds.

"They are direct opposite on the color chart, and you don't want it to be too much of a contrast," said Suzio.

If you have a red-green hankering, she said try mossy greens or even chartreuse with terra cotta, which is brown spiced with red or orange. Newhouse uses yellow green to show off cherry and mahogany furniture.

"Green is the easiest color to look at," she said. "And there's a lot of diversity."

Suzio likes to use green frequently in bedrooms. A teenage client ended up with a modern design of circles and stripes in magenta and lime green. And the designer's guest room is an apple green that Sherwin Williams dubs "haven," while the fabrics are black and white toile.

"Green cheers me up in the middle of winter. On those dull, dull winter days I need some color in the rooms. It makes me happy," said Suzio.

And when Suzio has a client who is nervous about color, she urges tinting the beige or taupe with green as starter colors.

If green never shows up when you are listing favorite colors, Akins understands.

"I used to think I didn't like green, she said, "but we are using it so much. It's very soothing. We need all the calming we can get."