Sage Green Is Our New Favorite Neutral—Here's How to Decorate With It

Add to Your Bedroom

Our bedrooms are the coziest and most relaxing spaces in our homes—or at least, they should be. If you're wondering where to start adding sage into your home décor, look no further than your sleep sanctuary.

The soothing nature of sage green makes it the perfect bedroom shade. Try incorporating it into your bedding or décor, or if you're ready to bring the hue to the forefront, go for some sage paint for your walls, as shown above.

Treat It as a Neutral

One of the easiest ways to use this shade is as a neutral. If maximalism or bold colors are your thing, use sage as the first layer to a colorful and coordinated design.

In this space, the sage paint on the walls is the most muted addition to the color palette. Juxtaposed with the bold floral curtains and rich velvet throw pillow, the color acts as the perfect neutral.

Spruce Up Your Cabinets

When using a sage green color in the kitchen, Beryl suggests starting by painting the cabinets.

"It's a perfect way to dip your toe into a colorful kitchen without going so bold—such as with a darker, more saturated color—that you're bound to get tired of," she explains. "It's a neutral, timeless color that is a more interesting take on the overdone white or gray cabinet."

Mandy Moore and her designer Sarah Sherman Samuel seem to have come to the same conclusion. The actress's kitchen, featured here, beautifully combines sage green cabinets with white marble and other neutral elements for a crisp, clean look that's just a touch more intriguing than a classic all-white space.

Play With Texture

In the bathroom, Beryl suggests turning to more textured elements in the sage green color, rather than simply painting the walls or sourcing towels in the hue.

"I recently came across a round mosaic penny tile in a beautiful sage green color," the designer says. "I think it would be really charming to use this on a bathroom floor with a marble subway tile on the wall, a traditional washstand sink, and a curvy, free-standing bathtub."

Whether you go for a sage green mosaic penny tile or a more traditional subway tile like the one featured in this modern bathroom, the color will make any space feel like a relaxing spa.

Hey Tiles Penny Round Mosaic Tile $19.00

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Pair It With Lots of Color

In order to get the most out of the sage green color, Beryl emphasizes that it should be used as any other neutral color.

"Since it is so soft and subtle, you can pair it with a variety of other colors and finishes," she explains. So, sage green couches in the living room? Absolutely.

Reupholster Furniture

"To play on the juxtaposition of the gentle hue, I’d love to reupholster an oversized chair in sage mohair or velvet," Beryl says. She suggests turning to vintage stores to recover pieces that you can transform to fit your living space.

Experiment With Paint

According to Beryl, sage green paint can be used in many places in a home. As she already mentioned, it can work well in the kitchen to add a pop of color to the cabinets. However, it's also an excellent option for a gender-neutral nursery.

"It's soft enough to use in a baby's room, but also doesn't feel stuffy or overdone like the baby blues and pinks of the world," Beryl notes.

Additionally, she explains that when it comes to interior paint colors, she tends to err on the side of muted shades, which is one reason why sage green paint is so appealing. One of her favorites is Farrow & Ball's Ball Green.

"It's so soft and rich but appears almost a silvery, gray in certain lights," she says.

Farrow & Ball Ball Green $110.00

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Bring in Accent Furniture

Because sage green is such a subtle shade, it frees you up to decorate as you please. Though it's hard to go wrong with this color, bringing in more structured furniture plays well with this hue, Beryl says.

"You can use furniture that has a bigger, more masculine scale and lines because the color feels gentle and less imposing," Beryl explains. 

Paint Your Trim

Looking for a low cost way to bring in this shade? Take a note from this space and paint the baseboard and trim of your home sage green. With everything else kept neutral, this hue adds a vintage farmhouse vibe.

Use It in Small Doses

Although the color can be used as a neutral, Beryl also recommends using it sparingly in some spaces.

"Since a living room is a space you spend a lot of time in, I suggest adding slightly smaller doses of this color into your space such as with accessories like pillows or a vase," she says. 

Sunday Citizen Snug Throw Pillow $65.00

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Or Go All Out

There's no better way to embrace a shade like sage than making it the star of your space. This formal living room feels oh-so-fresh and visually interesting thanks to the saturated sage green walls, complementary green accents around the room, and greenery above the mantel.

Invest in This Shade

Although it comes across as a trend that may fade with time, Beryl believes it's here to stay, so go ahead and invest in that new bedding or a statement sofa.

"People often feel safe with neutral tones and since sage green is the new neutral, I don’t see the trend passing anytime soon," she points out. "I think there’s a lot of flexibility with this color since you can make it as neutral or as bold as you like and it's pretty easy to incorporate into any space."

Burrow Range 2-Piece One Arm Sofa $935.00

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Get a Little Glam

Sage might be an earthy, naturalistic color—but that doesn't mean it only has one use. This eclectic, glamorous sitting room shows how the color can elevate a space and embrace its wild side. It plays well tonally with the orange, black, and gold accents of the room, and adds just a touch of softness the way any neutral would.