Interior design is about more than just picking decorative elements for your home. In fact, in some cases, there are even scientific reasons behind using certain colors, materials, and lighting types. Joanna Gaines is always showing homeowners and renters the benefits of using nature-inspired colors within their home, and her Magnolia paint selections offer a variety of greens that are both grounding and calming. The brand’s forest green shades, in particular, can offer benefits like decreasing stress and creating a calming atmosphere, which could be why Gaines is such a fan of them. This hue could work in a variety of settings, and since green is scientifically noted to be easier for human eyes to process, it makes sense why it is such a popular color to use in your home.

In Gaines’ lakehouse renovation, she leaned heavily into greens and neutrals to create a luxurious aesthetic in spaces like the library and the dining room. While the design is stunning without further explanation, the science behind why this particular palette works so well is very interesting. The color green has been noted to be calming and helps people feel connected to nature. Using it in interior design helps to ground any room or space and create a zen ambiance, and making it one of the best bedroom paint colors to create a peaceful environment. 

In scientific terms, green is one of the easiest colors for the human eye to “understand” or relay to the brain. According to studies, it is actually the color people can translate and see most clearly, thanks to how light penetrates your eye. Not only that, but certain shades, like forest green, also help people relax. As a solution to resolving stress, this color is a great option for any room you use to decompress, and can also help soften the space. Darker or more saturated shades help fade corners, which is why it is also one of the best types of paint to make a small space feel bigger.

Foliage and forest shades help connect humans with nature, and they are a stylish option to help ground any room. Joanna Gaines’ forest green example from Fixer Upper is just one way to create an intimate and dynamic layout. As a restful color, it allows the mind and body to enter a tranquil state, too. Forest green blurs the edges and pulls in just enough light that it can make a room seem cocooned and intimate, without the overbearing or overwhelming element some other darker shades can introduce.

The best spots to incorporate forest green in your home may have once been trim and accents, but Joanna Gaines has proved that you can use it in larger applications like the walls of bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, and even home offices to introduce a relaxing and calming ambiance. Areas where you spend a lot of time relaxing or decompressing can benefit from this shade, and despite its soothing effect, it’s still offers a dramatic pop of color. Painting all of the walls in a room this color, or even color drenching, would be a good way to create an elevated space, while an accent wall gives you a way to create a statement within the room you can build around.

To pull through the natural elements the forest green paint is so connected to, you may want to use other earthy tones like terracotta, brown, cream, and other neutrals to complement your walls. Add natural materials like wood and stone to complement and balance your palette. Metallics like brass or gold will also add dimension, creating a backdrop that sets any room apart. No matter how you use this hue, it is sure to produce a unique finish that may encourage you to consider green in every room.