Weaving Shades of Green Through a Home

This Essex County residence features varying shades of this verdant hue

‘The homeowners wanted each room to be an experience,” Victoria Bell says of the aesthetic in this Essex County residence. “But they also wanted a cohesive feeling throughout the house.” The designer, owner of Springfield-based Victoria Bell Design, knew that her clients were open to incorporating color and print in their home. For Bell, that presented an opportunity to work with her favorite color — green — and to integrate its many shades in various iterations throughout the house.

“I like to use out-of-the-box light fixtures,” designer Victoria Bell says. The chandelier in the dining room makes a dazzling statement against the bold chartreuse millwork.

“I wanted the dining room to be a very elegant experience,” Bell says.

The dining room is a dramatic example. “My favorite shade is chartreuse,” Bell explains. “I think it’s a happy color. It’s inspirational to me.” The designer used that hue on the millwork and balanced it with a light gray wall covering. “I wanted it to be a very elegant experience but have that pop of color. Everything in that room — aside from the color on the ceiling and wainscoting — is neutral.”

“I didn’t want it to be ‘usual,’” Bell says of the son’s room, which features neutral furnishings that allow the chartreuse wallpaper to stand out.

The son’s room also features a built-in desk beneath an inspirational sign.

Chartreuse reappears in a deeper shade on the walls of a son’s room, which are swathed in a grass-cloth wall covering. “It’s little out of the box,” the designer notes. Once again, she modulated the color with neutral furnishings in gray, white and black “The wallpaper is the ‘show.’”

In the kitchen, Bell added a blue/green accent in the form of a teal banquette under a window, which makes this cozy corner an enticing space for casual meals. “It’s a fun nook,” Bell says. “The goal was to make it feel like a chic diner experience, which is why I went a little different with the green. It’s a look that’s super cool — not like a classic diner, but an elevated experience.” Above the banquette, a jungle-patterned window treatment coordinates with the banquette and incorporates additional green tones. “It definitely adds a ton of personality and brings the whole thing together.”

The kitchen table was custom made to work perfectly in the space. “It’s a mix between oval and rectangular. It definitely has cool style, but it’s also super functional,” Bell says.

Bell took another tack in the family room with a palette of cool blues. According to the designer, the original millwork was extremely dark. “There was no way we were keeping that dark color. We painted it light blue.” The pale walls work well with the navy blue sectional. Still, the designer ensured that the green theme would continue here, though subtly. “I brought in chartreuse in the throw pillows and in the art,” Bell says with a laugh. “I had to.”

“I wanted the sectional to be the main focus of the family room, along with the art,” Bell says.

Bell calls the family room “a fun, cool, whimsical part of the house.” Graffiti pillows and animal print ottomans, alongside the cacti art, add interest to the space.

The foundation palette in the living room is also muted. Bell explains, “This space is chic and formal, like the experience of a hotel lobby, but still cozy.” She achieved that look with a new, marble fireplace surround and elegant, neutral furniture. “A multicolored rug and artwork — all of which include green in some form — bring a sophisticated energy to the space. “I had to get color in somewhere,” she says.

“The lip art is my favorite part of the living room. It’s such a cool moment,” Bell notes. The designer left the windows bare in this space. “There’s such beautiful natural light and so much privacy, window treatments weren’t really needed.”

“The green in the dining room really frames the living room beautifully. There’s a little bit of chartreuse in the art, which makes this a cohesive experience from living room to dining room,” Bell says.

The designer’s “staycation” inspiration continues in the primary bedroom, the only room where she opted not to incorporate green elements. “I created the aesthetic of a high-end hotel room. That’s the goal when I create a design — that the clients don’t necessarily need to go away because they can have that experience at home.” The light and airy space has all the trappings of a luxury suite, including sumptuous textiles, an elegant seating area and chic lighting. The overall effect is stylishly serene.

Soothing blue and gray tones create a tranquil vibe in the primary bedroom.

“I love oversized art. It gives a hotel vibe,” Bell says of the abstract pieces above the desk in the primary bedroom.

The aesthetic in the entire house, in fact, is composed and sophisticated while incorporating bold color in just the right doses. “I wanted the spaces to be functional,” Bell says, “but I also wanted each room to be a work of art. I like having that balance of personality and elegance.”

An emerald green mirror and green ottomans greet visitors in the entry hall. Bell is particularly fond of the burl wood console. “It’s a little bit different. It has a really cool abstract shape to it; it’s easy to style.”

In the entry, Bell matched the upholstery in the window seat to that on the kitchen banquette. “The house is full of nooks, which I took advantage of it as much as possible.”

The husband’s office features a houndstooth plaid carpet. “My inspiration was a man’s suit,” Bell explains. The navy-blue built-in shelves, which Bell designed, are styled with objects reflecting the homeowners’ many interests including sports memorabilia and aviation.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally appeared in the February-March 2025 issue of Design NJ under the headline “Verdant Vision.”

For more colorful homes, see Minimal Yet Colorful, Midcentury Spirit at a Morristown Home, Happy Chic and Contemporary Calling.