Balanced Living

Only a few years ago, environmentally friendly design occupied a tiny niche. Now, fueled by growing concern about the Earth's resources and human health, green design is flourishing like a well-tended garden.

Time magazine's summer Style & Design cover celebrated "Green Living" and asked, "Is Sustainability the New Luxury?" But the growth of green has moved beyond luxury status into something more universal. Cost is no longer the bottom line; there's a deeper appreciation of the issues at stake.

"There's more and more awareness," agrees Karin Schluer, a LEED-certified designer with WESKetch Architecture in Millington, N.J. "More designers are really into it, and some have to be because of chemical sensitivities."

The green movement is part of a broader appreciation for all aspects of balanced, healthy living, says Becky Ralich Spak, senior designer, Color Marketing and Design, Sherwin-Williams. "There's more interest in organic products, yoga and Pilates, recycling, and conservation of fuel and fresh water."

The design impact of our growing green-mindedness is a renewed appreciation for relaxed, natural elements and clean, pastoral hues, put together the way nature intended. Think of the cool shades reflected in rippling water or a bowl of fresh blueberries, or the golds and greens of a sun-washed Cezanne landscape. "The Sherwin-Williams yellow family – from soft and warm Butter Up to Gallant Gold – is growing in importance," says Ralich Spak.

"Green design is beyond a trend," says Leatrice Eiseman, color consultant, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of "More Alive with Color" (2006, Capital Books). "This is not fluff; this is a serious concern, and it just keeps growing."

Due to individual computer monitor limitations, colors seen here may not accurately reflect Sherwin-Williams paint colors. To confirm your color choices, visit your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams store and refer to our in-store color cards.

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