- Incorporate Art and Accessories
It can be hard to commit to a color as vibrant as aquamarine, particularly if you’re usually a bit color-averse, but that doesn’t mean this soulful shade isn’t for you. “If you love aquamarine but are unsure of where to start, art and accessories are always a great way to introduce a bold color,” says Caroline Kopp, founder and creative director of Connecticut-based Caroline Kopp Interior Design.
Murano glass, oil paintings, water-themed photography, and interesting pottery are all ways the designer recommends incorporating this lively hue.
- Work with Your Design Style
A color this bright and energetic couldn’t possibly be versatile, too, right? Think again. “Aquamarine sits beautifully between blue and green, which is what makes it so versatile,” says Mason. “Unlike deeper navy tones that feel more traditional or softer sage greens that lean more organic and earthy, aquamarine has a natural energy to it.”
But the art director says there’s more to aquamarine than simply color. It speaks to our shift from designing homes around a strictly visual perspective to one that first focuses on how we want people to feel. “After years of minimalism and highly neutral spaces, people are embracing color again, especially shades that bring a sense of optimism and personal expression,” Mason explains.
Regardless of where your home falls on the design style spectrum, incorporating this airy hue can add a joyful element to your space that, she says, feels at once sophisticated and playful.
- Explore the Role of Seasonality
Aquamarine isn’t just for summer, says Katelyn Gilmour of KBG Design, a California–based interior design studio. “Don’t be afraid of investing in affixed cabinetry in this color, as the naturally occurring color will always have that organic and elevated relevance,” she says. “This color can very easily transition between seasons when paired with different complementary colors as well.”
During the fall, the color can be coupled with warm wood tones and creams, along with rich persimmon, evolving into a natural pairing of deep greens and cranberry during the holidays, Gilmour says.
To give your seasonal shift an effortless quality, Jennifer Wilson of Boston-based Jennifer J Interiors recommends investing in both fabrics and furniture silhouettes that serve as a backdrop for this lively shade. “This allows for flexibility to make seasonal shifts in supporting pieces or accessories throughout the year, or as your taste evolves, to keep your home feeling simultaneously timeless and current,” she says.
"Aquamarine is joyriding on the coattails of organic modern and biophilic design—and I’m here for it!
— Katelyn Gilmour
- Select a Paint Color
“One of the easiest ways to embrace aquamarine is via paint,” says Smith. The color family comes with plenty of variation, from muted shades (Kopp offers Farrow & Ball Blue Ground for a sophisticated shade “that still holds that characteristic zing”) to airy blue-green options like Smith’s go-to, Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue, or vintage-inspired Farrow & Ball Dix Blue, another favorite of the designer.
No matter where on the color spectrum your allegiance lies, you can rest easy in this paint color’s chameleon-like personality. “Designers are gravitating towards this color because it pairs well with so many other hues and is a departure from the muddy tones we have been seeing so much of in the past five years,” explains Kopp.
- Work with Complementary Colors
While choosing a single paint shade can seem straightforward enough, pairing aquamarine with complementary colors might feel slightly more nuanced. Smith says gravitating toward more saturated greens and blues, like peacock blue, or toward shades on the opposite end of the color wheel (think coral or seashell pink) can be a good place to start.
If sticking with the color family is more your style, Smith says there’s plenty to play with there, too. “Aquamarine sits at the intersection of blue and green, making it versatile and easy to incorporate in almost any design scheme,” she says. “This color is the answer if you can’t pick favorites between blue and green, and we absolutely love the way it plays with both, creating a natural bridge between the two.”
- Apply in Moderation
While aquamarine has the versatility, energy, and personality to give it staying power, utilizing more minimal applications can help you dip your toe in without fully committing. “Anytime I want to introduce a color that might not suit the whole room, I love to incorporate it as a trim," says Lucy Condolora, founder and principal designer of Miller James and Mary.
The designer also urges homeowners to consider flourishes such as tassels, pom-poms, and ribbons to put this vibrant shade to work in the subtlest ways. “The possibilities are endless,” she says.
