Go Green: A Color & Lifestyle Trend for 2019

---

KITCHEN

Green is the color of… so many healthy foods. We’re picturing a couple of delights here in some gorgeous forest kitchenware.

Let’s start with the letter A for avocado. They’re not low-cal, but they’re full of cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats, Vitamin E and lutein, an antioxidant that protects eye health. Mash ’em on toast or into guacamole, or top off scrambled eggs with these soft green dreams.

Leafy greens — especially dark ones — are light on calories and heavy on antioxidants, fiber and vitamins (including K). A diet rich in leafy greens helps reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and more. So, say Y.E.S. to spinach, kale and plenty of salads (but watch those high-calorie dressings).

Herbs are excellent for your well-being. Packed with powerful polyphenols, many herbs are both anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. Plus, they’re gourmet-licious! Add taste and color to pastas and salads with a hearty sprinkle of chopped parsley. Brighten spaghetti sauce with basil and oregano. Add rosemary to chicken, sage to beef recipes, and plenty of fresh dill when you’re cooking fish.

In case you’re wondering, for dietary purposes those delicious artichokes in the picture above are edible flowers (actually immature thistles) that are also categorized as veggies (in terms of the way they’re consumed). They’re on the USDA’s top 20 antioxidant foods list. And people are soooo impressed if you know how to eat them! (Steam them, then dip in balsamic vinaigrette or a light garlic aioli — just trust us!)

CLOSET

The runways are loving green this season. Dare we say it’s the “new black”? Oh, yes we do! A kind of natural-meets-neutral, those soft olive shades are astonishingly versatile. Swap out your denim for some sweet green skinnies. Pair sage suede booties with office casual outfits and you might even persuade Elvis to sing a greener tune!

Green’s gentler side is only half the story when it comes to this vivacious and versatile color. A bright green cardigan or emerald-color gemstone earrings are great choices to add character and pop to your closet or jewelry box. If you like shiny greens in your accessories collection, peridot, jade and aventurine are more affordable stone choices and can be found set into truly lovely ring, earring and necklace designs.

For 2019, we’re seeing green on celebrity eyelids from coast to coast. Mila Kunis hit the talk show circuit wearing green eyeshadow to set off a black pantsuit. Emma Stone’s russet hair and blue eyes are beautifully complemented by green pencil liner. Green makeup highlights famous pairs of peepers in star faces from Rita Ora to Kendall Jenner. Try the trend and turn some heads!

CREATIVE SPACES

At home, bring a classic — and classy — vibe to your walls with botanical prints. From framed artwork to wrapped canvases, pretty pictures of plants and flowers are a lovely touch, and a pro-level way to introduce new colors into a design scheme.

Pillows are an opportunity to add a pop of green to sofa, armchair or entryway bench. Double down on that nature vibe with a leafy or floral print. Or enrich a mostly neutral room with throws and accent pillows in mint, lime, emerald or spruce hues.

Soothing seafoam adds serene charm to studies and powder rooms. Lively kelly green gives doors a pop (think pantry, porch and entryway). And deep olives are ideal in a rustic-industrial office or bedroom, a rich complement to reclaimed wood or leather furniture, and weathered metal desk accessories.

Green tones are pivotal in landscape-inspired home decorating motifs, such as woodland, jungle and tropics. And don’t be afraid to follow nature to bright but honest contrasts: Green and sky blue; green and savannah tan; green and flamingo pink.

Succulents continue to make us smile. These easy-care and oh-so pretty plants are perfect for windowsills and reasonably sunny spots throughout your home. Fast-draining soil, biweekly or weekly watering (not more) and a comfy pot are all most succulents need for a happy and long life. They’re great starter and office plants, so why not give one a try?

Adding plants to our living space helps make us feel connected to nature. Studies have actually shown that they help to reduce stress, improve concentration and enhance productivity. From an air quality viewpoint, having plants in your home can reduce carbon dioxide levels, increase humidity and mitigate airborne dust.

Despite the tuneful existentialism of one famous frog puppet, “being green” — at least, moving in a green lifestyle direction — for 2019 can begin with some of these easy tips and tricks:

1. Reduce your use of disposable food storage. Stock your cupboard with colorful and affordable solutions for everything from refrigerating leftovers to packing school lunches and those epic, expensive purchases of plastic wrap and baggies will be a thing of the past.
2. Flip those switches. Turn off lights when leaving rooms (at home and at work). Power off devices — and unplug chargers — when not in use. These easy habits are good for the power grid, and may help shrink your electric bill too.
3. Don’t waste water. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving. Take reasonably short showers. Think before you flush: Place a half-gallon plastic bottle filled with water into your toilet tank to reduce water volume when flushing; check toilets for leaks by adding food coloring to the tank — if the color appears in the bowl after flushing, there’s a leak that needs to be fixed.
4. Take advantage of public transit, ride share apps, carpools and telecommuting options to reduce your carbon footprint. An added bonus: The extra steps or blocks of walking these options require can add up to a free fitness boost. Take that, activity tracker!

Perhaps the 17th-century Spanish poet Pedro Calderón de la Barca best explains this essential hue:

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.