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A Study in Green

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! It feels impossible to ignore green in March.

Everywhere you look right now it’s shamrocks, clovers, emerald everything. Even if you’re not fully leaning into the festivities, there’s something fun about letting the season influence you a little. I’m actually writing this on St. Patrick’s Day, so it felt like the perfect excuse to treat today as a small creative exercise: a study in green.

Photo: Pinterest

Why Green Always Hits This Time of Year

Green feels especially good in March because we’re all craving it.

We’re coming out of winter. Everything has felt a little brown, a little muted, a little tired. And then, suddenly there’s this pop of life again! Green is growth. It’s a fresh start — that subtle, moving forward energy.

The Green I’m Actually Loving

Not all greens feel the same, and I’ve definitely realized I gravitate toward certain ones.

I love a soft sage — it feels calm and easy.
Olive will always feel classic to me.

But lately, I’ve been especially drawn to those muddier, in-between greens. We just painted our home office in Farrow & Ball’s French Gray, and I can’t stop talking about it. Despite the name, it reads very much green. Soft, muted, slightly moody. It changes so much throughout the day depending on the light, which makes the whole room feel layered and alive.

This reminded me that green doesn’t have to be bold to be impactful.

Heading Into Spring

Loving:

  • Linen pieces in sage and olive
  • Fresh herbs on the counter (both for cooking and just because they look pretty)
  • Green glassware for outdoor dinners
  • A matcha in the afternoon instead of another coffee
  • Garden-inspired cocktails with mint or basil

It’s funny how one color can weave its way through interiors, fashion, food, even how you style a table.

It really is timeless. Green is a classic — imo it always has a place in interiors. It doesn’t feel like a “trend” in the way some colors do. It feels rooted.

A Little Invitation

Today, instead of just wearing green for the sake of it, I’m thinking about how I actually want to live with it.

Maybe that’s a paint sample on the wall.
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Maybe it’s a new piece in your wardrobe.
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Maybe it’s just buying fresh flowers or mixing up some fresh pesto for pasta tonight. My fave.

Either way, consider this your gentle nudge to lean into the color of the season — in whatever way feels like you.

And, if nothing else, it’s a good excuse to romanticize March a little.

Recipe from megiswell.com

The Dill Gin Situation

I found this on Pinterest (which is honestly where I find all my favorite recipes). If it’s something I end up loving, there’s a 99% chance I pinned it first. (You can follow along there if you want to see what I’m saving lately!)

This one made me pause: a gin mojito … with dill?

I like gin, but don’t always love it. It can go a little too piney for me. That said, I’ve ordered a few gin martinis recently that completely surprised me and it made me rethink it. So, this felt worth trying.

And dill? I love it in everything! My favorite way to use it is chopped with sliced cucumbers, red wine vinegar and sliced onions (the way my mom would make them when I was little). 

The idea of muddled dill with lime and a splash of soda sounds fresh, bright, and just interesting enough to feel elevated without being fussy.

It feels very on-theme for this little green moment — light, herby, spring-forward. If you’re making one festive thing today, this might be it.

Green Inspo Lately ?

I’ve also been collecting green in little ways like screenshots, saved posts, paint swatches, outfits, table settings. Nothing overly styled. Just things that I’ve seen that make me pause and feel happy.

Right now, I’m inspired by this board!

A collage of curated green-toned lifestyle and home items on a neutral background titled “a few of my favorite greens.” The collage includes green mesh food covers, embroidered cocktail napkins, green glass candlesticks, a green serving bowl, a tan and green handbag, green patterned fabric, a decorative green pillow, a calligraphy brush with green detail, bamboo-handled green flatware, a vintage-style green floral plate, a green porcelain ginger jar, green hydrangea stems, green taper candles, a garden-inspired coffee table book, green-stemmed wine glasses, and a mint green wrap skirt.

Mesh Food Covers | Candlestick Holders | Embroidered Cocktail Napkins | Mini Longchamp | Serving Bowl | Outdoor Rug | Patterned Throw Pillow |

Calligraphy Brush | Bamboo Flatware | Floral Green Dinner Plate | Porcelain Ginger Jar | Snowball Stem | Taper Candles |

Daylesford Living: Inspired by Nature Book | Stem Glasses | Wrap Skirt

A few honorable mentions …

  1. Sage Silk Skirt– Saw this on Tuckernuck and can’t stop thinking about it. I can be lazy sometimes with putting outfits together, so I love when sites style their pieces for you. Tuckernuck recommended this cashmere tshirt to pair with it, and I love this idea. Add some silver hoops and a bangle. Done!
  2. Green Ginori plates – Love the iconic pattern Ginori plates, but when I saw this pretty floral pattern it now has me guessing which one I love more! 
  3. Old Fashioned Cocktail Napkins – Having something fun and whimsical at the bar is always a good idea, and these couldn’t be cuter. What a great hostess gift too.
  4. Artificial Snowball Stems – I know, the real thing is always better. But let’s be honest: these wilt literally after the first day or two. I have used these for installs and in my own home and they look soooo good. 
  5. Outdoor Rug – We used this at our ‘So Susie Headquarters’ project on her beautiful patio and it just made the space. The green is the prettiest shade of green … somewhere between a sage and seafoam. Love the subtle pattern it adds.

(Shop the full roundup on our LTK)

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Part 1 of our Sixth Street den is finally here.

This room is a little different than the rest of our home, and honestly... that’s what I love about it. One of my design philosophies has always been knowing where to save and where to splurge. Not every room needs the same investment, especially when you understand how it’s going to be used.

This is our family den. It’s where we unwind at the end of the day, watch a movie, read a book, or curl up with the dogs. When we’re entertaining, everyone naturally gathers in the kitchen, dining room, or living room, so I gave myself permission to be a little more creative here.
That meant mixing old with new, incorporating a few vintage finds, and investing in the pieces that would have the biggest impact. It was less about buying everything new and more about creating the feeling I wanted. The room isn’t finished yet (are they ever?), but it’s already become one of our favorite places to land at the end of the day.

I can’t wait to show you Part 2 and walk through some of the other decisions that brought this room together. It’s full of personality, and I think those details are what make it feel like us.

Part 2 coming soon!
Well, this was fun!!

For those of you who are new around here and want to get to know a little more about Clouz Houz (and me), consider this the rapid-fire version.

I’m Allison-the principal designer/owner behind Clouz Houz. These answers are a pretty honest glimpse into how I approach design, what I believe makes a home feel good, and the little things I think matter most.

At the end of the day, every project is different, but my philosophy is always the same: create homes that are meant to be lived in, not just looked at.

Now I’d love to hear from you. Which answer resonated most? Or better yet... what’s a design opinion you’ll defend forever? Leave it in the comments!