Lichen and the Color Green

“Lichen” was initially created for the Sullivan Dental Center here in St. Francisville. However, some folks say they not only have cutting-edge dentistry, but their place should also be called a spa and I can’t help but think the color “Lichen” has a lot to do with that. My clients asked me to create a color that was very soothing and clean, yet earthy and organic. So I immediately thought of the plant we call lichen and later, when I was asked by House Beautiful Magazine to be one of “Twelve Major Players in Design” to share our favorite color green in their March 2012 issue “All About Green”, I picked “Lichen”. House Beautiful even included this photo I snapped of lichen growing on a live oak in the article!

I was flattered when House Beautiful asked me if I could get approval from the photographer to use it. They laughed when I told them I took it with my iPhone, but hey, iPhone cameras are amazing!

Lichen starts my blog posts on the color green, known as the color of nature. I use green in almost every room because it is the most healing color. Healing colors influence mood, calm the nervous system and create peaceful environments. Since green is often used to represent health, many pharmaceutical and nutritional companies use green in their logos and marketing materials. It falls in the middle of the color spectrum, so it is balancing and acts as a neutral. My full spectrum “Lichen” paint color is what I call a complex neutral in that it is very chameleon-like as you’ll see in the photos below.

“Lichen” walls in the Sullivan Dental Center with “Putty” trim and painted brick. I can’t tell you how often I get calls from their patients about this color. Candice and Frank Sullivan tell me it constantly changes with the light. You’ll see this in the photos of it below.

“Lichen” walls create an oasis of calm in this Guest Bedroom.

You can see Lichen’s neutral qualities in this photo where it’s used in the two-story foyer shown above and below.

If you’d like to see a free hand-painted sample of “Lichen” visit my Online Store where we also have a variety of other samples to choose from.

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