Dark Green Paint Colors
Testing out some Benjamin Moore dark green paint colors for our One Room Challenge Teen Boy Makeover.
How Benjamin Moore Cushing Green, Peale Green, Boreal Forest and Backwoods compare to one another in real life with paint test samples on the wall.
We’re making progress on Leif’s teen boy bedroom makeover for the One Room Challenge, and it’s finally time to make a final decision and get painting! If you read my update last week, you know that I was waiting for the mural to arrive before settling on a color. I picked up some dark green paint color sample pots from my local Benjamin Moore last weekend, but didn’t get a chance to test them out on the wall until mid-week.
Dark Green Paint Colors and LRV
If you aren’t familiar with LRV it means Light Reflection Value. It is basically a number that tells you how much light is reflected from a surface. It ranges from 0-100. The closer to 0 you are, the less light is reflected by that colour. You can see that I’ve ordered the colours below by their Light Reflection Value (LRV).
Sample Pots of Dark Green Paint Color Choices
When I picked these four paint sample pots up at the store, the woman who was working commented on how close these dark green paint colors are. It’s true; upon initial glance there might not be a huge difference between the colors. But I knew that once they are on the wall and dry, there would be a big difference in how each of these colors reads and the feeling that it creates in the space.
The initial choices that I gathered after working my way through my paint fan deck are Benjamin Moore Cushing Green (HC-125), Benjamin Moore Peale Green (HC-121), Benjamin Moore Backwoods 469 or CC-630, and Benjamin Moore Boreal Forest AF480.
Benjamin Moore – Cushing Green HC-125
“A balanced dark green that can flatter a wide range of colour schemes and styles.”
LRV 17.98
Benjamin Moore – Peale Green HC-121
“An earthy, classic forest green.”
LRV 14.15
Benjamin Moore – Backwoods 469 or CC-630
“A blackened shade of forest green that bares a hint of welcoming warmth.”
LRV 12.68
Benjamin Moore – Boreal Forest AF480
“A deep forest green fit for both elegant and rustic spaces.”
LRV 12.17
They look so similar yet there are subtle differences, and I really wanted to make sure that we chose the right one for Leif’s room makeover as painting a dark colour feels like a pretty big commitment! I also wanted to make sure that it works well with his forest wallpaper mural.
Comparing Benjamin Moore Dark Green Paint Colors
Below, from top to bottom, these dark green colors are: Cushing Green, Peale Green, Boreal Forest, and Backwoods.
I painted two coats on one of his big blank white walls, which makes a great backdrop for testing paint colours on. The white throughout the house is Chantilly Lace, so it’s quite a pure clean white that doesn’t add or tint the tester colours below.
You can see that Cushing Green has a slightly more grey undertone than Peale Green – which is a truer forest green in my opinion. Then Boreal Forest and Backwoods have a darker and greyer tone to them when painted on the wall in real life. Of course, colours look different in every room based on many factors including the light quality in your space, which is why it’s a good idea to use paint colour testers before landing on your favourite choice.
Comparing Cushing Green and Peale Green
In the picture below, you can really see that Cushing Green has a greyer slightly more sage leaning while the Peale Green reads as more ‘green’.
Comparing Boreal Forest and Backwoods
And you can see that the second two, darker colours Boreal Forest (left) and Backwoods (right) are much greyer. Boreal Forest reads more mossy in my opinion while Backwoods is darker and moodier feeling.
Comparing the paint with elements of the room design plan
I pinned up one strip of Leif’s misty forest wallpaper mural, as well as the art that I chose for around his desk area. I also brought in the nightstands that I recently made over for this room makeover. Pulling all of these pieces together really helped me get a visual for what I felt would work best in the space.
From an angle, you can see the light coming in, as well as get a different impression of these dark green paint colors based on how the light hits them.
The dark green paint color we chose
Can you guess which one I chose? I actually consulted with Leif, since it’s his room, but thankfully we both agreed on the same one! I guess I have some painting ahead of me this weekend…
We chose the second color from the left, Peale Green! It’s the truest green and less muddy or grey than the other ones, which is the feel we both want. I think it will look crisper on his walls. Seeing these elements together, I really can’t wait to get this space pulled together!
As I mentioned, this is the fifth week of the One Room Challenge and Leif’s Teen Boy Bedroom Makeover. Here is my original before post for this project.
The One Room Challenge
If you’re not familiar with the One Room Challenge (hereafter I’ll call it the ORC), I’ll bring you up-to-date. It’s a 8-week long challenge in which decorators, designers, and homeowners pick a space in their home to completely update. There are feature designers for each session, as well as many guest participants (like myself) who join in each week. You can read more about this event here.
See the plans for this space in this article!
