The culinary world has been buzzing with the possibilities of pistachios: These tasty little nuts are popping up in everything from baked goods to coffee—the Starbucks winter menu featured two new pistachio-flavored drinks—to cocktails. (If you haven’t tried a pistachio martini yet, consider this your sign to try one ASAP.)
While the popular pistachio has mainly stayed within the confines of the culinary world thus far, now we’re starting to see its influence trickle into interior design with various interpretations of pistachio green. This kicky color is a quick way to add a playful pop just about everywhere in your home, and while it’s an excellent color choice any time of year, spring and summer seem like a particularly good time to explore the possibilities of pistachio green.
While this shade of green might seem like an intimidating color to incorporate into your house, pistachio actually plays well with other recent design trends, making it easier to use than you might think. If you’re interested in trying it yourself, we have some tips and expert advice that will help you feel confident as you venture into this verdant new trend.
Why is pistachio suddenly everywhere?
There are a few factors contributing to the rise of pistachio. For one thing, the design world doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so drawing inspiration from food and fashion is common. When we see something making a strong statement in one part of the creative or culinary world, it will likely cross over into other aspects of popular culture.
Like all home design trends, colors go in and out of style. Lately, lots of pastels have been in style in both fashion to decor, starting with millennial pink and moving into shades of lavender. Now it seems it’s time for a gorgeous green to shine: Pistachio is a significant departure from blushes and purples but still coordinates easily with those other light colors, making it easy to integrate into your design scheme if you tried either of those trends and want to shake things up with something new.
Plus, green is perfect for spring and summer, since it signals growth and rebirth and echoes this season in nature. And maybe we don’t have to overthink the whys of its popularity.
“I think pistachio is a fresh and happy color,” says Annie Liddle, principal of Annie Liddle Design. And really, who isn’t looking to infuse a little more joy in their decor and lives?
How to Introduce Pistachio into Your Home
While we don’t think there’s anywhere that you can’t use a color you love, Liddle thinks this summery shade lends itself exceptionally well to heritage styles.
“I think it works best in traditional island-style homes or could be fun in a bright sunroom,” she says.
We love the idea of pistachio in a Victorian home, or used to spruce up the beadboard of a classic farmhouse. This color could breathe new life into built-ins in many different spaces for an easy upgrade.
Thinking a bit farther outside the box, the shade could even be an updated spin on a classic midcentury modern color palette as a lighter, brighter take on avocado alongside Robin’s egg blue or saturated yellows.
To play up the happy energy of the hue, Liddle says she’d “use it in a bright sunny room.” We also love the idea of bringing something playful like pistachio to a bathroom, where it can feel make the small area feel spacious and breezy but is much more visually interesting than a typical cream or white. A smaller space like this is also perfect for trying out a color you’re unsure of because if you don’t like it, it’s easy to repaint, so it’s not too much of a commitment.
If you just want to dip a toe in this trend, Liddle recommends finding (or DIYing) an accent piece of furniture, such as a desk, in pistachio. You can even try smaller accessories, like dishes or table linens, for a fresh feel that you can swap out seasonally.
Ultimately, we say this happy color is a must-try if you want something refreshing and new to make your home feel contemporary and cheerful. Only time will tell how long this trend lasts, but if the color speaks to you, there’s no better time than the present to try pistachio green in your space.