A Green Color Scheme vs The Nosy Neighbor
When a sweet couple decided to kill 2 birds with one stone: repaint their house exterior and annoy the nosy neighbor across the street.
What is it with greens? In my 10+ years as a color consultant, I’ve found that greens are either loved or hated-there’s rarely an in-between. While it’s not my favorite color, I appreciate its versatility and have incorporated it into many projects. I do, however, consider several factors when incorporating green to a color palette.
Some people are devoted to green; no matter the theme, application or project, it holds a special place in their hearts. Then, there’s the other side-those who despise green with a passion, avoiding it like the plague.
Why such strong reactions? Well, it’s not exclusive to green-every color carries personal and cultural associations. Color perception is deeply personal, shaped by experiences and each person’s unique background. Green often symbolizes nature, hope, health, youth, fertility, and wealth. But to others, it represents sickness, envy, evil, or death. Quite the extreme spectrum.
Which brings me to a particularly memorable project-a color consultation guided by a neighborhood rivalry.
A color war between neighbors
I still remember the couple. A sweet husband and wife, in their late 50s, walked into my office for a consultation. At first everything seemed straightforward. But as we discussed their preferences, I quickly realized this was no ordinary design project. It was an act of color revenge.
The project:
Repainting a Mediterranean style, two-story house. The couple’s house was part of an HOA-regulated community and their chosen color scheme needed approval from an architectural committee. There were no strict limitations-just a requirement that colors complement the home’s style and surrounding neighborhood.
The Color Preference (Where Things Got Interesting):
Green.
Why? Because their nosy neighbor across the street hated green.
The wife gleefully recounted the backstory:
A few days before our meeting, she and her husband stood outside their home with paint swatches, discussing options. Their neighbor, always watching from her window, approached them and warned:
“I hope you’re not considering green. I hate green! It would be awful to walk outside and see a green house every day.”
After giving her unsolicited advice, the neighbor added:
“Your grass is overgrown too, you should get it trimmed ASAP before the HOA board sends you a fine.”
That wasn’t the first offense. Months earlier, the couple received a fine for a large truck parked in front of their home-except it wasn’t theirs, and they had no idea who it belonged to. The wife was convinced the neighbor was behind the complaint.
So, their mission was clear: choose a beautiful, HOA-approved green that their neighbor would loathe forever.
The challenge:
The green of choice had to coordinate with terracotta roof-tiles and the overall architecture of the house-In addition, it needed to irritate the neighbor indefinitely.
I’ll admit it, this wasn’t exactly the type of project I envisioned when I became a color consultant. But hey, my job is to give clients what they want. If I had been certain that green was the wrong fit for their project, I would have objected and offered other alternatives.
We settled on a neutral green with warm undertones, accented with off-white trim. It was elegant, timeless, and-most importantly- green.
The husband, a seasoned DIYer, took charge of the execution. He even invested in a high-quality Graco spray pump and had a clear vision of the transformation. They left my office excited-her, glowing with anticipation, and him, eager to get to work.
The Aftermath
I never found out how the neighbor reacted. But one thing I do know-the house looked great. And honestly, beyond the couple’s motives for their color choice and their neighbor’s meddling, I hope they were able to overcome their differences.
Green, in my experience, has a dual personality. It can represent renewal, growth, and prosperity. But it’s also a reminder of the fleeting nature of life-that everything fresh and vibrant will eventually wither and fade.
And so, with this story of petty neighborhood drama, I leave you a lesson: We are blessed to share this space and time on earth. Yet, our time is brief, let’s not take it for granted-let’s be grateful for the air we breathe, the presence of our loved ones, and for those who left before us but remain forever in our hearts.