Celadon Color – All You Need to Know About Celadon Green

The celadon color is most probably one of those colors you have never heard of before. So, if you are interested in learning more about this particular green hue, where it came from, who coined the term “celadon”, and how to use it in the home, then read on.

What Color Is Celadon?

The celadon color can be described as being an extremely soft lime green hue. Others also describe it as a pale green-blue, with a gray undertone, a pale spring green with grayish undertones, or a bright shade of pastel green. Since it can have a grayish undertone, it is also sometimes known as dusty green.

The celadon color is a modest and muted color that blends the freshness and sense of renewal of green, with the calmness and tranquility of blue. You should also be able to find a Pantone color labeled celadon green, which is identified by its code 13-6108 TCX. 

Celadon Color: A Brief History

The name is linked to the natural color that originated from Chinese ceramics, which were covered in a green-gray glaze. The pale-green glaze that originated in China, was developed, and improved upon centuries the 10^th as well as 11^th centuries. The glazed ceramics came in a variety of tones from green-gray to yellow-green. But who coined the term “celadon”?

Ceramics and porcelains were exported to Europe, and they became quite a sought-after commodity by connoisseurs.

 It is said that the name “celadon” was created by these European connoisseurs, who took it from a fictional character in a French pastoral novel, L’Astrée (1607 and 1627) by Honoré d’Urfé. The shepherd in the novel, who is one of the main characters wears ribbons that represent the celadon color. However, before this, the Chinese only knew the color as mi se, which means a “mysterious color”.

The celadon green color may not be as popular as many other colors, however, it has its own appeal that many love. One of the more famous brands that incorporate the hue into their packaging and image, is the Clinique skincare brand. Not only has the color made a place for itself in the business world, but it is also a popular color in fashion and can be found in many homes.

Meaning of the Celadon Color

Celadon falls under the green family, and as such, has many of the same properties and qualities. Celadon green is a calming color and can help to promote rest as well as relaxation. The calming nature and freshness of the hue can also help to improve focus, which is why it is used in home design. 

The hue also represents health, balance, growth, prosperity, and harmony.

Working With the Celadon Green Color

There are many colors and shades of colors, so it can become a bit confusing, and you might think one color is the same as the next. However, since you can view the breakdown of colors using their various color codes, you can easily differentiate each hue. The RGB and CMYK color codes are for web designs and printing respectively, and the hex code identifies each color. Below you will see the celadon color, as well as jade and mint. Jade is a stronger and darker green, while mint is very similar but more moderate in color.

What Colors Go With Celadon?

Celadon works well with neutral colors like white, brown, beige, and gray. The best way to work out what colors go with celadon is to look at color theory. Color combinations can be determined using the color wheel. Celadon looks good with other shades of blue and green, which are your analogous colors that are found near one another on the color wheel as seen below.

If you are looking for more contrast, where colors stand out, then you want to go for a complementary color combination. These colors usually fall on opposite sides of the color wheel. When it comes to the celadon color, you will see a soft pink. However, brighter, and more vibrant pinks can also work. 

Other color combinations that also offer contrast include triadic and tetradic combinations, which can also be found on the color wheel and involve three to four colors.

How to Create Celadon Green Acrylic Paint

The easiest way to use celadon green is to purchase a tube of celadon green paint. However, you can also try blending some gray paint with a bright green, or a light green with a light gray. Another method is to experiment with black, white, and yellow paint.

Take some white as your base color and add some to your mixing palette. Then add small amounts of black until you create a nice gray. To this, you can then add a small amount of yellow. You might have to play around with the proportions until you achieve the color you are looking for.

Ideas and Inspiration for Celadon-Color Interior Designs

Celadon can be a versatile color when it comes to using it for interior design. However, since it is a calming color, it would work quite well in the bedroom. Celadon is great to use in a neutral room, to add some natural color. You can also use the celadon color in the kitchen and add it to the kitchen cabinets along with beige and white for a relaxing and pleasant cooking space.

Celadon on Walls

Celadon is not as bold as some other green colors and can add a beautiful fresh look to any room. Add layers of green to create more depth and interest, for example, celadon walls with emerald green chairs. However, if you still think that it is too much to add celadon green paint on all the walls, an accent wall would work just as well. The other walls can be done in neutral tones, such as white or maybe beige, to create a harmonious look. 

Another option is to go for a patterned wallpaper that brings in the celadon color more subtly.

Celadon as an Accent Color

All shades of green are quite popular, and it is safe to say that they will not go out of fashion. Instead of using celadon green paint, which takes time and effort, you can bring the color into the room in other ways. Consider sofas and chairs in the celadon color, or cushions, vases, sculptures, plant containers, comforters, throws, curtains, and rugs. A rug would look especially nice on dark hardwood floors. You can also consider creating a focal point by painting built-in shelving or bringing in a coffee table that is celadon green. You can also combine it with pops of pink, yellow, or red to create even more interest.

If you are looking for a versatile and less intense green, you might want to take a look at the celadon green. Not only is it a fairly easy color to work with, but it can also help to bring a sense of calm, healing, and balance into a space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Is Celadon?

Celadon green is a pale green-blue, with a gray undertone. The color comes from the pale-green glaze that originated in China. In the RGB color code, it contains 88 percent green, 69 percent blue, and 67 percent red.

What Colors Are Similar to Celadon?

There are a few colors that are close to the celadon color. The green tones that are often mistaken for each other include mint and jade. However, these are all separate colors with their own hex codes.

Is Celadon Green Warm or Cool?

The celadon color is calming and fresh and is considered a cool color. However, it can be considered a warmer shade of green when compared to jade.

Charlene Lewis( Content Creator and Creativity Writer )

In 2005, Charlene completed her Wellness Diplomas in Therapeutic Aromatherapy and Reflexology from the International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy. She worked for a company offering corporate wellness programs for a couple of years, before opening up her own therapy practice. It was in 2015 that a friend, who was a digital marketer, asked her to join her company as a content creator, and this is where she found her excitement for writing.

Since joining the content writing world, she has gained a lot of experience over the years writing on a diverse selection of topics, from beauty, health, wellness, travel, and more. Due to various circumstances, she had to close her therapy practice and is now a full-time freelance writer. Being a creative person, she could not pass up the opportunity to contribute to the Art in Context team, where is was in her element, writing about a variety of art and craft topics. Contributing articles for over three years now, her knowledge in this area has grown, and she has gotten to explore her creativity and improve her research and writing skills.

Charlene Lewis has been working for artincontext.org since the relaunch in 2020. She is an experienced writer and mainly focuses on the topics of color theory, painting and drawing.

Learn more about Charlene Lewis and the Art in Context Team.