Seafoam Green Color – How to Use and Mix a Soft Aquatic Green

The color described as “seafoam” can evoke images of white-crested waves; however, the color named seafoam green is derived more from the ocean and water itself. So, what color is seafoam green and how can the color be used in designs? To find the answers, read on to learn all about the seafoam color.

What Color Is Seafoam Green?

The seafoam green color can be described as being a soft green-blue, which contains a little more green than blue when looking at the RGB color code. This color code is what is used when designing websites and other online images. The percentages show you how much of each red, blue, and green color is present to make the seafoam color. The hex code #93e9be is simply a universal way to identify colors online.

The seafoam color can also be described as an extremely soft cyan or lime green, with a slight grayish undertone. When trying to find a seafoam green color on a color wheel, it is situated between blue and green, close to aqua. This makes it a fresh and relaxing color, and very similar to mint green. However, when it comes to seafoam green vs. mint green, you will notice the mint green has a definite green hue to it. There is no doubt as to whether it appears blue or green, like the seafoam color sometimes can.

Seafoam Green Color: A Brief History

The name, as we have mentioned, is derived from the ocean waters, but the color has been around for some years. The color can be traced as far back as the 18^th century, but only became more popular in fashion and interior design during the 1950s. Ford had a Seafoam green and Pearl White Ford, while Chevrolet came out with the Chevrolet 150 Holley that was painted Indian ivory and seafoam green.

More recently, in 2001, Crayola included a seafoam color in their crayon collection. The color made it to the spring collection in 2014 and was named “hemlock”. This color then began showing up in fabric lines. Today, there are many shades of seafoam green, and it continues to be a popular color for all types of design projects, for its fresh and subtle color.

Meaning of Seafoam Green Color

Seafoam green is a soft color that has properties of both blue and green colors. The color is fresh, but also has a calming effect and has a close association with nature and the environment. The soft green color can also be associated with things like luck and can call to mind things like innocence as well as youth. As with all colors, you also have a few negative associations. The color can also have associations with jealousy, and a lack of confidence, and it can even have depressing qualities. Other meanings behind the seafoam color include the following.

• The color can help to balance emotions and helps to promote a sense of calm and provides clarity.
• Keeping with nature, renewal, and growth, the seafoam color is also associated with health and happiness.
• The color is fresh, yet soft and soothing, and can create a sense of tranquility.
• The Seafoam color feels clean and is in harmony with all natural things.

Shades of Seafoam Green

When it comes to the ocean and the ocean waves, there are many colors and shades involved. Think of the different colors on a calm, warm and sunny day, versus a stormy and dark day. Just like in nature, there are numerous shades of seafoam green, especially if you are trying to find web colors.  The most common are sea green, light green, and spring green.

Sea Green

This color may also remind you of the ocean, but not the water, instead the kelp that floats in the water. This color is darker than the seafoam color and can be described as a medium-dark cyan or lime green. Sea green color formed part of the Levellers party in England during the 1640s, which was a political interest group during the English civil war.

Light Green

This color has a definite green undertone, with less blue when compared to the seafoam color. The color, as with seafoam green, can bring about feelings of relaxation, calmness, and peace. Light green usually goes well with soft pink or magenta colors and other shades of blue and green.

Spring Green

A more vibrant cyan color can be found about midway between green and cyan on the color wheel. The color was recorded as an English color name in 1766. The spring green and spring bud colors used to be similar. However, the spring green web color you see below was developed in 1987 and formed part of the original X11 web colors. So, the original spring green color is now known as spring bud, to avoid any mix-up with the web color spring green.

What Colors Go With Seafoam Green?

Seafoam green is quite a useful color, as it goes well with most colors. The color will lend some color to neutrals, especially white but it can also work well with brown, black, and cream. To understand color combinations more, following color theory and bringing in a color wheel can help. Some of the colors that complement seafoam green include the following:

• Taupe
• Salmon
• Tangerine
• Coral
• Lilac
• Pink
• Yellow

There are a few color combinations you can follow, for example, complementary colors. These colors are positioned across from one another when considering the color wheel. When these colors are placed alongside one another, they stand out and form a contrast. In the case of the seafoam color, it is a soft pink color. The coral, salmon, and tangerine colors also fall into this category.

Analogous Seafoam Colors

These colors are found next to each other when viewing the color wheel. So, shades of green and blue will go nicely with the seafoam color. These color combinations are easy o the eyes as they are alike.

Monochromatic Seafoam Colors

Monochromatic colors are similar to the above analogous colors, in that they go well together and are calming to look at. The colors are achieved by using a single color and then creating variations of this color.

Triadic Seafoam Colors

Triadic colors are again contrasting colors, and these form a triangular shape that is equally spaced on the color wheel. You can even go up to four colors and these are known as square or tetradic color combinations.

Mixing a Seafoam Color With Acrylics

The easiest way to mix a seafoam color is to take a basic blue and green and then add a small amount of gray or white. You can experiment with the ratios until you reach the desired color. You can also create a green base color from blue and yellow.

Then you can deepen the color by adding more blue and once you have the green you want, you can add white to lighten and adjust the color tone. When experimenting with mixing colors, it is a good idea to create your own seafoam green color palette. This way you have notes of what you have been doing, and can always find a specific color again. 

Designing With a Seafoam Color

The seafoam color is quite flexible and can easily be used in clothing, jewelry as a nail varnish color, or even as a hair color. The color works wonderfully with health and wellness-related businesses like spas and salons as it is a calming and refreshing color, without being overwhelming. However, it is also a favorite for many as a color palette for interior design projects.

The seafoam green color can be used in most rooms in the home, but it is especially popular in the bedroom and bathroom areas. This is because it has a calming and clean feel to it. You can create a seafoam green color palette that involves the seafoam color as your main feature, as it is soft and can easily be balanced with neutral colors like white. The color can also work as an accent color, for example, if you do not wish to have an entire room painted seafoam green, then simply create a single accent wall.

If you have a more neutral color palette, you can also bring in furnishings and accessories that are in a seafoam color. Consider adding a soft splash of color using a throw or hanging up some curtains. Cushions, vases, and rugs also make great accessories. For the kitchen, you can consider painting the cupboards a seafoam green color.

Create different color combinations for more depth, just remember to stick to the 60:30:10 rule for a more balanced look, where you choose a dominant color and then add your accent colors. This way you can add more vibrant colors, without it getting too overpowering.

This also means not using every color in the rainbow when decorating with seafoam green. The color itself is fairly vibrant and should be used carefully, with only two or a maximum of three other colors. However, this is only a recommendation and choosing colors for decorating is entirely up to each person.

If you prefer a more subdued green that still retains some vibrancy and has a calming, yet refreshing appeal, then seafoam green is the right choice. Not overbearing and versatile, it is a color that can work in many designs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Is Seafoam Green?

The seafoam color is a soft green-blue color or a soft cyan color. Since it has both green and blue, it calls to mind similar feelings. The green brings freshness and nature, while the blue is calming and tranquil.

What Colors Go With Seafoam Green?

Seafoam green is one of the easier colors to work with, as it can go with a variety of colors. The colors that complement seafoam green includes warm colors like coral or tangerine. However, similar shades of green as well as blue also work well. Gray, white, and other neutral colors are also good to use along with seafoam green.

Are Mint Green and Seafoam Green Similar?

These are all different colors, and each has its own hex code. When it comes to seafoam green vs. mint green, they are similar, the only difference is in the amount of green and blue present. Mint green has a lot more green, while seafoam has a little less green and more blue.

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.