Teal on its own is a striking shade, but pairing it with other tones can feel a bit daunting. Unlike primary colors that essentially complement everything, teal is a more niche tone that requires some thought. Generally, teal pops with bright white, and its color wheel match is coral. But beyond these simple pairings, are there other eclectic-to-traditional combos that work?
The answer is: yes. Experts have shared that teal can partner with several other tones to create spaces with vastly different moods. Pair it with metallics, and you’ll achieve a jewel-tone aesthetic. Or try it with lighter shades for a balanced, elegant look.
There are so many colors that go with green, so if you’re planning on updating your home’s color scheme, this blue-green is a great place to start. To help you decide what colors go with teal — take a look at these striking, yet timeless interiors.
How many colors go with teal?
When choosing colors that go with dark green and teal, muted tones, including neutral colors like beige, gray, and white, can easily balance a room and anchor the visuals. For instance, a bright teal and cream, or dull white, would create a modern and sleek room that feels relaxing, while a darker combination can conjure a richer but moody vibe.
There are so many colors that go with teal — including dark colors such as gray, dark brown, wine, plum, burgundy, or even terracotta. It also works well with colors that have warm undertones like mustard, dark yellow, coral, or copper.
"As a very green-blue that’s deep and saturated, teal adds vibrancy to any room," says Amy Krane, architectural color consultant and founder of Amy Krane Color. "Because this blue-green shade is associated with calmness, sky, and sea, used alone or with neutrals, it’s almost impossible to create a discordant space."
1. Green
The first, most obvious color that goes with teal is green, in any shade. Since the colors share similar visuals and color values, teal is a color that goes with sage green, forest green, moss green, and more. Plus, layering allows a third shade to share space in the same room.
"I love rich colors and no colors are richer to me than jewel tones," says Charles Cohen, founder of Charles Cohen Designs. "There is something luxurious, yet calming about the intense color depths of green and teals together."
2. White
If you have furniture in deep teals, balance it with some of the best white paint for walls for a more relaxed, calming scheme. This is a great living room color idea for relaxed, country homes.
"This project features a natural color palette of deep green, soft mushroom taupe, and crisp off-white and is paired with custom millwork for a tactile and inviting living experience," says Laura Melling, founder of Melling Studio. "The home brings a unique charm to multi-family residential living, drawing inspiration from the surrounding natural elements—mountains, forests, sky, and the waters."
3. Red
You might be surprised at how many colors that go with red. While the usual suspects of white, cream, and gray are on everyone's radar, the coolness of teal can help to soften the warm undertones in the red.
"The choice of teal was intentional, carrying over the principal color from the adjoining living room overlooking the San Francisco Bay, to create a seamless flow,” shares interior designer Kendall Wilkinson. “The orange, on the other hand, provides a delicious contrast, echoing the vibrant tones of both sunrise and sunset—moments this unit uniquely captures. It's a palette inspired by the ever-changing hues of nature's masterpiece just beyond the windows."
4. Burgundy
Burgundy and green are an interesting combination, as these tones sit opposite each other on the color wheel and create an eye-catching contrast. A good way to work with this bold scheme is by accenting shades of teal and burgundy in smaller elements such as furnishings and decor pieces, and balancing the entire room with a neutral backdrop. Plus, many colors go with burgundy, giving you the opportunity to add in a third hue.
"This project is distinctive due to the interplay of geometric lines and contrasting colors," shares interior designer Arabella Rocca. "The specially curated design elements and the use of bold colors create a space that is contemporary yet welcoming."
"While teal can combine with the complement of either its blue or green component to great effect, teal and red, or orange will create a dynamic balance in the room," says Amy Krane. "The more saturated the compliment, the more sizzle."
5. Cream
For a beautifully sophisticated, light, and dark palette, consider teal as a color that goes with cream. This is a relatively softer combination, as the cream is a much warmer neutral so the pairing will never feel too stark.
“This small room gets a lot of afternoon light, so it was the perfect spot to create a cozy library for a modern lady,” says Erin Williamson of Erin Williamson Design. “Teal is an interesting jewel tone because it is both warm and cool, so it really works with a very large range of hues from analogous to complimentary. I could have gone with almost any mid-tone for the accents, but gold and camel have a classic appeal that highlights the backdrop without overstating it. The soft, antique greens and pinks in the art pop off the rich walls, whereas a lighter color might drain the image of life.”
6. Pink
There are several colors that go with pink, but one that makes maximum impact is green. And that's because both tones sit opposite each other on the color wheel and so contrast the most.
"Teal is a color that straddles between green and blue – and can also be called peacock blue," says Kristina Phillips, founder of Kristina Phillips Interior Design. "When pairing teal with other colors, bubble gum pink will create a tropical, palm beach vibe, whereas mixing teal with mauve or dusty pink will evoke a more sophisticated, 70's mood."
7. Taupe
A great way to balance a room with a lot of natural tones is by layering in teal and creating a modern yet tranquil atmosphere. Teal looks especially nice with a brick or walnut tone, along with taupe and light browns. Also, adding in other colors that go with brown, like beige or gray, can further enhance the scheme.
Take this bedroom color scheme, for instance, designed by Jessica Nelson Design. The room drenched in dark teal is matched with taupe bedding. and the large windows ensure the room doesn't feel too closed in. Plus, the chrome fixtures add a bit of glitter to the scheme. Jessica Nelson explains further: "This is a mountain home so we wanted to bring the outside in and reflect the surrounding PNW forest. We also wanted this room to feel like an escape, so the darker green shade was cozy and restful. We brought in the warmth through the bedding tones."
8. Beige
For colors that go with beige, teal is an easy pairing, as both colors can be quite cool in tone. However, adding a third color into the mix can change the look and feel of an entire room. For a sultry and moody look, add a grey to complement the room's color scheme without overwhelming it.
"Beige and teal can complement each other, as long as the teal is used sparingly," says Kristina. "Being such a vibrant hue, it is important to keep the majority of the space neutral, adding teal into the mix with details (pillows, art, books). Alternatively, you could color-drench a small room in teal and break up the space with muted accents."
9. Light blue
Just like green, blue too makes the best partnership with teal. Choose a deeper tone of blue to give depth to the interior, and watch how the two tones meld into each other while still holding their own. Or, you could use a lighter blue, to open up the space. Teal is a great color that goes with blue and gives the space a watery, outdoor effect.
"For the lounge area in this secondary bedroom, I paired Farrow and Ball Parma Grey with a buffalo check, teal chaise, and vintage rug with lots of shades of blues," says Mary Patton, founder of Mary Patton Design.
10. Gold
Teal can take a whole new life in a variety of spaces. With darker tones, it can create the moodiest, restful, and pensive spaces. And with lighter colors, it can feel relaxing. So what color goes with teal for a more energized space? The answer is gold. There are many other colors that go with gold, too, as the color can move seamlessly from rich, traditional to vibrant and contemporary. This kitchen color scheme is a testament to how well the color can pair with strikingly opposing tones and create an elegant feel.
"We brought brass into this space to celebrate the threshold moments at the door and between the kitchen and eating space," says Jessica Weigley, principal at Siol Studios. "The supporting elements — the white-and-blue backsplash tiles and the maple table — help to tie the brass palette to the deep teal green cabinets."
11. Yellow
What color goes with teal for a dynamic interior? If you have an all-teal scheme, tones of ochre and mustard could uplift the mood. While teal can sometimes feel quite heavy and rich, it is a great color that goes with yellow, and can bring light and energy into the space.
"Teal pairs beautifully with chartreuse; a shade that combines yellow and green," says Kristina. "Having common undertones of green keeps the two colors congruent, but I would advise on keeping one color as the dominant – the other as an accent."
12. Peach
Among the colors that go with peach is trusty teal. Both the tones feel lively and youthful and help create a more modern, thoughtful interior.
"Peach and teal make for a good partnership when they're both the warmer tone shades of their respective color families," says Hugh Metcalf, Livingetc's editor. "Teal shades vary, but we usually see it used with warmer undertones, like in the living room above, which means it fits easily with peach, the warmest shade of pink, bordering on orange.
"They're a complementary color pairing as they sit opposite each other on the color wheel, but unlike the harsher contrasts of yellow and purple, true blue and orange, these two colors sit together a little more naturally and harmoniously."
FAQs
What color goes with teal and gray?
Among the colors that go with teal is charcoal gray, as the two colors can create a wonderful layering in an interior but also darken the setting. Consider accenting the space with muted pink, coral, or mustard. These will bring out the warmer undertone of teal for a tasteful take on the tropical trend.
"Accenting with lighter or darker shades of grey too is an effective way to add depth and interest to a room and ensure it doesn’t look monotonous," says Juliette Thomas, founder & director of Juliettes Interiors. "If you have a naturally light space, you can afford to go darker with your interiors. Different shades of grey tend to create a cool and calming space, but it’s important to remember texture, whether that’s through the walls or via home accessories. Layering various tones and textures is key and there is something really elevated about designing rooms with different shades of gray."
What colors go with light teal?
Amongst the colors that go with teal in its lighter incarnation are whites, mustards, bright reds, and navy. While the muted tones of white and beige can create a serene and refreshing interior, the combination of teal and black can help make a statement. For a fun and playful pairing, consider bright red and light teal or dark navy for a punchy contrast.
What colors go best with teal?
The best colors to pair with teal will be depend on the look you are trying to achieve — for a brighter space, pair it with neutrals such as cream, white and beige, and for a moodier space, pair it with dark colors such as wine, plum, burgundy, dark brown or dark gray.
It also works very well mustard, coral or copper, which have warm undertones.
