Design Inspo

Teal Versus Turquoise: Experts Break Down How to Use These Twinning Colors

Just the hues needed for lifted spirits and an elegant home.

by Savannah Sitton Mar 25, 2021

Across the board, comfort and joy are this year’s inspiration behind fashion trends and our home color palettes as well. The most effective way to achieve a fresh, positive outlook in all areas of life starts with where you spend the most time.

Why Turquoise and Teal are Best for Décor Now

Benjamin Moore announced that Aegean Teal is Color Of The Year for 2021, ensuring that bright green and blue blends will be the most popular through summer. Experience that tropical getaway feeling by way of soothing home decor for a revitalizing staycation with your choice of large or small additions. If you’re not committed to painting a wall just yet, there’s no shortage of teal or turquoise home accessories to choose from for instant gratification.

The Difference Between Teal and Turquoise

Teal Vs Turquiose _1 — Photo Courtesy of @anthro_homeoutlet IG

Teal and turquoise are beloved colors found in nature and popularly admired for their natural beauty within the home. The related hues are found throughout nature like forests, lakes, and tropical settings.

Within the blue families, the two shades are specific in their composition. Neither are to be confused with maritime colors which tend to be more nautical like deep or baby blues. The difference between teal and turquoise is that shades of teal are innately soothing and the blue-green undertones evoke lagoons and dense jungles while shades of turquoise can be more capturing and energetic, like exploring a crystal clear shore.

Ahead, identify the difference between teal and turquoise to choose the individualized way you can incorporate the water-inspired hues in your home right away, whether teamed together or tastefully on their own.

What Color Is Teal?

Teal Vs Turquoise _2 — Photo Courtesy of @vogueliving IG

Shades of teal blend green and blue but tend to be heavier in green, more towards a deeper greenish-blue. Think emerald green blended with peacock blue, like the visualization of a mossy lagoon. The difference between teal and aqua, however? The lower saturation of teal is more sophisticated and less abrasive than more exuberant shades like cyan or aqua. (Aqua would be a clearer body of water like a freshwater lake, bright and vibrant.) The naturally rich hue inspires tranquility and optimism and can instill the healing properties and calming zen associated with large bodies of water.

What Color Is Turquoise?

Teal versus Turquoise_3 — Photo Courtesy of @kellywearstler IG

The color turquoise originates from the natural gemstone that’s been mined for hundreds of years. The stone can run the gamut of energetic combinations of blue, green, and yellow. Unlike teal, turquoise sways more blueish with sky blue and robin’s egg shades being most popular.

The cyan shade used in the popular printing color model is a brighter and more vivid version of blue whereas turquoise is a visible balance of blueish-green and a touch less neon, like a flawless clear ocean in the tropics.

Colors that make turquoise fluctuate in balances of blues, yellows, and greens are known to imbue a sense of emotional balance and serenity. Like many minerals and crystals related to spirituality, turquoise holds its own meaning closely related to creativity and calmness, which is why it’s so popular to wear as jewelry.

How to Style Teal and Turquoise

Teal and turquoise both make for a sophisticated splash of color to a neutral room. Accessories like glass, cushions, throw blankets, or table toppers are one-step ways to ease your home into the sunny seasons ahead. Turquoise is a great accent color on upholstery. Colors that go best with turquoise include neutrals like browns and shades of cream. A chocolate brown sofa or eggnog leather lounge chair can be tactfully upgraded with a turquoise accent pillow or throw blanket for instant revitalization.

Teal is more digestible and easier on the eyes, making it more ideal for the larger pieces like area rugs, painted walls, or even furniture. Natural materials like wood and neutral palettes are among the best colors that go with teal stylishly. But both teal and turquoise are idyllic for ornamental pieces like hanging art, sculptural glass, or even a table setting, and can strike as professionally decorated by coupling both together.