Xanadu Color – What is Xanadu Green and How to Use it?

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The rarest of them all -that is the best way to describe the Xanadu color. It is a rare gem that features so well with other color combinations yet is so unsuspecting and delightful. You will see a bit more detail about this color as you read. We will look at Xanadu green, and we will also have a look at the various Xanadu color codes. This beautiful yet unassuming color is sure to be considered when you start to plan the color choices for your interior spaces. Let’s explore the Xanadu color!

What Color Is Xanadu?

Xanadu is described as a cool shade. It is green with a gray undertone, which is why the color is described as a “dull green” shade. However, it is an unjust description and does not quantify the delightful softness of Xanadu green.

The Color Meaning of Xanadu

Xanadu green has soft undertones, and because of this, it contributes to feeling calm yet energizing at the same time. The symbol for the Xanadu color is that of nature and rebirth. It is the color of spring, and with that, it brings harmony into the home.

Xanadu colors give a feeling of new beginnings; if we wear the color, we are reminded of Mother Nature and all things beautiful. It is a color that does not take center stage, yet it is regarded as the color of family and earth’s unconditional love for all those who walk on it. Xanadu colors also bring tranquility into a home. Due to its calming effect, this is the color you will see when entering hospitals or going for therapy sessions after suffering from anxiety.

Now that you know that Xanadu green is healing for the soul, it will be easy to be tempted to start painting every room in the home in this color, but be careful not to overdo it! Too much Xanadu may also imply judgmental attitudes and envy. Just as the color blue has a relaxing effect, so does Xanadu green, which has a delightful effect on both the body and mind. The color of Xanadu green is nature’s colors showing off. It is a harmonious color regarded as the peacemaker color that enables a person to decipher between right and wrong.

How to Make the Xanadu Color

Xanadu is a secondary color, meaning you must use one or two of the primary colors if you want to create a secondary color. To make your own Xanadu color, combine blue and green. The shade of green color you want will determine whether to add more blue to the mixture or more of the green. Because the Xanadu color is described as a dull green, you would add quite a bit more blue to the mix and perhaps even a light gray because Xanadu also carries a gray tone.

The Xanadu Color: A Brief History

Xanadu is a green color that carries a light gray undertone. It gets its name from the Philodendron plant that carries the same hue as the Xanadu paint color. By a long stretch of the imagination, Xanadu is not a color that is often mentioned amongst friends. Still, because of the natural green tone, it lends itself to be a remarkably popular color for interior designers.

Xanadu Used in Famous Paintings

Whilst Xanadu is not specifically mentioned in any particular historical painting from the Renaissance era, the beautiful Xanadu hue can be seen in a few of the masterpieces created by Mary Cassatt. Cassatt was 49 when she created the oil painting titled The Boating Party and her love of painting her children can be seen in a lot of her work.

The Boating Party (1894) by Mary Cassatt

The Boating Party (1894) by Mary Cassatt; Mary Cassatt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Boating Party is an oil painting that has been part of the collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington since 1963. The picture was painted in Antibes, on the French Riviera. Cassatt was a painter and a printmaker who formed part of the group of Impressionists working in Paris.

The Various Shades of Xanadu

In color theory, a tint is a mixture of a color that has white added – this will increase the lightness of the color. When we talk about the shade of color, this is when black has been added to the color which will increase the darkness. There are a number of shades of Xanadu, and we have listed a few of the popular Xanadu colors.

Battleship Gray

This shade has a slight yellow-green tone. The battleship gray shade is a neutral and slightly bluish medium gray shade of Xanadu.

Mineral Green

This is a very dark shade of Xanadu which can be used as an accent color as well as a base color. The shade is rich and vibrant and if one accent wall was painted in this color by simply adding traditional Xanadu accent pieces.

Marshland

The marshland shade is dark with green undertones. It can best be described as a blackish-brown color. Imagine looking at rich wet brown soil and you would not be far off from the marshland color hue.

What Colors Go With Xanadu?

Like most green shades, Xanadu works beautifully with natural colors such as beige, tan and brown. Xanadu is quite versatile because it is a light shade, so it can also be used with brighter contrasting colors. So, what colors go with Xanadu? We list below a couple of Xanadu color palettes.

The Xanadu Hexadic Color Scheme

With a hexadic color scheme, there are six colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel, which are red, yellow, green, cyan, blue and magenta. A good hexadic color scheme for Xanadu would be when you combine colors such as old lavender, rhythm, cinereous, camouflage green, and auro-metal-saurus. These color combinations work in harmony with each other, and interior designers find this a wonderful palette to work with.

Xanadu With Pink, Gray, and Red

Because green and red are on opposite ends of the color wheel, Xanadu works beautifully with these shades. Xanadu green paired with cavern pink, chatelle gray, and Falu red is another combination to try.

Xanadu in Interior Design

Incorporating the Xanadu color palette into a living room will complement the space if used with light furnishings such as bamboo, ashwood flooring and beige sofas. If you have a gray sofa, that will also tie in perfectly with Xanadu. Just by adding a few cushions or a beautiful round rug in Xanadu green colors, the entire room will be uplifted and will be warm and welcoming. If the Xanadu color does not appeal to you as a color that you would want for a living room, then how about the bathroom? Xanadu green pairs up beautifully with gold and the calming tone of Xanadu green may be the perfect color where you can relax and recharge.

Serene is the word that we think about when mentioning the Xanadu color. It is undoubtedly the most unusual color in the entire color wheel but also one of the more fascinating colors. Xanadu is so unassuming that it is often forgotten, yet it is a beautiful color that will lighten up any space in the house with little effort. It enhances all areas in a home and brings renewed energy. With that in mind, we hope that learning more about this rare color makes you want to get up and do something with it. Xanadu is worthy of being called a friend.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Is Xanadu Green?

The name given to Xanadu is so unusual that it makes it rather tricky to imagine the color. So, what is the Xanadu color? It is a dull green that carries a gray undertone – a similar hue as the Xanadu plant, which thrives in its native country of Brazil. By no means is the color dull if used in the correct setting and paired up with other color combinations.

What Colors Go With Xanadu?

Xanadu is considered to be a neutral color so it stands to reason that it will pair up well with neutral colors such as beige and light brown colors. It also goes well with gold and if you have light brown furnishings in the home, Xanadu color is the one to choose. It is a warm color that shouts luxury and sophistication.

Duncan van der Merwe( Color Theory Expert, Video Editor )

Duncan graduated with a diploma in Film and TV production from CityVarsity in 2018, after which he continued pursuing film while taking on a keen interest in writing along the way. Since having graduated, he began working as a freelance videographer, filming a variety of music videos, fashion and short films, adverts, weddings and more. Throughout this, he’s won a number of awards from various film festivals that are both locally and internationally recognized. However, Duncan still enjoys writing articles in between his filming ventures, appreciating the peace and clarity that comes with it.

His articles focus primarily around helping up-and-coming artists explore the basics of certain colors, how these colors can be paired with other shades, as well as what colors are created when you mix one with another. All while relating these shades to historically significant paintings that have incorporated them into their color palette. As a lover of the arts himself, he takes great interest in the Renaissance era of paintings, an era that has directly inspired many of his favorite films.

Learn more about Duncan van der Merwe and about us.