Surprise — This Electrifying 'Sour Lime' Is the Unexpected Color People With Seriously High Taste Levels Are Decorating With
"It's breath-takingly sharp, a shock of zest and energy and punch." This cool, acidic green shade is setting the tone for the new year — it's going to be fun
The world outside may be blanketed in the thick, deep blues and grays of winter, but here at Livingetc, we have our sights set on a zestier color for our interiors. It's bold, it's punchy, and it's a truly design-forward way to incorporate color (read: it's not necessarily easy to do) — this month we're crushing on Sour Lime.
"Sour Lime is the visual realization of sucking on that tongue-burning sour lollipop as a child, or getting a sudden electric shock," describes Livingetc's color expert, Amy Moorea Wong. "It's breath-takingly sharp, a shock of zest and energy and punch. It's bright in a cool, low-laying way that makes it stand out in a room as if a spotlight has been shone onto it."
Does it glow in the dark? It feels as if it should. However electrifying this shade may seem, chartreuses and lime greens are actually stepping into the color trend scene in 2026. It's a color I'm betting we will see a lot of in the upcoming year, but it's not necessarily an easy one to get right. So, below, we've detailed everything you need to know.
What Is Sour Lime?
Sour Lime is a familiar part of the interior design color wheel. It's a shade we know well, but with dialed-up acidity. How would you define it? "Sour Lime hangs between vivid chartreuse and bright green on the color spectrum, the section almost glowing in its intensity," Amy Moorea Wong shares. "It's a neighbor to the likes of acid green and neon lime."
It's made up of yellow and cool green undertones, with an almost fluorescent base, making it feel both a little warm yet powerfully fresh. I've always been a lover of chartreuse shades because, while they bring the energy, they also have deep roots in earthy color palettes. A little familiarity mixed with wild, if you will.
Will Sour Lime be a shade to totally drench your home in? Probably not, but it sets a clear tone for color in the upcoming year. "This is a shade for the most daring of interiors — and we could be entering an era of interiors audacity as a rebellion to the calmer, natural tones that are also on the rise (consider Pantone's Cloud Dancer, for example)," adds Amy.
"Sour Lime is an instant statement of personality which says 'I just don't care about the rules, I don't even know what the rules are,' she continues. "It’s a shade that's fun, expressive, wild, and emboldened."
And doesn't that sound like someone we all want to be?
Amy Moorea Wong is a color authority and contemporary interior design writer who has specialized in all things decorating for over a decade. Alongside being Livingetc’s Color Expert, she also contributes to an array of global publications and has a book, Kaleidoscope: Modern Homes in Every Colour. Amy is an ardent believer in the power of color in a home and how creative design should never be intimidating.
How to Use Sour Lime in Interiors
To prepare for the rise of sour greens in our interiors, there are a few tricks to help make this color feel less overwhelming and far more livable.
First and foremost, Sour Lime's success will depend on the colors you choose to pair it with. "There are plenty of colors that go with green, but to temper the tone of Sour Lime, mix it with neutrals such as a chalky white, putty, mushroom, or pale clay to soften the intensity and calm things down a bit," recommends Amy.
A tonal moment can also work really well when balancing Sour Lime palettes. "A muted sage lowers the saturation levels, whereas something like a bottle green anchors the palette, bringing in steadiness and levelheadedness without dulling things entirely," she adds.
Or, of course, you can swing the other way and lean into Sour Limes' bold, strategic neon side. To amplify the sour saturation, mix in shots of black to create crisp contrast in design. (This also works with other electric shades, such as Ultra Azure, magenta, or deep teals, for high-voltage zing.)
Amy adds, "Bright yellows and oranges create a going-to-a-90s-rave feel, and cherry reds and burgundies add in more unapologetic, yet stylishly unexpected, loudness."
Paint feels too overwhelming? Start out smaller, with decor.
It's a new year, so start it how you intend to experience it: playfully, boldly, and unapologetically — and what better color to do that with than Sour Lime.
Decorating with color is never something to shy away from. When the world is turning towards neutrals, be design-forward and make a splash with saturation instead.
