Olive Green Paint
Olive is an earthy green with a yellow or brown lean, ranging from soft and leafy to deep khaki. It brings grounded colour to kitchen cabinets, restful bedrooms and enclosing evening rooms, especially beside timber and brass. Every shade is available as a 60ml sample to check in your own light.
Olive is green with an earthy yellow or brown in it. Where sage is grey and quiet, olive is warmer and more grounded, the colour of a woodland floor or an old leather-bound book. Light olives feel relaxed; deep ones are moody and rich. It's also a brilliant backdrop for pictures, which is why you see it in so many galleries and libraries. These are the olives we'd shortlist, with the pairings designers recommend.
At a glance
- Character
- Earthy, yellow or brown green. Softer olives overlap with sage. Deeper shades lean towards khaki.
- Best rooms
- Bedrooms, kitchens and snugs. Subdued olives suit restful bedrooms. Deeper ones give cabinets and snugs presence.
- North light
- Compare warm and grey olives. Cool north light flattens colour. Compare a yellow-leaning olive with a greyer one.
- South light
- Watch the yellow lean. Warm southern light amplifies yellow. Check whether your olive tips towards khaki.
- East light
- Leafy mornings, subdued afternoons. Warm, bright morning sun brings out olive’s yellow warmth. Cooler, bluer afternoons make it more subdued.
- West light
- Quiet mornings, khaki evenings. Cool, flat mornings quieten olive. Warm, golden evening sun strengthens its yellow and brown notes.
- Pairs with
- Pink, brown, blue and brass. Blush pink softens the earthiness. Brown, burnt orange and deep blue bring contrast; brass adds warmth.
- Sample tip
- Check sunshine and lamplight. Compare your sample beside timber and worktops. Check full sun and your evening bulbs.
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Soft olives: where sage meets olive
Gentle olive warmth for restful bedrooms and sitting rooms.
Best in south-, east- and west-facing rooms
Gentle and easy, with just a hint of warmth. These are the olives to choose for a bedroom or a sitting room you want to feel restful, because designers favour subdued greens for calm spaces.
Best in south-, east- and west-facing rooms, where warm daylight brings out the gentle warmth of Clumber™ and Woodsage™. Check the sunniest wall for a stronger yellow lean.
Mid olives: leafy and grounded
Leafy olive colour with enough depth for cabinets.
Best in north-, east- and west-facing rooms
A proper olive, with enough colour to give a room character. Lovely on kitchen cabinets with brass handles, and on walls behind a collection of prints or paintings.
Best in north-facing rooms for Nobbie™ or Cameron Green™, or east- and west-facing rooms for Cameron Green™ and Mushies™. Compare the yellow lean in warm evening sun with the more subdued colour of cool daylight.
Deep and browned olives
Browned olive depth for enclosing studies and snugs.
Best in north-, east- and west-facing rooms
Deep olives soak up lamplight and feel wonderfully enclosing in a study, dining room or snug. The browner ones sit right on the edge of khaki, so sample them in daylight and under your evening bulbs.
Best in north-facing rooms for Workhouse Green™, or east- and west-facing rooms for Forester™, Lincolne™ and Cavern™; Lincolne™ and Cavern™ also suit south-facing rooms. These deep olives suit an enclosing scheme; check their browned undertones in daylight and under lamps.
What colours go with olive green?
Blush pink, rich brown, burnt orange and blue.
Interior designers pair olive with blush pink to soften its earthiness, chocolate brown for depth, burnt orange or cherry red as an accent, light neutrals to keep it fresh, and deep blue for a richer contrast. Brass is the metal they reach for.
From our palette: a blush pink (Lottie™), a rich brown (Brahun™), a burnt orange for accents (Foundry™), a soft off-white (Undyed™) and a deep slate blue (Bobber™).
Sample it the way we would
Step 1
Paint your peel-and-sticks
Each £5.99 sample comes with three paintable peel-and-sticks. Give them two coats and let them dry fully.
Step 2
Stick them around the room
Put them on two or three walls, including the wall opposite the window, at eye level and lower down.
Step 3
Live with them for a day or two
Look in the morning, the afternoon and under your evening lamps. Move them around until you are sure.
Your questions, answered
What is the difference between sage and olive green?
Sage is typically greyer and quieter; olive is earthier, with more yellow or brown. The two overlap, which is why a couple of our softer olives also appear in our sage collection.
Sage green paintDoes olive green go with pink?
Yes. Designers recommend blush pink with olive because it balances the earthy green with warmth. Try dark olive cabinets against pale pink walls.
Will olive green look yellow in a south-facing room?
It might. Warm southern light increases the apparent yellow in a colour, so an olive can lean towards khaki. Sample it on the sunniest wall and on the wall opposite the window.
What handles suit an olive green kitchen?
Brass is the classic recommendation: it adds warmth and contrast against olive. Aged or brushed brass suits deeper olives particularly well.