Uncover the perfect color matches for olive green paint colors with expert tips on what colors go with olive green. From sage green to beige, black, and red, explore harmonious combinations to transform your living space.
Olive green conjures images of nature, rustic charm, and timelessness. It’s a color that connects living spaces with the enduring beauty of Mother Earth while simultaneously adding a touch of elegance.
However, olive green can’t stand by itself. It needs a partner to truly bring out its full potential and create a well-rounded and captivating decor. But what colors go with olive green, exactly?
This article answers just that and offers tips on how to successfully pair this gorgeous color with others to create the desired atmosphere in your home.
What colors match olive green?
The best colors to pair with olive green include:
- sage green
- beige
- gray
- black
- white
- brown
- gold
- light blue
- red
- dusty pink
- yellow
- other greens
- taupe
- orange
Olive Green and Sage Green
Olive green has a yellow-green undertone, whereas sage green has a blue-green undertone. Together, they create a harmonious contrast that balances warm and cool tones, creating a fresh, earthy aesthetic.
The olive green and sage green color combo works especially well if you’re going for a rustic, bohemian, or coastal interior design.
For rustic designs, incorporate natural materials like wood, stone, and bamboo into your decor. For coastal, mix in elements of blue and white. And for bohemian, you can’t go wrong with eclectic patterns and textures.
Pair an olive green sofa with sage green throw pillows or use sage green wall paint as a backdrop for olive green accents, like curtains, vases, and rugs.
Olive Green and Beige
If you’re looking to infuse your living space with a minimalist aesthetic, pairing olive green with beige is a smart choice.
Olive green exudes natural elegance, while beige—neutral and warm—offers a soothing and unobtrusive backdrop. Pairing these two colors together evokes a sense of calm and order.
When using beige with olive green, use the latter as an accent color through a statement piece like a couch, a blanket, or a rug, and the former as the dominant color for large surfaces, such as walls and flooring. This allows the green to pop and draw attention without overwhelming the space.
Just make sure to use statement pieces with clean lines and uncluttered designs to further add to the minimalist vibe.
Olive Green and Gray
Aiming for a dark and industrial aesthetic in your home decor?
Consider pairing olive green with a dark shade of gray.
Together, this duo creates an urban ambiance reminiscent of industrial loft spaces. Use dark gray as the dominant color and olive green as the accent color to infuse the screen with a touch of warmth and nature.
If you’re not a big fan of dark gray, worry not; a light, cool gray works amazing with olive green, too!
Unlike the darker alternative, which is bold and edgy, the olive green and light gray combo is soft and serene. The coolness of gray perfectly contrasts with the richer olive tone, creating a subtle and tranquil mood.
With this pairing, less is more. A few olive green accents, in the form of drapes, cushions, and wall art will go a long way.
Olive Green and Black
Black is an elegant, bold, and dramatic color to use in design, but going overboard can have an unflattering and overwhelming effect that overshadows the subtler elements of your home decor.
So when incorporating black with olive green, striking the right balance is key.
Instead of saturating your space with black, choose specific focal points where you want to make a bold statement. This could be in the form of furniture pieces, black accents, and fixtures.
Then, use olive green to offset the intensity of the black. Think cushions, drapes, textiles, and rugs.
To break up large areas of solid colors, introduce black and white patterns through wallpaper or accessories.
Olive Green and White
Olive green and white is one of my personal favorite pairings. You can’t go wrong with it; it’s classic and timeless, and not to mention versatile!
White provides a clean and pristine backdrop that beautifully complements the richness of olive green, especially when paired with natural elements like rattan and wood.
Use white as the dominant color, and olive green as the accent color.
Olive Green and Brown
Imagine an olive green sofa with rich brown leather throw pillows or olive green curtains against a backdrop of brown walls. What’s the first feeling that comes to your mind when you think of such decor?
For me, the answer is simple: warmth, tranquility, and the serenity of nature.
Olive green and brown create a cozy and inviting ambiance, making the space feel like a rustic haven. Brown complements the earthiness of olive green, adding an almost masculine touch to a room.
Break up the colors with off-white, beige, and cream accents to create a cohesive look.
Olive Green and Gold
Gold is known to add sophisticated elegance to a space, and pairing it with olive green can elevate your decor to a new level of luxury and style.
The rich, warm tones of gold beautifully complement the natural hues of olive green.
Gold is best used sparingly as accents, such as in gold-framed mirrors, table lamps, or decorative accessories.
In the kitchen, you can use gold hardware, like cabinet handles, faucets, and hanging island lamps to add a touch of elegance.
Olive Green and Light Blue
You’d think that light blue, with its cool and airy qualities, would clash horribly with the earthy richness of olive green, but that isn’t the case at all. In fact, it’s this very contrast that makes this pairing work so well together.
The cool, calming tone of light blue works brilliantly with the depth and warmth of olive green, creating a well-balanced atmosphere that captures the best of both worlds. This duo works wonderfully for a calming bedroom setup or a serene bathroom.
Use light blue as the dominant color for the bedroom walls or bathroom tiles, and introduce green through elements like bed linens, throw pillows, or bath towels.
Break up the monotony of the colors by adding creamy or wooden accents, and, if you’re feeling bold, warm yellows.
Olive Green and Red
If you’re going for a colorful or eclectic look, consider pairing olive green with red accents.
Red is a bold, in-your-face color while olive green is more subdued. Together, this duo creates a dynamic and captivating contrast and adds vibrancy and personality to your home decor.
Just don’t overdo it; you don’t want your living room to look like Santa’s workshop!
For example, display a bright red table lamp beside an olive green couch, olive green dining chairs with red cushions, or a red rose painting against the backdrop of olive green walls.
The rule of thumb is with every red accent you introduce, there should be a counterbalancing olive green element nearby.
Olive Green and Dusty Pink
Dusty pink works much like red, except instead of infusing high-contrast vibrancy, it adds a softer and more elegant charm to your decor.
The rosy hues of dusty pink and the muted, earthy undertones of olive green evoke a sense of tranquility and refined grace.
You can be generous when using dusty pink with olive green compared to red. The softer and subtler nature of dusty pinks allows for a more liberal application of this color, giving you the freedom to experiment with various pink elements in your decor.
You can use dusty pink as furnishings, textiles, and accents, as well as walls and rugs.
Olive Green and Yellow
When matching colors with olive green, yellow usually isn’t the first that comes to mind. These colors, when paired inappropriately, can risk appearing tacky and overpowering in a space. However, with the right approach, olive green and yellow can appear quite stylish together.
The trick is to avoid yellow hues with cool undertones and instead stick with warm undertones, like mustard yellow, sunshine yellow, and ochre.
Warmer yellows harmonize better with the earthy and muted qualities of olive green, creating a more balanced and inviting atmosphere. This color combo creates a lively and welcoming vibe without veering into the territory of garish or excessive.
Olive Green and Other Greens
If you’re going for a more monochromatic look, pairing olive green with other greens—such as mint green, emerald green, and forest green—can be a stylish and sophisticated choice.
But remember: your choice of green dictates the overall mood and ambiance of your space.
For example, mint adds a layer of freshness to your decor and creates a vibrant and lively atmosphere.
Emerald green brings a rich and luxurious quality to your room, especially when used as a bold accent color in statement furniture pieces and artwork.
Meanwhile, forest green creates a dramatic and intimate atmosphere reminiscent of cozy forest cabins, rustic cabins, and secluded hideaways—even more so when paired with wooden accents.
Olive Green and Taupe
At first glance, taupe may appear similar to beige. But upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that it has subtle undertones of gray, pink, and violet.
Taupe is a darker, grayer variant of brown, while beige is a lighter, sandier brown. This distinction is important because, while both fall under the neutral color, your choice between taupe and beige can impact the mood and style of a space.
When paired with olive green, taupe conveys a more sophisticated and muted ambiance. Use taupe paint on the walls and pair it with olive green upholstery, such as a lounge chair or headboard.
To tie the colors together, introduce a variety of wood tones in the form of hardware, furniture, or framed artwork.
Olive Green and Orange
Orange is known to add a retro vibe to a room, and with olive green, the same effect can be achieved while maintaining a fresh and modern twist.
Together, these colors create a vibrant and energetic atmosphere that works especially well with mid-century design.
Incorporate orange accents sparingly; it’s meant to add a touch of color rather than serve as a secondary dominant hue. Overdo it, and your home will look like a pumpkin patch rather than a stylish room.
Use it on artworks, vases, small appliances, and kitchenware.
Final Thoughts
There you have it; our top 10 list of the best colors that go with olive green! Olive green is a versatile and beautiful addition to a room’s palette. It goes well with dozens of colors, from warm neutrals like beige and taupe to vibrant colors like red, orange, and even black.
The key to harmonizing this color with other colors is to find the right balance. Darker hues should be used exclusively as accents, while lighter and more neutral shades can take on a more dominant role.
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Thanks for reading!
Morgan is passionate about home decor and paint colors. She has been sharing DIY home decor tips since 2012 at CharlestonCrafted.com. From there, she learned to love paint colors, and the Paint Color Project was born in 2022!