Olive Green Color Psychology: Its Meaning and Benefits

Want to understand more about how olive green paint colors will make your home feel? Let's explore the olive green color psychology and it's influences on your home!

In lots of cases, your wall colors affect your mood. Subsequently, your interior design is more than just aesthetics. It also carries psychological layers and can have an impact on your mindset day after day.

Let’s look at the color olive green. It holds plenty of symbolism, from peace and harmony to humanity and compassion.

Besides that, it has psychological effects. Upon entering an olive green-painted room, you might feel a sense of ease and calmness.

Stick around to learn more about olive green in a psychological sense, along with its origins and meaning.

What Is Olive Green?

Synonymous with the fruit, olive green combines shades of yellow and green. A touch of red can help darken the shade for a deeper tint. The color resembles a sage green but with more yellowish undertones.

As a neutral shade, it has plenty of applications in interior design. It’s highly versatile, where you can use darker olive greens in your living area for a bolder look, while lighter olive greens in the bathroom give the illusion of a larger space.

Origins of Olive Green

Back in ancient Rome, olive trees were sacred and correlated with the Greek goddess Athena. Subsequently, it was a color symbolizing military power.

Fast-forward to the 19th century in Europe, olive green became a military uniform color. As the 20th century closed in, the neutral shade was prized by the fashion industry. Nowadays, the color’s popularity extends widely to the home decor and interior design market.

What Does Olive Green Symbolize?

Colors often evoke certain emotions and meanings. The same holds for olive green. It gives off peace, sophistication, and harmony.

As far as feelings go, olive green brings empathy, perception, compassion, humanity, and wisdom. After all, the shade comes straight from a natural source: olive fruits.

Olive Green Through a Psychological Lens

From a psychological perspective, olive green is an ideal shade to evoke a sense of calmness. The color is soothing and relaxing, making it one of the best shades for your bedroom. Here are other reasons why olive green can offer a positive change.

Lowers Stress and Anxiety Levels

Olive green offers a subtle push away from the strains of stress and anxiety. Besides that, the color heavily implies a nature or forest setting. That kind of atmosphere helps lower your cortisol levels.

Improves Concentration

As a color relatively low in the wavelength spectrum, olive green painted walls promote concentration. In other words, the shade is easy on the eyes and provides the perfect environment to tackle tasks and better your productivity and efficiency.

On the opposite end, red is more stimulating and distracting, whereas green enhances your clarity and long-term concentration levels.

Enhances Reading Ability

Interestingly, studies have found that sitting in a green space improves your reading ability. You’re able to read at a faster and more efficient pace compared to if you were sitting in a red-lit room.

Olive Green Interior Design Application

The olive green addition doesn’t need to be painted on your walls. You can infuse the color by incorporating olive green throw pillows, blankets, decorative elements, or furniture.

It can suit all rooms, such as your kitchen, living area, and, most ideally, your bedroom. The best part is that, as a neutral color, olive green pairs well with a plethora of other colors, from cool-toned blues to bold maroons.

Your surroundings influence you psychologically, from the subtlest changes in weather to your interior’s wall color.

In the latter’s case, choices like olive green offer a refreshing and calming effect. Overall, the neutral shade evokes concentration and reduces stress and anxiety levels.

If you want to learn more about how your wall colors affect you psychologically, sign up for our free Color Psychology in Action 5-Day Challenge.

Thanks for reading!