I’m going to come right out and say that I have an obsession with olive green paint colors. I’d probably paint my entire house in shades of olive green if my family found that idea acceptable.
There’s just something so chic about an olive green room. Chic, but in an earthy, organic, understated way. I love it.
While I haven’t rallied my husband around the idea of painting the entire house mossy green yet, I do have quite a few rooms in my house that fit the bill, and I’ve tried many, many olive green paint colors on my journey to find the best ones for my own home.
If you share my love of olive, keep reading for more about this lovely hue, plus my favorite paint shades, and inspiration photos from my favorite designers and influencers (plus a few from my own home).
What Color is Olive Green?
In the broadest sense, olive is a yellow-toned green with some level of neutral undertones.
But, just like everyone’s favorite martini garnish, olive paint colors come in all sorts of shades, from the lightest, almost yellow-green tones, to mid-tone khaki shades, to rich, deep mossy hues. There’s an olive green for everyone.
Where to use olive green paint at home
Because olive green is such a versatile color that comes in so many tones, it can really be used in any room of the house. Certain shades are more conducive to certain rooms or spaces, however.
Neutral, sage-y olives, like Farrow & Ball French Gray or Benjamin Moore Rolling Hills, make gorgeous choices for bedrooms, bathrooms, or front doors.
Rich, mossy olives like Benjamin Moore River Rock and Benjamin Moore Southern Vine work on kitchen cabinets, kitchen islands, as an accent color on built-ins, or for smaller rooms like mudrooms and laundry rooms.
Mid-tone, yellow olives like Sherwin Williams Palm Leaf and Farrow & Ball Bancha are a fun option for bathroom vanities, powder rooms, as well as for cabinetry and trimwork accents like board and batten.
Olive Green Paint Colors to Try
I gave away a few of my favorite olive shades, above, but here they are listed out with more info and the all-important inspiration photos.
1. Benjamin Moore Rolling Hills
I first spotted this color in the home of Alaina Kaczmarski, founder of The Everygirl. She used it to transform her guest room and I was wow’ed by the results! I love that this color is rich without being too dark. It’s perfect for a bedroom, bathroom vanity, or home office.
2. Benjamin Moore River Rock
Benjamin Moore River Rock is one of my favorite green paint colors ever. I chose it for the cabinets in our Vermont cabin after looking at 6 different samples, because it was the perfect shade of moss green. I wanted something that had more yellow undertones than blue, and I also didn’t want a color with a lot of gray, and this fit the bill.
3. Benjamin Moore Southern Vine
If you’re looking for a deep (like really deep) shade of olive, try Benjamin Moore Southern Vine. It’s a dark green with a heavy dose of brown. I tried this in our powder room, but because it didn’t get much natural light, it read almost like a pure brown. However, on a color board in my living room, which is filled with sun, it was a beautiful, rich shade of olive. I love it as an accent color on a kitchen island or for a bookcase.
4. Sherwin Williams Palm Leaf
Ah, Palm Leaf! After looking at about 12 green paint colors for our powder room, I settled on Sherwin Williams Palm Leaf. I consider this an olive with some zing to it, in that it doesn’t have as much of a neutral undertone as some of the other colors on this list. It’s great in a windowless room because it maintains the green tones even in low light. In a bright room, its chartreuse notes stand out an make this color a bit bolder.
5. Benjamin Moore Tate Olive
Tate Olive is a popular choice for kitchen cabinets. It’s a lighter shade of olive green with greige undertones, that can read more khaki or yellow-toned depending on the light. It’s on the softer side of olive, but it still makes an impact.
6. Farrow & Ball French Gray
When I tried French Gray as a paint color choice for our first floor renovation, I was surprised by just how green it was. I had expected more of a warm greige, but it’s actually a lovely chameleon color that reads like a green with a warm gray undertone. It’s like a sage green, but with enough yellow that I call this one a soft olive. It’s a beautiful color for a bedroom, bathroom, or powder room.
7. Farrow & Ball Bancha
Bancha is in a category similar to Palm Leaf, in that it’s a cleaner olive green with only subtle neutral undertones thrown in. It’s a deep yellow-green that looks pretty bright in direct sunlight, and is perfect if you want a color that pops.
8. Benjamin Moore Dark Olive
Dark olive is a gorgeous, rich, classic shade of olive green that’s muted enough to be an alternative to a deep neutral. It’s perfect on exterior doors, cabinets and vanities, and trimwork.
9. Benjamin Moore Vintage Vogue
Vintage Vogue is just such a pretty color. It’s like olive green with a bit of hunter green mixed in, which makes it feel extra sophisticated. I love this color for a formal living space like in the home of influencer Julia Arceri.
