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Colors That Go With Olive Green

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Categories Home Decor

Looking to incorporate olive green in your home but not sure where it fits? This article shows you the colors most compatible with olive green and how to use it.

green olives in 2 shades of green

Black olives? Ugh, no – we’re here to talk about green olives! If you’re like me, you love olive green and like to find different ways to incorporate the color in your home. Whether it be through paint, furniture, or sparse decorations, this light and earthy color can bring new life to your home.

But is it compatible with the rest of your home decor? What colors go with olive green?

There is one color on the color wheel that is complementary to lighter shades of green: red-violet, otherwise known as pink. Earthy colors also pair well with olive green, such as browns and deep reds.

A progression of lightest to darkest in earth tones

Still, there are so many more combinations of color that can mesh with olive green! Earth tones, reds, sure. But what if you’re looking for something unexpected? Something… dramatic? Perhaps something with a more natural look?

Regardless, I’ve done the research for you! Let me prove that olive green is a wonderfully versatile color.

Table of Contents show

Pink

Close up of 5 pink and cream long-stemmed roses against a half green and half pink wall

If you have a love for contrasting colors, this is the choice for you! As you can see, this gives off a spring or summer vibe. Because the difference between the colors is so striking, it can be hard to take your eyes off of whatever you’ve styled this way in your home.

According to an article by Town & Country, one of the reasons this is such a great combination is because these colors can be found in nature all the time! What’s better than having a little bit of nature in your home?

A pink brick building with lots of windows trimmed in green, green doors, brick paver walkway, lots of potted trees and plants

While the shades of either pink or olive green can change, lighter or darker, to fit your preferences, they never stop going together. This color combination will always be a winner!

Pink and green background with white and pink roses

The photo above truly takes the nature aspect to heart, don’t you think? A soft olive green intertwined with a dusty, light pink as flowers and abstract leaves. Imagine wallpaper such as these lining your accent wall in a room with windows that allow just the right amount of light inside.

It’s like having the season of spring living inside your home.

Salmon

Bedroom with a dark green accent wall and a salmon-colored accent wall, dark blue bed frame and chair, herringbone patterned wood flooring, 2 side tables with a gold base and round white top

This tone offers a more gentle contrast to any shade of olive green. Although it can appear to be similar to pink in some ways, it tends to have an added soft orange hue mixed in.

Dark green wall, light-colored tile floors, salmon-colored leather couch with 2 matching chairs, green throw pillows, lod and green table in the center, large area rug in the center

Even a setup as simple as these couches can be a stunning design. A color combination doesn’t have to be grandiose to make an impression! The salmon truly stands out against the dark background, and the addition of the designed olive pillows adds a pinch of calm against the contrast.

Violet

Living room with cream-colored couch with green, pink and violet throw pillows, large window behind letting in the sunlight, sheer white curtains to the sides of the window, natural wood coffee table with white candles and teapot with teacup, green plants, and colorful flowers

Do you think this is an unlikely pairing? You’re probably right! But, I could not resist adding it to the list. Just look at the gentle olive tone standing out against a deep violet.

Living room with small gray couch and olive green throw pillows and purple throw blanket, olive green accent chair, gray and white area rug, white and natural wood coffee table and accent table with pink potted flowers all around the room, window in the corner with sheer white and pink curtains

Now, I’m not saying you should go and paint your walls purple just to have a little olive green in your home. If that’s the way you want to go, though, I’ll cheer you on! A subtle option, that still contrasts and looks beautiful, is to have both violet purple and olive green as accent colors.

Red

A hotel room with dark gray and white wall, black nightstand with silver lamp with white shade, lap turned on, three black-framed photos of leaves on the wall above the bed, red, green, and white bedding

Although this can be bunched into the ‘red-violet’ category, I strongly feel it should have its own. Just look at how nicely the soft green complements the deeper shade of red.

Red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel, and as such are complementary colors. This means that any shade of each color can, ultimately, get along with the other! Quite the good-looking friendship, if I say so myself.

Dark brown herringbone wood flooring, gray shag area rug, red couch with gray throw pillows, two large windows letting in natural sunlight, green accent wall, built-in bookshelves with books and plants, purple ottoman and white metal coffee table

Even as an accent wall and piece of furniture, this combination can make a bold statement. The solid, olive tone used in this picture sets off the red couch, soft but still striking.

Close up of a solid green wall with a white metal wall decor piece hanging above bed with a white bed frame, white nightstands on either side of bed, gray and red bedding

The same can be said for this arrangement, just with a wider use of our topic color, olive green.

Orange

Room with light-colored wood flooring and a wall lined with windows letting in the sunlight, green valances on windows, white desk with yellow chair right under windows, green chair against orange accent wall

Orange is the offspring of red, so why not include it? As olive green has a bit of an orange-ish hue hidden within it, putting the two together in ways such as this makes for a warm room setting.

In this example, the color is almost deep enough to pass for red. Take a look at the true red pillows, though, and you’ll see the difference.

Bold colored bedroom with wood flooring, large gray, black, and white area rug, orange accent wall and ceiling, gray bed frame with brown, white, black and green bedding, large window letting in the sunlight, open green drapes, large green pendant light hanging above bed, green plant in the corner

If you prefer olive tones as an accent color, a bold display of orange really makes this combination stand out. Try walking into a room like this, and it instantly doesn’t catch your eye!

Yellow

Dark olive green wall with a small desk and yellow rolling chair, light-colored hardwood flooring, small green couch next to the desk, green potted tree

Delving further down the rabbit hole, why not try yellow on for size? Although it’s told to us in garrilas.com’s “What Is The Most Common Color On Earth?” article that yellow is only liked by %5 of people overall, it’s still someone’s favorite color – and I’m here for you!

Colorful room displaying a gray wall a green wall and a yellow wall, green metal chair with green pillows and yellow blanket, black metal desk with gold potted green plants, rolling metal hanging structure

Besides – yellow is one half of the green equation, is it not? Why shouldn’t they be used together in a setup like this one? The light olive chair complimented by a bold yellow? Genius!

Even if you aren’t entirely fond of yellow itself, you might change your mind when adding it to another color like green. Picking one of the warm colors to go with olive green never fails to make a room cozy and relaxing.

Blue

Living space with bright blue wall and green couch and chairs with blue and green throw pillows and blankets, white metal coffee table, lots of potted flowers and plants

Another piece of the green puzzle: blue! Just as garrilas.com explains the lack of favor for yellow, it also reveals that blue is, undoubtedly, the most popular color in the world. It would be a rookie mistake not to add this gorgeous color onto the list!

Even when added to bright, popping shades of blue, the olive green couch and chair in this photo don’t at all look out of place.

A hotel room with dark olive green wall and wood flooring, white crown molding, green yellow and cream striped drapes on windows, gold-framed photos and silver circular wall decor hanging on wall, gold night stand with red lamp, bed with blue bed frame and white and blue bedding

And if the roles are reversed? This shade of dark olive proves to create a calmer environment when navy blue becomes the accent instead as the headboard, with a sky blue rug. Personally, the idea of an olive green room is pretty tempting.

Living room with a green wall and a green wall, fireplace turned on, large windows letting wi the natural sunlight, large white couches, light-colored carpeted flooring

Well, you know what they say: go big or go home! I know this is a pretty unusual use of two colors but painting the wall where the fireplace is as the accent color and giving it a bold contrast to deep blue worked out in this example. I think it just goes to show how much people really do love blue.

Is this olive-blue combination your style? Don’t knock it ‘till you try it!

Brown

Hotel room with wood flooring, cream wooden desk and chair in the corner near large window, green accent wall with large mirror hanging, wooden dresser under mounted tv

Brown… oh, the dreaded brown…

I don’t have anything against it, in fact, I love brown – particularly when it’s paired with green! Still, it is a risky game to play when you paint the walls of any room brown. That’s why brown was chosen to only decorate the accent wall in this room and dresser, instead of being on all four walls.

Beautiful room with soft green accent wall, tall black framed window with brown and cream drapes, wood flooring with green and brown area rugs, wood and black metal desk with computer and books on top, green desk chair, modern brown chair near desk with dark green blanket, green plants

For those of you who aren’t aware, painting an entire room with a dark color such as brown gives the illusion that the room is smaller than its actual size. The safer option is to include it in smaller items, such as furniture or curtains.

Brown will always complement green, no matter what the color wheel says, because they are the colors of nature.

Dark green shiplap wall, wooden flooring, wooden nightstand, black metal framed bed with green and brown bedding

Even if you choose to have different colored sheets and pillows, the olive green and brown will never be an unwanted color combo. Think about it: nature is beautiful and calming. You won’t see the green leaves of an oak tree without the brown bark of its trunk.

Neutral Colors

I don’t think it’s any secret that neutral colors pair well with any of the other colors. When all else fails, a neutral palette is the way to go! Trust me, with this you can never go wrong.

Even homeedit.com states in one of their articles that “black and white color combinations are timeless, elegant, and always in style.” They go on to prove that they can be just as stunning when used separately, and give examples with both being paired with lighter shades of green! Don’t forget about gray, either!

Still don’t believe it’ll work? Take a look for yourself!

Beige and Tan

All-white walls and flooring with tons of natural wood furniture and decor, lots of green plants, cushions and pillows

For a less bold option, beige and tan work out wonderfully because they’re both similar colors to brown. In fact, they’re really just a light brown. See how even with the small incorporation of olive green as the couch cushion and pillow, the raw tan look of the wood doesn’t overwhelm it.

Choosing a less dark shade of brown may be the answer you’re looking for!

Wall in half white and half green, small green couch, wooden rocking chair, ladder and wooden coffee table, light-colored wooden floor

Olive wall, olive couch, and a resembling potted plant, with a mix of beige, tan, and brown in the woodwork to wrap everything up with a beautiful bow. We’re still living in the family of brown, but warm and softer shades are often preferred to open up a room.

Don’t they look like relaxing color combinations?

Black

Black wall, green leather couch, dark wood floor, black and gold spotlight

Baby steps? Nah – just jump right in! The way the couch is set off by the black wall and lamp stand just proves how powerful this dark shade can contrast with any color. Just be careful of using dark colors on your walls because it could shrink the room

Kitchen with large green tile backsplash, black cabinets, white countertops, stainless steel sink and appliances

Bolder, a strip of thick black can really make any olive green statement piece stand out, even in a kitchen! Still, despite the contrast, there is a natural, nice balance between them. Whatever anyone else tells you, black will always go with olive green.

Gray

Green wall with neutral gray wood floors, gold pendant lighting hanging from the ceiling, an area rug with green throw pillows and green plants on floor

Gray is such a neutral shade that it goes better with everything than black does – if you can believe it’s even possible! Even with the entire flooring in addition to the whispering shade of gray that lines the walls, it manages to not be overwhelming.

And, of course, your eyes are immediately drawn to the bursting dark shade of olive green.

Gray hardwood floors with white and green accent wall, green area rug with wooden pallet being used as a coffee table, wood and black metal bookshelf holding books and plants, man at desk using computer, man in small gray chair playing guitar

What else can I say? Even when our darling olive green shows more prevalent in the design, everything still meshes so unbelievably well. Gray and green provide a natural look that is ultimately visually pleasing.

White

Olive green and white wall, wooden chair with green cushion and white pillows, black standing lamp next to chair, open book on the floor and books and plants in the corner, sunlight pouring through the window

White… the pure, the pristine. This is the ultimate neutral color!

Really, white and olive green together is just, well, a no-brainer? It’s simple but achieves elegance in a way that no other color combinations have shown.

It undoubtedly gives this dark olive a brighter appearance. It contrasts the darkness without taking away from how beautiful this particular color of green is.

Olive green walls with marble tile flooring, white couch with white and natural wood coffee table and accent table, large floor to ceiling window with sheer white curtains letting in the natural sunlight, black metal frame lamp with white shade and green potted plants

Don’t get me started on this interior design! It’s so crisp, so amazingly done that the olive coating the wall is simply meant to be. It shouldn’t be any other way. These pictures prove without a shadow of doubt that olive and white will always be an exceptional combination.

Green

Green wall, green chair with green and tan throw pillow, tile flooring, stanging lamp turned on, table with small plant, small vases and an open book

Did you read that right? Can you really put olive green… with more green? Well, isn’t the picture proof enough that different shades of the same color can exist together in perfect, beautiful, harmony?

The wall behind the bed has been painted with olive green, but the chair offers a much darker shade. Different hues of green can certainly go with olive green.

Hardwood floor with green shag area rug, green accent wall and green drapes pulled to the side of window, green couch with purple throw pillows, green chair, white end table with small lamp, large framed picture os pink flowers hanging above couch, silver chandelier hanging from ceiling

Why don’t we add a bit more green and debate again? What do you think? Does the wall, curtain, and rug mix well with the change in furniture?

Bedroom with a low profile bed with light and dark green bedding, green accent wall behind and a large window letting in the sunlight, potted trees on either side of the bed, white leather chair near window, dark hardwood floor with large dark brown area rug in the center of the room

Let’s go a tad bit more dramatic! A deep, dark olive as an accent piece behind the olive green canopy that hangs over the bed. Is this contrasting pair too much? Perhaps, it’s just right.