Olive Green Living Room Ideas
Olive green is one of the easiest colours to live with because it is naturally warm and earthy. Pair it with cream, rust and warm wood, add a touch of mustard, and choose art in the same earthy family so the room feels relaxed and joined up.
Below: colours that go with olive, olive green and grey, sofas, rugs and texture, and how to choose art for olive green walls.
Prints for this look
The colour palette
Colours that go with olive green
- Rust and terracotta are the warm complementary accents. Reds and oranges sit opposite green on the colour wheel, so a rust cushion or print brings olive to life.
- Cream and oatmeal keep olive light and fresh.
- Mustard and ochre make a warm, autumnal scheme.
- Walnut and cognac leather deepen olive and suit its earthy character.
- Blush is a softer accent for a lighter, more modern look.
Keep the balance with the 60-30-10 rule: about 60% olive or cream, 30% wood and leather, and 10% rust or mustard.
Olive green and grey, and warm versus cool olives
Olive is a warm green by nature, with yellow and brown in it. That means it pairs best with warm greys such as stone, greige and taupe. Cool blue-greys can make olive look muddy. An olive green and grey living room looks good with a warm grey sofa, olive walls or cushions, and black or brass lamps.
Some olives lean lighter and more khaki, others deeper and closer to army green. Lighter olives suit pale oak, rattan and linen. Deeper olives suit walnut, leather and brass. Pick art that leans the same way as your paint.
Olive green living room decor: sofas, rugs and texture
- Olive walls: a cream, oatmeal or cognac leather sofa stands out well. Add rust and mustard cushions.
- Olive sofa: against warm white or stone walls, an olive velvet or linen sofa anchors the room.
- Rug: a wool or jute rug in warm neutrals, or a vintage-style rug with rust and green, grounds the scheme.
- Texture: linen, wool, rattan, terracotta pots and plants all suit olive's natural feel.
- Mantel or shelf: a few ceramics in rust and cream with a small print propped behind them repeat the palette.
Choosing art for olive green walls
Art for olive green walls looks best in earthy tones: olive, khaki, rust, mustard and cream. Wabi sabi abstracts, folk-style prints, landscapes with fields and trees, and botanicals all suit it. On olive walls, prints with cream backgrounds stand out clearly. On neutral walls with an olive sofa, repeat the olive in the art.
Above the sofa, aim for art about two thirds of the sofa's width. On a 200 cm sofa that means roughly 130 cm of art, such as one large print or a pair of A1 prints, hung 15 to 25 cm above the back.
Browse our olive green wall art, or add contrast with terracotta prints.
Sizes at a glance
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Shelves, desks, small gaps, sets of 3 |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Hallways, side walls, pairs |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Above a sideboard or small sofa, the anchor of a gallery wall |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Above a standard sofa or bed |
| A0 | 84.1 x 118.9 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Large walls, open-plan rooms, statement pieces |
All our A sizes fit standard off-the-shelf frames, and every print is made to order on museum-grade matte paper.
