What Colours Go With Olive Green? Palettes for Every Room
Olive green is a warm, yellow-leaning green with an earthy, slightly vintage feel. The colours that go best with it are cream, rust, mustard, walnut and burgundy: warm, natural shades that bring out the gold in the green. Use olive with plenty of cream and wood, then add one rich accent.
Below: eight colours that go with olive green and where to use them, the combinations to avoid, and how to bring olive into your wall art.
Prints for this look
The colour palette
#800020
Colours that go with olive green
- Cream and warm white. The base of most olive green colour schemes. Cream softens olive and keeps a room light. Use it on ceilings, sofas and bedding.
- Rust and terracotta. The classic partner. Red-orange tones warm olive up and make it look deeper. Try a rust velvet cushion, a terracotta pot or a print with both colours.
- Mustard and ochre. An analogous palette: olive already contains yellow, so mustard feels natural beside it. This is the backbone of a 70s-inspired room.
- Walnut, tan leather and dark wood. Brown is olive's natural companion. A walnut sideboard or a tan leather chair against olive walls looks warm and settled.
- Burgundy and plum. The colour opposite olive on the wheel is a reddish purple, so plum, aubergine and burgundy are its complementary colours. Use them in small, rich doses.
- Blush and dusty pink. A softer take on the same idea. Blush makes olive feel lighter and more modern, especially in bedrooms.
- Navy. A cool, grounding contrast. Navy and olive together look tailored, a little like a classic wool coat.
- Black and charcoal. Thin black frames, lamp bases and metal details give olive definition. Keep them as accents.
Colours that don't go with olive green
- Lime and neon greens. Bright greens make olive look muddy by comparison. If you want more green, choose deeper forest or softer sage.
- Icy, blue-white neutrals. Stark brilliant white and cool grey drain the warmth from olive and can make it look khaki. Choose cream or a warm white.
- Sugary pastels. Baby blue and lilac sit oddly against an earthy green. Dusty, muted versions work far better.
- Lots of mid-brown at the same depth. Olive with brown sofa, brown rug and brown curtains turns murky. Mix light and dark woods and break it up with cream.
How to use olive green in wall art
The 60-30-10 split from our decorating rules works well here: about 60 per cent olive or cream on the walls, 30 per cent in furniture and textiles, and 10 per cent accent. Let the art carry the accent, with prints that pick up a little olive plus rust, mustard or burgundy.
On olive walls, prints with cream or sand backgrounds stand out best, and oak or walnut frames suit the earthy look. On cream walls, an olive-heavy print gives you the colour without painting. Abstracts with textured, earthy shapes, botanicals and vintage-style posters all sit well with olive.
Mind the undertone. Most olives lean warm, so match them with warm whites, brass and wood rather than chrome and cool grey. Above a sofa, aim for art about two thirds the width of the sofa, and hang it with the centre at 145 to 150 cm from the floor.
Browse our olive green wall art, or add a warm accent with terracotta and rust prints. For a full room plan, see olive green living room ideas.
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.
