37 Olive Green Paint Ideas That’ll Make Any Room Feel More Sophisticated

Olive green paint is having a moment, and it’s not hard to see why. Rich but subdued, this hue can make a space feel elevated and relaxed at the same time, while also managing to evoke a hint of nature and classic charm. Olive green is definitely a multifaceted hue.

Need some proof? We searched our house tours high and low and rounded up a bunch of beautiful rooms featuring olive green paint to prove that it’s quite the chameleon of a color. The beauty of olive green is that it’s more of a spectrum, from lighter greens, to the darker, brown-tinted hues.

From green accent walls to DIY projects, get inspired by these 37 olive green paint ideas that you’ll want to try in your own home — plus, the paint colors to match.

Love olive greens, but want to keep things light? Look no further than this St. Paul, Minnesota living room, which uses a shade similar to Sherwin-Williams’ Shagreen. It adds a splash of color to the walls without overwhelming the yellows, browns, and other hues seen in her the decor.

Paint color: Sherwin-Williams Shagreen

When partnered with natural wood, green hues invoke the serenity of a beautiful woodland scene. There are few better places to take advantage of this pairing than in a rustic home in Hawaii, which uses a shade similar to Sherwin-Williams’ Relentless Olive.

Paint color: Sherwin-Williams Relentless Olive

Green provides a striking contrast to olive green. This color scheme instantly adds a level of sophistication to any space, as seen in this eclectic Brooklyn loft, which uses a shade similar to Valspar’s Soothing Sage.

Paint Color: Valspar, Soothing Sage

Forget white walls! A coat of light olive green, in a shade like Split Pea by Benjamin Moore, still allows colorful artwork to shine without overwhelming the space, as seen in Janel and Jim’s California home.

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Split Pea

Love the idea of colored drapes but don’t want them to overpower the rest of a room? Take a cue from Erin and Andrew’s New Orleans abode and paint your walls in a bright shade of light olive green. A color like Nervy Hue by Sherwin-Williams definitely will hold its own when paired with bold window treatments.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Nervy Hue

Mossy olive green walls will bring a pop of color and personality to a small, windowless bathroom. For proof, look no further than Stephen and Scott’s New Orleans home, which features a color similar to Loire Valley by Valspar. 

Paint Color: Valspar Loire Valley

Searching for a fun way to jazz up an all-white kitchen? Cover your cabinets in a fresh coat of light olive green paint, just like Elizabeth and David did using a shade similar to Palm Green by Pratt & Lambert in their California house. It’ll work every time.

Paint Color: Pratt & Lambert Palm Green

Warm olive walls, painted in a shade like Benjamin Moore’s Oregano, brighten up a cramped but cozy kid’s room in Annah and Benny’s Los Angeles home. When you choose a light olive paint, it works like white but has so much more personality.

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Oregano

An earthy olive green backdrop, like Army Fatigues by Dulux, allows a flashy piece of furniture to take center stage in your living room, just as it does in Simone Kelley’s Australian abode. 

Paint Color: Dulux Army Fatigues

Gray wainscoting looks surprisingly contemporary — not old world — when paired with walls painted in Wasabi by Benjamin Moore like in Eva Katz and Philip Sugerman’s Massachusetts home.

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Wasabi

Olive green walls allow crisp white moldings to make a big statement in a small bathroom. Homeowner Lisa Price achieved this striking effect in her Michigan home by using a shade similar to Verdant by Sherwin-Williams.

Paint Color: Sherman-Williams Verdant

Paint your entryway walls a light shade of olive green, such as Salamander by Behr, to distinguish the space from its adjoining rooms. Then you can greet guests in style, just like Gina Martin did in her Washington D.C. home seen here.

Paint Color: Behr Salamander

For an instant boho touch, try painting your walls an earthy shade of olive green like Peter and Blair did using a shade like Forest Moss by Benjamin Moore in their Seattle bathroom. It doesn’t take much to channel those Jungalow vibes — just some olive paint and a quirky shower curtain.

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Forest Moss

Turn an awkward corner into an artful scene by displaying your beloved odds and ends against a rich olive green painted wall, just like Matthew Eikelberger did using a shade like Scotland Isle by Behr in his Los Angeles home. 

Paint Color: Behr Scotland Isle

Let your ceiling, a.k.a. the fifth wall, make a statement in an otherwise neutral toned room by painting it a shade of olive green. Try French Olive by Valspar, which matches what Isabelle and Brandon used in their Los Angeles cottage. 

Paint Color: Valspar French Olive

Warm up an open living room with an earthy shade of olive green wall paint like Sun Valley by Behr, as seen in Lia and Phil’s Vermont home. 

Paint Color: Sun Valley

Carve out a distinct dining nook inside of an open layout space with an olive green accent wall, just like Cameron and Matt did in their West Hollywood home. For a similar look, try a shade like Avocado by Benjamin Moore. 

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Avocado

Create a colorful backdrop for plain white built-ins by painting your living room walls in an eye-catching shade of light olive green. This New Orleans home looks great, thanks to a shade like Offbeat Green by Sherwin-Williams.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Offbeat Green

Nothing makes metal finishes pop like olive green walls. An earthy shade like Sap Green by Farrow & Ball lets all of your mixed metal décor make a statement, as evidenced by Annah and Benny’s chic Los Angeles home.

Paint Color: Farrow & Ball Sap Green

An olive green accent wall makes an artful focal point within an otherwise gray color scheme. Try Great Green by Sherwin-Williams — it’s on display here in Eva Katz and Philip Sugerman’s Massachusetts home.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Great Green

Enhance a natural light-filled room with a bright olive green paint palette. Consider the color Lichen by Glidden, which is what Kristin Nicholas similarly used in her Massachusetts farmhouse for this bold look here.

Paint Color: Glidden Lichen

Light olive green walls, in a shade like Tupelo Tree by Sherwin-Williams, create a vibrant backdrop for black-and-white artwork and unfinished wood furniture pieces, as seen here in Jennifer and Hans’ home in Amsterdam. 

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Tupelo Tree

An olive green room makes an unexpected statement in a neutral colored home, like this wall in an Australian abode that matches with Valspar’s Hyde Park.

Paint Color: Valspar Hyde Park

Light olive green walls, painted in a shade such as Fickle Pickle by Valspar, turn an awkward walkway into a warm and vibrant scene.

Paint Color: Valspar Fickle Pickle

Bring some vintage charm to a room by painting the walls in an eye-catching shade of olive green, just like Lisa Price did in her Michigan bedroom in a similar shade to Autumn Grove by Valspar. See—olive green can work wonders on bedroom walls, too. You can find a shade that won’t look super dark.

Paint Color: Valspar Autumn Grove

Olive green walls, in a shade like Luau Green by Sherwin-Williams, warm up a lofty space without competing with its architectural elements, as seen in Cameron and Matt’s West Hollywood home. 

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Luau Green

Using a paint similar to Gecko by Sherwin-Williams, Matthew Eikelberger turned a humdrum closet door into an artful focal point in his Los Angeles abode. 

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Gecko

Give a plain white dresser a modern face lift by painting the drawer fronts olive green, just like Peter and Blair did using a shade similar to Privet Hedge in their Seattle bathroom. 

Paint Color: Valspar Privet Hedge

Walls painted in Mossy Green by Behr provide an earthy background for warm red and orange toned accents, as seen in Beatriz and Fernando’s Southern California home. 

Paint Color: Behr Mossy Green

Update a worn-out wooden chair by painting it a bright shade of olive green, like Primavera by Sherwin-Williams. That’s what Karthik V. did in his home in India, and we’re loving the visual impact olive has here.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Primavera

It might seem counterintuitive, since olive greens tend to be dark. But the right shade of olive can actually illuminate a dark corner. That was the case in Annah and Benny’s Los Angeles home, where a shade similar to Saguaro by Sherwin-Williams brightened up their desk area.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Saguaro

Follow Janel and Jim’s lead, and transform a neglected living room corner into a bonafide dining nook by covering your walls in Sherwin-Williams’ Overt Green. You won’t be disappointed.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Overt Green

If you thought lively prints only worked in neutral rooms, it’s time to get schooled. A paint color like Stay in Lime by Sherwin-Williams is clutch in Erin and Andrew’s New Orleans abode, here providing a colorful backdrop for the couple’s interesting textiles.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Stay in Lime

Draw attention to interesting art objects and décor items in a room by employing a rich olive green paint palette, just like Eva Katz and Philip Sugerman did using a shade similar to Featherstone by Sherwin-Williams in their Massachusetts home. 

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Featherstone

Simple white floating shelves get a colorful boost when mounted to olive walls. Take one look at Lisa Price Michigan bedroom, and you’ll be ready to go green. Try Tansy Green by Sherwin-Williams to achieve a similar look.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Tansy Green

A wall of built-ins can be a colorful, commanding scene if you paint them an energizing shade of olive green. Here Kristin Nicholas used a shade similar to Lichen by Glidden (once again) in her Massachusetts farmhouse, and we’re very into the finished product.

Paint Color: Glidden Lichen

No budget for new kitchen appliances? Concentrate on your cabinets instead. A fresh coat of bright olive green wall paint, like Direct Green by Sherwin-Williams, will bring a modern twist to your kitchen in no time, as we saw in Matthew’s Los Angeles home.

Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams Direct Green