Olive green bedroom paint is warm, quiet and works with wood. The three olive shades here range from LRV 11 to 15, and three companion colors from the same paintings, a cream, an ochre and a light green, give you lighter options.
Quick answer
Use the cream #EAE1C6 on three walls and the olive #6B6D50 behind the bed. Add the deeper #695C3D to the furniture, the ochre #8B754B to wood and the fresh green #9BB289 for a bold piece.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of olive green
#6B6D50LRV 15
Classic Olive
A deep green with an LRV of 15, suited to a headboard wall or an accent wall. It comes from Charles-Edouard de Beaumont's In the Sun, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6180 Oakmoss is a very close match.
A deep color with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 13, closer to brown than the first olive. It was measured from François Boucher's Washerwomen, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6166 Eclipse is a near-identical match.
A deep olive with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 11, good for furniture, curtains or a door. It comes from Théodore Rousseau's A River in a Meadow, and Sherwin-Williams SW 7735 Palm Leaf is a very close match.
A very light color with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 75, the best choice for the other walls and ceiling. It was measured from Jacob de Wit's Allegory of Government, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6399 Chamomile is a near-identical match.
A mid-tone with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 19, suited to wood tones or a rug. It comes from Rousseau's A River in a Meadow, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6411 Bengal Grass is a very close match.
A mid-tone with a green undertone and an LRV of 41, good for bedding or a small bold piece. It was measured from Beaumont's In the Sun, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6437 Haven is a near-identical match.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Soft Wheat Cream
Young Leaf Green
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is In the Sun.
What olive green works best in a bedroom?
The three olives are close in depth, so choose by undertone. The classic olive #6B6D50 has a green undertone and feels cool and fresh. The other two, #6B6453 and #695C3D, lean warm yellow and look more like earth.
All three have an LRV between 11 and 15, which makes them deep colors. In a bedroom, that suits a headboard wall or a closet door better than every wall, unless the room gets a lot of daylight.
If you want a full olive room, pick the classic olive and add plenty of lamps. For a gentler look, use the cream #EAE1C6 on most walls and keep the olive to one.
How do you do an olive green accent wall in a bedroom?
Choose the wall behind the bed. It is the one you see least when you lie down, so a dark color there feels cozy rather than heavy.
Paint the other walls and the ceiling in the cream #EAE1C6. At LRV 75 it reflects light back into the room and gives the olive a clean frame. Trim can stay cream too.
Bring the olive into the room with textiles, such as a throw or curtains, so the wall does not look isolated. The young leaf green #9BB289 works well in bedding, because it is lighter and fresher than the wall. The ochre #8B754B belongs in wood or a rug.
Avoid mixing all three olives on one wall. Choose one and let the others appear in fabrics.
What goes with olive green: trim, floor and furniture?
Olive pairs well with wood. Mid-brown floors and furniture match the warm yellow tones, and light oak looks fresh against it.
For trim, cream is the natural partner. A bright blue-white can look cold against olive, while a warm cream looks relaxed.
For bedding, try white, cream or the leaf green. A rug in the ochre ties the room to the floor. Metals in aged brass or black suit olive well.
If you prefer a lighter look, replace the dark olive with the young leaf green #9BB289 for the walls. At LRV 41 it is a mid-tone that works in a bedroom with decent daylight.
How do you test olive paint?
Olive is sensitive to light and to its neighbors. Paint a sample at least two feet wide and view it in morning light, at midday and under lamps at night.
In north light olive can look gray and cool. In south light it looks more yellow-green. Under warm bulbs the deep olives lose their green and move toward brown.
Put a piece of your wood furniture and your bedding next to the sample. A warm bedspread can make the olive look greener, and a cool one can make it look browner. If two samples seem identical, choose the one with the undertone that matches your wood. The paint matches here are the closest measured ones, so use them as a starting point only.
FAQ
Is olive green good for a bedroom?
Yes. It is calm and goes with wood. The deep shades, with LRV 11 to 15, suit an accent wall or a room with good light.
What color goes with an olive green accent wall?
A warm cream such as #EAE1C6 on the other walls, with ochre and leaf green in the details.
What bedding goes with olive walls?
Cream, white and the lighter green #9BB289 are easy choices. A gold or ochre throw adds warmth.
Will olive make my bedroom feel small?
A dark olive on all walls can. Use it on one wall and keep the rest light.
Which olive is the most green?
The #6B6D50 has a green undertone. The other two have a warm yellow undertone.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From In the Sun, Charles-Edouard de Beaumont
