Olive

Overview

Olive is a deep, cool green with a semi-gloss finish, marked by HEX #808000. It performs well in joinery, mudrooms, front doors, and feature walls, providing a fresh and grounded aesthetic without making a harsh statement. This colour can vary noticeably under daylight, warm lamps, and in conjunction with surrounding materials. Therefore, it's crucial to sample it next to trims, flooring, cabinetry, and fabrics before deciding on a full room application. Start with a restrained palette, and only add a stronger secondary accent if the sample seems flat.

Where Olive works best

Olive is most reliable on joinery, mudrooms, front doors, and feature walls. For larger areas, ensure there's ample natural light or lighter surrounding materials to prevent the room from feeling enclosed. If uncertain, begin with a single wall plane, joinery face, robe interior, or vanity colour, and observe it under morning, afternoon, and evening lighting before expanding its use.

Pairing and contrast advice

Black, charcoal, or other dark details usually stand out against Olive, with contrast ratios of 5.01:1 against black and 4.20:1 against white. Olive pairs well with warm whites, timber, travertine, linen, and muted brass details. Without linked style profiles, keep the initial palette simple and let materials enhance the visual impact.

Finish notes

The semi-gloss finish of Olive enhances its vividness as reflected light accentuates edges and surface variations. This finish suits trim, doors, and feature joinery well, but it also highlights preparation quality. On large wall areas, the room can feel busier unless the surrounding palette remains restrained.

Frequently asked questions