10 reasons to love Olive Green for 2015

06.11.00  Ray Combes   Label: , , ,


Many shades of olive green 

You may have lived through the avocado phase many years ago, but don't nix olive green automatically because of that.  I am talking about a new updated olive green look.  One that can be both traditional or contemporary.  One that takes on many faces depending on its pairing.  Just think about it this way. It....


  1. is more of a neutral, so the combinations you can come up with are almost limitless;
  2. can easily push a hint of it into any decor you already have;
  3. sits there and lets you manipulate it;
  4. references nature, how can it be a bad thing? (mossy rocks, under side of a leaf);
  5. mixes with all the warm metals that are now in vogue; 
  6. is warm and organic and will make a space look that way;
  7. can be mixed with fresh or muddy colours;
  8. works well with Pantone's 2014 colour of the year - marsala;
  9. won't be a one hit wonder because of its special qualities listed above;
  10. just because.


How much of it you want to add to your decor is up to you.  Personally I won't be going out and getting a new green kitchen, but it could be pretty spectacular.... 




I love olive green with white and black as you can see from my style board.  This green is more vibrant, approaching apple green. Some people refer to it as olive green, but it needs to be "dirtier" to fit my definition of olive green. 



Yes!  My two favourites with olive green - black and white.  So fresh.   What happens when you start to muddy up olive?  Check out below.  Still an interesting look. 



Spicing it up with pattern always helps.  A range of greens that have been popular over the last several years are mixed with the olive. in the chairs and pillow .  Note the connection of the brownish green wall with the scheme in the next photo.



 This is a very different olive green that is approaching greenish brown. If you've mixed paint you know how easily that can happen.   It certainly helps  you see how the colours relate when they are separated out . 



This room is built around variations on the lightest colour in the photo above.
Now we're talking my idea of a serene olive green.  Everything in this space is understated with just the the merest hint of olive. Love the textures.


Perhaps olive is the answer to my ongoing love hate relationship with the accent colour in my living room.  I'm not living well with my rusty red. It has never sat well in the space. Something to think about.

Stay tuned for other pairings for this interesting colour.  Do you think olive green will feature in any way in your home in 2015?
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10 reasons to love Olive Green for 2015
10 reasons to love Olive Green for 2015
Reviewed by Ray Combes
Published :
Rating : 4.5