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A warm and inviting shade of olive green with deep, dusty undertones that will transform your abode into the comfiest and most secure place.

LRV 12

A Green Color Family paint color, the 2023 December color of the month, and one of the most stylish greens – Mountain Olive from Behr is an interpretation of natural, unsophisticated, and calm. Today, we invite you to rediscover deep greens. They are an emerging trend right now. Frankly speaking, greens have become a timeless color option. Add charm and comfort to your home with one of the best representatives. Yet, first, explore the specifics, matching colors, and stylish design ideas for this organic and earthy green.

Mountain Olive Paint Color Features

Besides being the traditional color of peace, olive green symbolizes harmony, wisdom, and self-love. Even more, its use in camouflage clothing shows a strong bond with strength and confidence. Green shades that occur naturally are a real asset in design since they reflect solid meanings. Like its namesake, Mountain Olive resembles the deep, dusty green of ripe olives – close to the Earth. Designers are sure using such an organic color in your home will bridge the interior with the outdoor world. Being surrounded by a dark, earthy green will help you achieve harmony, feel at peace with yourself, and grasp nature in every detail. 

Mountain Olive: Is It Warm or Cold?

As a verdant hue nodding to earth, Mountain Olive instantly makes the impression of a warm paint color. Checking some facts, we found out the amounts of green and red are equal in this paint color. All clear with green, while red indicates Mountain Olive is a warm paint color. No wonder experts use it in interior design when they seek a sense of comfort and safety.

How Does Lighting Affect Mountain Olive?

Despite being a relatively dark shade of green, this olive tone seems much brighter when bathed in enough natural light. However, we cannot help but notice its different interpretations under different lighting conditions. If you have a north-facing bedroom, your walls painted olive green will feel considerably paler and less warm, all due to the cold, bluish light. Expect the gray note of color to make Mountain Olive seem more neutral. 

On the other side, say in a south-facing kitchen, the green-painted cabinets will simply glow under the warm natural light, revealing a solid earthy undertone – a true ripe olive shade. You should know that Mountain Olive will turn into a much deeper, muted green at night. Yet, ensuring appropriate artificial lighting will make everything work in your favor. 

Mountain Olive LRV

The more light a paint color reflects, the lighter it is. Mountain Olive has a Light Reflectance Value of 12, bouncing back 12% of the light it receives. Such dark colors tend to absorb large amounts of light. We wouldn’t recommend it in small rooms with little to no access to natural light. However, Mountain Olive is a great paint color for moody palettes. 

Mountain Olive Undertones

Most probably, you already know them. So, this deep green shade has visible earthy brown undertones and dusty grey traces. Their variation depends on lighting conditions, both natural and artificial. If you don’t want to risk and end up with a color effect you don’t like, try a color sample beforehand. Take note of how this green shade behaves at different times of the day. 

Similar Colors

If you ever need close alternatives to Mountain Olive, a lighter or darker substitute, for instance, you can always find them here. We gathered the best similar colors both from Behr and other popular paint brands.

  • Fig Tree MQ6-58 by Behr – a surprisingly similar green shade, you won’t notice any difference when next to Mountain Olive;
  • Alligator Skin PPU9-01 by Behr – borrowing more warmth from the earth, this more saturated olive tone will perfectly work in north-facing rooms;
  • Dark Olive 2140-30 by Benjamin Moore – a dustier olive shade you can use for a more neutral effect;
  • Cabbage Patch 2141-20 by Benjamin Moore – with a more emphasized brown note, this green reads slightly warmer;
  • Oakmoss SW 6180 by Sherwin-Williams – a lighter, more vibrant moss green;
  • Garden Gate SW 6167 by Sherwin-Williams – a deep brown-green with a solid earthy trace.

Coordinating Colors

White is the best trim color for olive green-painted walls. Sages, darker greens, and brighter greens work for a seamless monochromatic combination with Mountain Olive. Violets, blues, and browns suit this deep green as accents.

  • White 52 by Behr – a clean white tone devoid of noticeable undertones;
  • Pesto Paste S370-5 by Behr – a mid-tone green with a saturated yellow trace;
  • Seedling PPU9-09 by Behr – a pastel grain green with soft yellow undertones;
  • Alpine Trail N420-7 by Behr – a dark and dusty green reminiscent of the deep forest color;
  • Tahoe Blue PPu13-09 by Behr – a bright aqua blue with the most subtle notes of green;
  • Thundercloud S520-5 by Behr – a stormy blue, pretty saturated yet washed out by a feathery gray undertone;
  • Thermal S440-7 by Behr – a dark green-blue, close to the popular navy shades;
  • Royal Raisin N110-5 by Behr – a medium shade of royal violet played down by a dusty veil;
  • Sweet Molasses PPU5-20 by Behr – an earthy violet with warm undertones almost fading into black;
  • Potting Soil N360-7 by Behr – a dark soil brown, impressively close to true blacks;
  • Carbon N520-7 by Behr – a true black shade that will stylishly add accent to a lighter painted space.

Use of Mountain Olive in Interior Design

Depending on how much deep color your comfort zone accepts, you can use Mountain Olive as an accent or primary color. You’ll be impressed by its ability to add intimacy to a larger space or visual interest to a small room. Not least, you cannot avoid a gorgeous olive shade when looking for moody colors. Long story short, here are a few of the best ways to style Mountain Olive in your home.

Natural Olive Palette

Pair olive green walls with as much natural texture as possible. This can be wood, rattan, bamboo, sisal, cork, or jute. Complete the design idea with light, matching colors with an organic appeal. Thus, you’ll set up a harmonious, biophilic mood board to bring you closer to the outdoors. 


Mediterranean Olive

Undeniably, this rich and organic green is a go-to color for Mediterranean-style interiors. Maximize natural light, integrate arches, if possible, opt for minimalist and organic decor, use as much natural texture as possible, and color everything in nature-inspired hues, starting with Mountain Olive.


Living Room

Adapt the flexibility of this olive green to your favorite design style in the living room. Whether those are wall panels, antique furniture pieces, or accent walls in a modern or traditional lounge zone, this versatile paint color will fit in. Think of an all-olive green living room with a moody ambiance to enjoy your weekend gatherings even more. 


Bedroom

Feel safe and comfy in your bedroom with brown-green walls. It can be a statement wall or all walls painted in deep green. Even the lack of natural light won’t keep this gorgeous green shade from flooding the space with style. Add depth and intrigue to your personalized bedroom.


Green Study

Whether it is a modern home office, a classic study, or a compact reading nook – a green bookcase will add charm to the design. Besides, you’ll emphasize the character of a space where you’ll feel safe to stay on your own with your thoughts. 


Kitchen

If you haven’t used olive green in your kitchen yet, you should definitely do it. It looks so fashionable on cabinets paired with marble, wood, golden hardware, and lighter neutrals. Whether you like traditional or modern kitchen designs, Mountain Olive will fit in just right.


Bathroom

Remember – green will always be a timeless choice for a bathroom. It works for walls, paneling, and vanities. It is up to you whether you add Mountain Olive through accents or make it the main character, especially when it pairs well with plenty of materials – wood, marble, concrete, metals, and so on. A little secret from experts: olive green flawlessly combines with gold hardware. 

Use of Mountain Olive in Exterior Design

On Behr’s website, Mountain Olive stands out as an interior paint color. What about exterior design? If you like this shade a lot (and we know olive green is an extremely popular exterior paint color), don’t hesitate to go with one of the similar colors mentioned above. You should never give up!

Behr’s Mountain Olive paint color is the trendy shade of the season. Enjoy the exceptional warmth and delicacy of this most profound natural green.

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