There are just sooo many paint colors out there, that it can feel impossible to choose. Sage green is no different, but it may be a little more difficult!
In this post we will cover all of the best true-to-tone sage green paint colors that I can reasonably categorize. I’ve got light, medium, dark, and the best for different areas of your home. Plus, I’ve tried to pick mostly colors that haven’t already been done to death!
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Choosing a Sage Green Paint Color
My best advice for choosing the perfect sage green, is to pick a color you like on the chip and go either much more gray or beige.
In my experience, greens have a very strong undertone. Something that looks obviously sagey on the color card, can very easily go teal, aqua, or olive on the wall.
If the green is almost imperceptible on the chip, you’re in the right neighborhood for sage! You will see this phenomenon at work with some of the color cards that I have collected for this post.
Ideal Sage Green LRVs
One more tricky thing about sage green paint colors, is getting the LRV right.
The LRV of a color indicates on a scale of 0 – 100 how much light a color reflects (or doesn’t reflect). True black has an LRV of 0 and pure white has an LRV of 100.
In the paint world, we are working in a range of about 3 – 93 because no paint color is purely black or completely white.
With the very lightest and darkest paint colors, it is much harder to get the sage green look. For this reason, try to stay in an LRV range of about 12 to 74.
Colors with LRVs below 12 are more likely to look very dark green rather than sage. Colors with LRVs above 74 could look minty.
I have chosen a few colors that are outside of that range because I happen to know that they still look sage. If you are choosing for yourself, 12 to 74 is pretty safe.
Light Sage Greens You’ve Never Heard Of
As I mentioned, going light with sage green can be tricky to get right. One wrong turn and your walls are reading seafoam or mint! Stick with the guiding principle I mentioned earlier and go with muted muted muted.
Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray
Comfort Gray takes a back seat to all of the more popular and trendy colors from the same color strip, but it is a beautiful shade in its own right:
Sherwin Williams Sea Salt is one shade lighter than Comfort Gray, and while it is a gray green, it tends not to look predictably sage. This is why I suggest the slightly darker Comfort Gray, but you may find that Sea Salt fits the bill for you.
Comfort Gray looks more green than the swatch, but it is definitely a subtle gray option. It will not be boldly green, and can even look slightly blue-green. A gray-green with a touch of blue is typically the sage I picture, but this is not a warm option if that’s what you are after.
Comfort Gray has an LRV of 54.
Benjamin Moore Vale Mist
Vale Mist looks a lot warmer than Comfort Gray, and it is, but it is still a nice subtle gray-sage.
I find that Vale Mist is a bit of a chameleon. It can have a subtle blue undertone, or it can have a warm “spring green” undertone.
Vale Mist has an LRV of 55.94. (*Note that different brands measure LRV slightly differently)
Behr Riverdale
Riverdale is on Behr’s page of most popular green paint colors, but I wouldn’t say that I have seen many people using it. In fact, it was downright hard to find real photos of it.
(I’ll be honest, I think they put colors on that page just to give them a spotlight.)
It is however, a beautiful light sage green. I will say that this one is also quite cool-toned, and can lean a little more blue.
Riverdale has an LRV of 55.
Valspar Acropolis
I broke my own rule when I chose Acropolis, because not only is it outside of the LRV range I like, it’s so light that it toes the line of white.
It is just SUCH a pretty color that I couldn’t leave it behind. Who knows! Maybe someone out there is looking for a sage white!
Acropolis manages to read “sage” and not mint even though it is nice and light.
Acropolis has an LRV of 81.
If you like this color, you will probably also like Sherwin Williams Ethereal White.
Medium Sage Greens You Haven’t Considered
Sherwin Williams Acacia Haze
Acacia Haze is actually from the same paint strip as Comfort Gray, and is one of the other overlooked colors. (IMHO)
I have actually written a whole post for this one, because I think it deserves a little more street cred! Sherwin Williams Acacia Haze: A Delicious Gray Green (Deep Dive & Dupes!)
The LRV of Acacia Haze is 32.
Benjamin Moore Carolina Gull
Carolina Gull might just be the quintessential sage green! It’s a really nice predictable color:
It is a bit warmer than some other options, but the undertone can vary from warm to cool.
I cover this color more here: Benjamin Moore Carolina Gull (The Latest in Sage Greens!)
The LRV of Carolina Gull is 26.
Behr Sage Green
I mean… I HAD to. It’s in the name! This sage green from Behr really is also a great “standard sage” color.
This one is a bit more overtly green than some of the other options here, so it’s a great choice if you want something just a touch bolder.
The LRV of Sage Green is 22.
Valspar Tornado Watch
I realize that Tornado Watch doesn’t even look like it belongs here! This murky looking beige transforms on the wall to a muted sage color.
The downside of Tornado Watch, is that you are very much relying on the undertone to show up, so you will want to test it in your room. I would venture to say that this one is a sage gray and it probably won’t look green all the time.
A similar color is Sherwin Williams Thunderous.
The LRV of Tornado Watch is 33.
Dark Sage Greens That Still Look “Sage”
Sherwin Williams Shade Grown
Shade Grown is the darkest of the dark sage greens in this post, and as such is borderline whether it reads sage or just “dark green.”
In low light the sage can get lost, but in the end it is still a sage green. Check out what a beautiful color it is:
The LRV of Shade Grown is 8.
Benjamin Moore Vintage Vogue
Vintage Vogue is one of my favorite dark green colors period.
It hardly looks green at all on the swatch, but there is no mistaking it in real life:
Definitely check out my post for this one, because it varies in appearance from medium to very dark.
The LRV of Vintage Vogue is 11.85
Behr Cypress Vine
Cypress Vine is definitely a more green sage than many of these muted colors, but it doesn’t ever go olive or forest green.
Let’s put it this way: If I was looking for a dark green from Behr, I would not hesitate to grab Cypress Vine!
The LRV of this one is 12.
Valspar Flora
I feel like I’ve bumped into Flora a few times while I’m covering other colors, but she never has her day in the sun.
Ironically, I’ve never actually seen Flora in the sun either, so I can’t tell you exactly how light it can look. I have however, seen it looking quite black.
I would say that this one should have a sagey effect in brighter light, but maybe it’s safer to consider this as a black sage.
The LRV of Flora according to Valspar is 9.3, but their LRVs are notoriously different from other brands and I think this color is likely darker.
Best Warm Sage Color
I’ve covered mostly cool sage colors here, so I thought I should also promote my favorite warm sage.
The winner is…
Sherwin Williams Svelte Sage
This color looks very much like an olivey-beige, but in real life it is a beautiful sage.
The white here is Sherwin Williams Shoji White.
Most Popular Sage Colors
Since this whole post is geared towards more…shall we say “hipster”(?) sage choices, I thought we could also cover the blockbuster ones.
These two were the Colors of the Year for 2022 from their respective brands.
Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog
Evergreen Fog is a color that I have already covered in detail here: How 5 Experts Used Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog and You Can Too!
…but just for fun, let’s see a little more, shall we?
Evergreen Fog is a darker mid-toned color. I wouldn’t consider it dark exactly, but with an LRV of 30, it is darker than your typical whole-home wall color by a good bit.
Benjamin Moore October Mist
Seeing as it was once the color of the year, I have also done a deep dive on this color!: Should You Still Use October Mist by Benjamin Moore in 2023? (The Ultimate Review!)
October Mist has an LRV of 46, so if you really like it, you could use it on all of your walls.
For me personally, there are other sage greens that I like better. October Mist does lean warmer than most, so that might be a selling feature for you!
Best for Small Spaces
If you’re ready to go ham with the sage green, and use it on absolutely everything in one small space, I happen to have a color that springs to mind!
Behr Heritage Park
I love this design where Heritage Park is the star! Using the same color on walls, trim, and doors, is very current and makes a huge statement.
Best Sage Green for a Nursery
You definitely want any nursery color to be peaceful, calming, and – dare I say? – sleep inspiring.
Sage green is a nice gender neutral color that reads “sophisticated nursery” rather than “babyish.” Of course you can use any sage, but I recommend Benjamin Moore Sage Tint.
Benjamin Moore Sage Tint
Sage Tint is a bit more “colorful” than the really gray sages, which is nice for a bedroom or nursery. It has an LRV of 58, so it’s actually fairly light.
Sage Tint is on the cool side, but cool colors are actually recommended for their calming properties. Sounds perfect for getting some Z’s.
Best for Kitchens and Cabinets
This is a bit of a hard one, because I really like green cabinets in general. In fact, you can check out my post: Trend-Setting Green Kitchen Cabinet Ideas (Plus: 22 Paint Colors to Use!)
I landed on two faves for this category: Benjamin Moore Misted Green and Sherwin Williams Retreat.
When choosing sage for cabinets, I recommend going either extra muted, or darker.
Benjamin Moore Misted Green
Misted Green is another lighter sage, with an LRV of 46.44. You can see that this one is pretty gray:
Here she is on cabinets:
Sherwin Williams Retreat
Retreat is a fast growing favorite, so it’s not exactly one you’ve never heard of, but it is gorgeouuuss!
I will say that this is not a super popular sage choice for cabinets, so that’s appealing.
I think these read “classic sage green.”
Best for Living Rooms
I’m going to double down on Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray for a sagey green living room! I like how light and subtle it is.
Best for Bathrooms
We already talked about this color earlier, but I personally love Vintage Vogue in the bathroom.
Is it because this bathroom is perfect?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Best Sage Green for Your Front Door
I’m caving and suggesting a hot commodity for this one!
Sherwin Williams Pewter Green
Pewter Green is from the same color strip that brought us Sea Salt, Comfort Gray, Acacia Haze, AND Retreat. I know. It’s a baddy.
You can read all about this color here: Don’t Choose Sherwin Williams Pewter Green Before Reading! (Plus Dupes)
Best Sage Green for Exteriors
Sage is a really smart choice for an exterior because it is incredibly neutral while also making sooo much more of a statement than a beige, gray, or white will.
(Disclaimer: Urbane Bronze and Iron Ore are notable exceptions!)
Benjamin Moore Carolina Gull
I know I’ve already mentioned this one, but it is one of the best mid-toned sages from Benjamin Moore AND it looks amazing on exteriors.
Sherwin Williams Rosemary
Rosemary is one of my all-time faves for exteriors. I just think this color easily updates any home AND complements most existing finishes!
Look how good that 70’s brick looks with this color! That brick is seriously difficult to elevate, but Rosemary manages to.
Rosemary is actually from the same color strip as Evergreen Fog and Shade Grown. You can read more about this color here: Sherwin Williams Rosemary (The Unofficial Color of the Year?)
Using a Sage Green in Your Home – Plus a Few More Colors!
Normally I would do a pros and cons list to finish things off, but I just don’t think there are a lots of cons to using a sage paint color.
The only downside to sage is that they can be muted to the point of looking gray, but you can remedy that by picking a more overt green like Cypress Vine or Rosemary.
This was a “best of” list, so there are plenty of colors that I just couldn’t squeeze in! Notably you might like Sherwin Williams Clary Sage.
Here are some other posts about colors that you will love! :
