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A Ripe Olive May Not be for Everyone, but this Sherwin Williams Color is!

    You may not like the flavor of olives, but Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive will have everyone admiring your great taste! This moody, earthy green is much more appealing than your standard olive – paint or otherwise!

    Large paint dot of Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive over a background of a sunny olive grove.

    Here we will see Ripe Olive in real homes, peek at a color palette, and see dupes from other brands.

    What Color is Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive (SW 6209)

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive is a deep muted green with just a whiff of olive. It’s almost like a warmer foresty green. It certainly is not the typical olive green that comes to mind.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive swatched beside a photo of an olive tree at sunset

    LRV and RBG of Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive

    The LRV of Ripe Olive is 6.

    What does this tell us?

    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.

    Ripe Olive plotted at 6 on an LRV chart from 0 (true black) to 100 (pure white) Over a background of black olives hanging on an olive tree.

    At 6, Ripe Olive is almost as dark as many black paint colors. The saturation is what stops it from looking black, but it can get close.

    The RGB of Ripe Olive is Red 68, Green 72, Blue 61.

    Sherwin Williams provides the hex code for Ripe Olive as: #44483D

    What Are the Undertones of Ripe Olive

    I would actually say that Ripe Olive is a very dark gray green with olive as the undertone. I don’t find that the color is particularly olivey up front.

    Paint dot of Ripe Olive beside its heck chart, over a background of green olive trees at sunset

    Is Ripe Olive Warm or Cool

    I would classify Ripe Olive as a neutral to warm paint color. Some people consider greens to be cool, but you can see from the hex chart that Ripe Olive is quite a yellowy green.

    The Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive Color Strip

    Let’s take a look at the full collection of colors on the Ripe Olive color strip:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive color strip features light to dark: Spare White, Sea Salt, Comfort Gray, Oyster Bay, Acacia Haze, Retreat, Pewter Green, and Ripe Olive.

    I have almost covered every color in this strip. All the shades are bangers! They are:

    All of the shades in this color strip are pretty popular. They are also quite neutral and easy to use. I find that Ripe Olive is a little bit of an outlier in this collection, in terms of it’s versatility. Coordinating colors take just a bit more thought with this one. (But we will get into that!)

    Lighter Version of Ripe Olive

    One shade lighter than Ripe Olive on the same color strip is the ever popular Pewter Green. I do find that Pewter Green reads a little more gray green than Ripe Olive does.

    Darker Version of Ripe Olive

    Ripe Olive is sooo super dark that there isn’t exactly a way to have a darker version without it reading totally black. A less saturated color will read darker, and for that you might like Sherwin Williams Greenblack. Another alternative could be Sherwin Williams Jasper.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive Color Palette

    Ripe Olive works best with warm or neutral paint colors. It is a little difficult to pair with blues and other greens, but most yellows and terracottas will work.

    Today we just went very neutral, to let Ripe Olive be the star:

    Ripe Olive Color palette features polaroid swatches of White Dove, Revere Pewter, Ethereal White, and Urbane Bronze, above a larger polaroid of Ripe Olive. Background is a white room with wood floors and a plant with big dark green leaves in a woven basket.

    Coordinating Colors to Pair with Ripe Olive

    Did I cheat a bit and use colors from one of our example homes coming up? Yes. Yes, I did.

    Let’s take a closer look at these colors:

    Benjamin Moore White Dove

    White Dove is a creamy neutral white by Benjamin Moore. It works with almost anything to be honest, but it does look soft and luxurious with Ripe Olive.

    Polaroid style swatches of Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive and coordinating color white dove, side by side.

    This is a fan favorite white, because it is creamy without being yellow.

    Read all about this color here: White Dove by Benjamin Moore

    Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze

    Urbane Bronze is a deep gray brown that looks earthy and natural next to Ripe Olive.

    Polaroid style swatches of Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive and coordinating color urbane bronze, side by side.

    This would be a powerful exterior combo! Urbane Bronze and Ripe Olive are both colors that have more gray than you might expect.

    Get to know this color here: Urbane Bronze: It Goes With Literally Everything!

    Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

    Revere Pewter is Benjamin Moore’s OG neutral greige. It nearly went out of style and then it was back again! (A good sign if you are looking for a timeless neutral.)

    Polaroid style swatches of Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive and coordinating color revere pewter, side by side.

    This is another natural shade that complements Ripe Olive so well! If you prefer a Sherwin Williams color, try Jogging Path or Shiitake.

    Sherwin Williams Ethereal White

    Ethereal White is from the Evergreen Fog color strip, which is like a sister collection to the Ripe Olive strip.

    It’s a creamy green-gray off-white, if that makes sense. The undertones work very well with Ripe Olive.

    Polaroid style swatches of Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive and coordinating color ethereal white, side by side.

    Ethereal White would be a great whole home color if you are torn between white or another neutral.

    See more of this beauty: Ethereal White: A Heavenly Shade by Sherwin Williams (Plus Dupes!)

    Complementary Color for SW Ripe Olive

    I’ve covered an awful lot of similar green paint colors around here, and a purple is always directly across the color wheel. (Which is how we find the “official” complementary color.)

    I’ve gotten a bit weary of recommending more palatable purples, so today why not a gray with subtle purple undertones?

    Polaroid style swatches of Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive and complementary color white metal, side by side.
    Labelled paint dot of Sherwin Williams Perle Noir.

    Behr White Metal is a nice light silvery gray, with the occasional whiff of a purple undertone. I happen to think that this works quite well with Ripe Olive.

    I also recently covered the moody charcoal purple of Sherwin Williams Perle Noir, which you might like.

    What Trim Colors Go With Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive?

    As finicky as Ripe Olive can be with some colors, it works great with any and all manner of white paints. Good news when you are picking trim!

    Here are a few popular whites paired with Ripe Olive:

    Ripe Olive with a variety of white trim colors including Alabaster, Extra White, Pure White, and Snowbound

    Technically out of all of these, Sherwin Williams Snowbound would be the most complementary to Ripe Olive, and it happens to be one of my trim favorites! It’s a nice soft-but-true white.

    Sherwin Williams Alabaster is a warmer and creamier option that will provide a more subtle contrast with Ripe Olive.

    Sherwin Williams Extra White is a crisper, cooler, green based white. SW Pure White reads very much like a true white, but it’s actually a little bit soft and gray. (See Extra White vs Pure White here.)

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive for Your Home’s Interior

    Time for the fun stuff! Let’s take a look at Ripe Olive in real life.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive in the Living Room

    We were lucky ducks today, and a reader sent us photos of her beautiful living room featuring SW Ripe Olive:

    Ripe Olive painted nooks in a Revere Pewter living room with white herringbone tiled fireplace and white dove trim
    Photo Credit: Allison Burleson

    Allison’s other walls are Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, and her trim is Benjamin Moore White Dove. (Remember the color palette? Thanks for the inspo Allison!)

    I am really loving that combination!

    Here is a closer look at the Ripe Olive:

    Ripe Olive in a living room nook with a mirror set inside.
    Photo Credit: Allison Burleson

    In this lighting, and recessed the way it is, Ripe Olive is a barely-there green.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive in a Bathroom

    Allison also used Ripe Olive in her full bath:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on all of the walls in a full bathroom.
    Photo Credit: Allison Burleson

    This space turned out so Art Deco. Who knew a bit of metal, arches, and Ripe Olive could do all that! If you have a small room with a funky ceiling like this, I recommend color drenching.

    Ripe Olive in a Dining Room

    Bria from Lady Slipper Interiors (@ladyslipperinteriors) used Ripe Olive in this dining room, and SW Alabaster on the board and batten below:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on the upper have of a wall with Alabaster wainscotting below it in a kitchen.
    Photo Credit: @ladyslipperinteriors

    At times you can see the green more, and in other shots it looks almost black:

    Ripe Olive Accent wall above board and batten in a dining room with a natural wood table and black chairs
    Photo Credit: @ladyslipperinteriors

    I think this combination is really cozy and sophisticated at the same time.

    Ripe Olive Accent wall above board and batten in a dining room with a natural wood table and black chairs
    Photo Credit: @ladyslipperinteriors

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive in a Bedroom

    In this bedroom by @built_frm_scratch, we see another one of our white choices, SW Snowbound with Ripe Olive:

    Ripe Olive on a feature wall with Snowbound on the other walls. A wooden bed with striped linens is in the middle of the room. There are black curtains and black light fixture
    Photo Credit: @built_frm_scratch

    The camel colored furniture is a nice brighter neutral with this simple color palette.

    Ripe Olive on an accent wall with Snowbound on the other walls. An Overstuffed leather chair in front of a sign that says "be bold brave & beautiful."
    Photo Credit: @built_frm_scratch

    Here Ripe Olive looks quite gray, and probably the closest it ever looks to the lighter shade Pewter Green:

    Ripe Olive on an accent wall with Snowbound on the other walls
    Photo Credit: @built_frm_scratch

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on Kitchen Cabinets

    Trying to picture Ripe Olive on kitchen cabinets can be hard, so luckily we don’t need to rely on that!

    Savas Construction (@savasconstruction) built this stunning kitchen in Ripe Olive:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive kitchen cabinets
    Photo credit: @savasconstruction

    I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I would have really thought Ripe Olive would work on cabinets, but I’ve been in love with this kitchen since I first saw it.

    You may have already seen it in my Green Kitchen Cabinets post, but we’re taking another look, because *swoon*.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive kitchen cabinets
    Photo credit: @savasconstruction

    I love how Ripe Olive looks nearly black with all of the lightness and brightness going on, but just a little more special.

    This next photo is one of the only places you will see Ripe Olive throwing a touch of a cooler undertone:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive kitchen cabinets
    Photo credit: @savasconstruction

    You can see it almost looks a little bit teal. If I had to guess, I would say it’s mostly from the sheen.

    Here the glimpse we have also looks a bit on the cooler side:

    White farmhouse sink, white countertop, and ripe olive cabinets
    Photo credit: @savasconstruction

    …And back to warm olivey undertones:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive kitchen cabinets
    Photo credit: @savasconstruction

    Love love love! Take note of how good it looks with that tone of wood on the floors as well.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on an Exterior

    Alicia (@lovinlish) used Ripe Olive for her exterior, and managed to capture just about every face we could hope for!

    This first face of Ripe Olive is about as moody and olivey as it gets:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on the exterior of a moody two storey on a foggy day
    Photo Credit: @lovlinlish

    Gorgeouse!

    These next two shots show off the brighter, greener side of Ripe Olive:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on the exterior of a chalet style home with cedar decking and brick chimney
    Photo Credit: @lovlinlish
    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on wide wooden siding behind a cedar deck with chairs for two set up
    Photo Credit: @lovlinlish

    This is definitely the brightest that I have seen the color looking.

    Here is another mysterious looking shot of Alicia’s exterior:

    A dramatic two storey home looks incredible in Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive with a blue sky behind
    Photo Credit: @lovlinlish

    And finally, how does Ripe Olive look in the snow?

    Here you go! :

    A 4 wheel drive vehicle in the snowy driveway of a home painted in Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive
    Photo Credit: @lovlinlish

    Ripe Olive Compared to Similiar Dark Green Paint Colors

    There aren’t that many popular Sherwin Williams colors that have the same vibe as Ripe Olive, but let’s compare two you might be curious about.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive vs Jasper

    Jasper is darker and a bit more gray than Ripe Olive. It’s also a whole lot cooler.

    Jasper vs Ripe Olive on a wall

    That all being said: If you like Ripe Olive you will probably also like Jasper.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive vs Shade Grown 

    Shade Grown is the darkest shade on the sister color strip from Evergreen Fog:

    Pewter Green color strip from Spare White to Ripe Olive compared to the Evergreen Fog color strip from Ethereal White to Shade Grown.

    SW Shade Grown is just a bit warmer, lighter, and more gray than Ripe Olive.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on half of a wall with Shade Grown on the other half. A mustard sofa sits in front.

    Dupes for Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive

    Now that we’ve decided we looove Ripe Olive, how can we get the look in another brand?

    Well I’ll tell you!

    Here are dupes for Ripe Olive from Benjamin Moore, Behr, and Valspar:

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive Dupes, include paint dots of Topsoil, North Woods, and Flora under a paint dot of Ripe Olive and over a gray background with an olive sprig.

    Benjamin Moore Ripe Olive Equivalent

    Benjamin Moore has the best color match of all these dupes with their shade Topsoil.

    Benjamin Moore Topsoil (CC-692)

    Topsoil is just a little bit cooler and a little more gray than Ripe Olive.

    Ripe Olive on part of a wall with Benjamin Moore Topsoil below it. A plant sits in front of the wall in a woven basket and a white framed photo of a palm leaf sits beside it.

    The difference is very subtle.

    Valspar (Lowe’s) Equivalent to Ripe Olive

    From Valspar, the closest match to Ripe Olive is the color Flora. (Not to be confused with the Benjamin Moore color of the same name.)

    Valspar Flora (5004-2C)

    Flora is a little warmer, lighter, and less gray (more saturated) than Ripe Olive.

    Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive on half of a wall with Vaslpar Flora on the other half and a yellow chair in front.

    Ripe Olive Behr Equivalent (Home Depot)

    From Behr, the best match we have for Ripe Olive is the shade North Woods.

    Behr North Woods (N410-7)

    North Woods is cooler, lighter, and a bit more gray than Ripe Olive.

    Ripe Olive on half of a wall with Behr dupe North Woods on the other half and a light sofa in front.
    Apologies for making North Woods all one word here

    Honestly this isn’t as close of a match as I would have liked, but it was the best that I could find. It’s almost like a shade between Ripe Olive and Pewter Green, but from Behr!

    Here’s a recap of all the dupes:

    Ripe Olive background with dupes swatched over top. Colors are North Woods, Topsoil, and Flora. Background is a white sketch of an olive branch.

    Ripe Olive Pros & Cons

    Let’s recap with a few pros and cons for Ripe Olive:

    Pros

    • Works well with almost any neutral or white paint color
    • Dark while still maintaining a nice green color
    • Cozy warm undertones, but not too olivey
    • Looks amazing for cabinets and exteriors

    Cons

    • Tricky to pair with cool colors
    • Not quite as neutral as the rest of the color strip
    • Too dark to paint all the walls (except in very specific scenarios)

    Not the one? I’ve got sooo much more!

    Sherwin Williams Color Strip includes Sea Spray, Hazel Gaze, Forever Green, and Taiga. Alternatively Succulent can fit on color strip Willowleaf, Forsted Fern, Soft Sage, and Create
    Black Forest Green color strip including Benjamin Moore colors Chalk white, woodlawn blue, mystic lake, porch swing, mideterranean teal, and black forest green
    Graphic reads "the best sage greens for cabinets" with a Farmhouse, Rustic, Muted, Light, and Dark sage sampled on top of a photo of a sage green door