Portsmouth Olive
HDC-CL-20 · #6B6A43 · LRV 14 — warm yellow tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Black Emerald1
- 2Essex Green6
- 3Portsmouth Olive14
- 4Sage Green22
- 5Evergreen Fog30
What Color Is Portsmouth Olive, Really?
Portsmouth Olive reads as a warm yellow tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Behr HDC-CL-20 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Portsmouth Olive
Portsmouth Olive works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Greens bridge indoors and out, so they suit living rooms, kitchens and sunrooms.
How Lighting Changes Portsmouth Olive
With an LRV of 14, Portsmouth Olive is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Its yellow undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Most complaints about Portsmouth Olive are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr HDC-CL-20 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | OakmossSW 6180 · Sherwin-Williams | 3.9 | 13 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Guacamole2144-10 · Benjamin Moore | 2.3 | 13 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Fresh CilantroV059-6 · Valspar | 1.9 | 13.3 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Olive OrchardPPG11-08 · PPG / Glidden | 2.7 | 14 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Olive OrchardPPG11-08 · Glidden | 3.1 | 14 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Fresh Moss324-6DB · Dutch Boy | 3.8 | 13 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The nearest shades to Portsmouth Olive within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #6B6A43 in HSL space. Pair Portsmouth Olive with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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