Olive Black
50YY 09/101 · #5A5545 · LRV 9 — warm yellow tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Rookwood Shutter Green4
- 2Olive Black9
- 3Sage Green22
- 4Evergreen Fog30
What Color Is Olive Black, Really?
Olive Black reads as a warm yellow tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Glidden 50YY 09/101 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Olive Black
Olive Black earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Greens bridge indoors and out, so they suit living rooms, kitchens and sunrooms.
How Lighting Changes Olive Black
At LRV 9, Olive Black is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Most complaints about Olive Black 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 Glidden 50YY 09/101 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 | Muddled BasilSW 7745 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.2 | 9 | Color page → |
| Behr | TreemossQE-32 · Behr | 3.2 | 9 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Dakota Woods Green2139-20 · Benjamin Moore | 1.4 | 10 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Olive Smudge6001-2C · Valspar | 0.8 | 8.8 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Walnut GrovePPG1028-7 · PPG / Glidden | 0.8 | 9 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Ironside422-7DB · Dutch Boy | 2.4 | 9 | Color page → |
Similar Glidden Colors
The nearest shades to Olive Black within Glidden'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 #5A5545 in HSL space. Pair Olive Black with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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