The Cutting Table · a common question
Which fabric code is olive green, and will it look too bright?
Also asked as:Which velvet is olive green?I want to be sure it isn't too strong with the curtains
One olive, two personalities: lime under a cool bulb, moss under a warm one. Here is the code, and how to see it before you commit.
The quick answer
Olive green is code 123 in the velvet chart, a muted, earthy olive; L24 is the linen alternative. Velvet 123 reads yellow-lime under white light and much calmer under warm light, and greens are the hardest colors to judge on a screen, so look at close-ups under your own room's lighting or order samples before you decide.
SaveKey facts
- Olive green velvet is code 123 (not P60).
- Velvet 123 reads yellow-lime under white light and calmer under warm light.
- L24 is the linen alternative for olive.
- Greens are the hardest colors to judge from a screen.
- For harvest-gold piping: 920 is mustard, 921 more yellow, 919 orange.
- Taupe and cream tones are in the Velvet and Soft charts.
- Velvet covers unzip and machine wash at 86°F (30°C) maximum on a gentle cycle.
- Swatches are roughly palm-sized, about 4 x 4 to 6 x 6 in (10 x 10 to 15 x 15 cm), enough to judge velvet 123 in your own light.
Have it made
Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you
Color is easier to settle in a conversation than on a screen. Tell the workshop about the room and the light it gets, and the fabric choice follows. — Élodie
Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.
Velvet 123 in two kinds of light
Under a cool white bulb, my friends, 123 leans yellow-lime, bright enough to argue with a pair of curtains. Under warm light it settles into the moss-and-bark olive most people picture when they say the word. Same velvet; the light has simply changed its mind.
That is why greens, sage above all, are the hardest colors to judge from a screen. Ask for close-ups, hold them up in the room where the cushion will live, and read screen versus daylight before you order.
Olive, and the golds that sit beside it
| Code | Use | How it reads |
|---|---|---|
| 123 | Velvet body | Muted, earthy olive; yellow-lime in white light, calm in warm light |
| L24 | Linen body | The olive choice if you would rather not have velvet |
| 920 | Piping | Mustard, the harvest-gold pick |
| 921 | Piping | More yellow |
| 919 | Piping | Orange |
An avocado camper with harvest-gold piping
A buyer wrote to the workshop about cushions for a vintage camper: avocado green, trimmed in harvest gold, the way those campers looked when they were new. The closest to avocado is 123, the olive velvet. For the piping, 920 or 921; 920 carries more mustard, and 919 tips into orange.
The workshop sent swatch photos side by side, plus a photo of a finished cushion wearing that piping color, so the pairing could be judged as a whole.
Olive against walnut
Another buyer had a walnut bench and wanted a green that belonged to it. Velvet 123 was the answer: its muted, earthy olive picks up walnut's warm tones instead of fighting them. Let one color speak and the others listen. For a linen hand, L24 plays the same role; both families live in the velvet and linen libraries, and more greens gather in sage, olive and khaki.
Olive green velvet code 123 is the closest match to vintage avocado green; L24 is the linen alternative.
Élodie
Buyer questions
- A common question
Will olive green 123 clash with my curtains? Greens are so hard to judge online.
The workshop's answerColor 123 shifts noticeably with light: under white light it reads yellow-lime and under warm light it looks much calmer. Greens, and sage especially, are the hardest colors to judge on a screen, so check close-ups under your room's lighting or order samples.
- A common question
Which codes should I look at for olive, taupe, cream or white?
The workshop's answerOlive green is 123 in the velvet chart, not P60. Taupe and cream tones are in the Velvet and Soft charts, and the linen bench listing carries several white and off-white tones. Shortlist codes and the workshop sends close-ups so you can judge warmth and whiteness.
- A common question
Which olive or green fabric suits a walnut bench?
The workshop's answerIn velvet, Olive Green 123, a muted, earthy olive that suits walnut's warm tones. For something other than velvet, L24 from the linen collection.
- A common question
Should I choose contrast piping or matching piping?
The workshop's answerBoth work. Cream-on-cream or self piping is the zero-risk choice, and a light body with darker piping looks elegant. Ask for the two fabrics photographed side by side before deciding.
Questions buyers ask next
Is P60 the olive green?
No. Olive green is 123 in the velvet chart; P60 is a different code. When a color matters this much, order by the number and ask for a close-up of that exact code before checkout.
What if my old color code has disappeared from the chart?
Ask the workshop. Codes are sometimes renumbered, missing colors can be re-added for reorders, and truly discontinued fabrics get a nearest-match suggestion, often in velvet or linen.
Where is olive on the floor cushion charts?
Floor cushion charts number their colors differently. There, the olive references sit closest to Khaki, and velvet #35 is the olive green. Check the chart on the listing you are ordering from.
