Whether you’re designing the interior of your own home or someone else’s, selecting a color scheme is one of the most important choices you’ll make. Are you trying to replicate the feel of a cozy farmhouse? Create a stark modern aesthetic? Capture the pastel craze of the 1950s?
One particular color that works nicely with a number of different palettes is sage green. In itself, sage is a kind of paradox: it’s light yet earthy, cool yet (almost) neutral. Whether you’re considering using sage as an accent color or looking to build a color scheme around it, there are several companion colors to consider.
Here’s a list of colors that go with sage green, including color palette examples:
1. Taupe and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#483C32, #ACC18A, #F8C7CC
Taupe is a demure shade of grayish brown — its name comes from the French word for “mole.” The exact character of taupe seems to shift based on who you ask. Some people say it’s a dark and shadowy color, and others characterize it as a lighter, almost beige hue. Likewise, some versions of taupe lean more gray. Others lean more brown.
Even with all those variations, taupe goes nicely with sage green. Both are earth-inspired colors, and sometimes, they can both even have a silvery cast. An easy way to combine these two shades is to place taupe-colored furniture in front of sage walls.
2. Mustard Yellow and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#FFDB58, #95A776, #828273
Both mustard yellow and sage green are vintage-inspired colors. So if you’re going for a retro-style aesthetic, you might consider using these two together. If you want to really emphasize both, you might consider finding mustard-colored furniture and including it in a room with sage walls.
If you’re someone who enjoys the challenge of finding authentic vintage furniture, try looking for mustard-colored couches and chairs — they were very popular in the 1950s and 1960s! However, mustard has been making a comeback, so you can also easily find new furniture in the same color.
If you want something that isn’t quite as bold as a yellow couch, you might consider interspersing mustard and sage accents throughout a largely neutral room. Bear in mind that saturation matters a lot here. When used in very low-saturation tints, both sage and mustard can look a lot like neutrals. But when they’re more saturated, they can create a dynamic and high-contrast look.
3. Navy Blue and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#000080, #9EA479, #645A54
If you’re looking for a calming combination, you can’t go wrong with two different cool colors. When navy blue is one of those cool colors, you also have a grounding influence built into your color scheme. Try creating a high-contrast look by placing a sage-colored bedspread in front of a navy blue wall.
Want to put together an unusual but memorable room? Try painting your kitchen cabinets a matte shade of navy and adding sage-colored kitchen towels, rugs, and other accents. Copper hardware adds another layer of distinction.
If you want to keep things more subtle, you might design a room that’s primarily shades of sage green, warm white, and tan. From there, you can add a few navy accents to keep everything grounded. Often, color schemes like this rely on dark brown or even black to ground them, so using navy will give your project a unique twist!
4. Coral and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#FF7F50, #A9B18F, #5E8263
When you think of building a palette around sage green, you probably imagine combinations of various quiet colors. These types of palettes certainly have their place, but sometimes, you just need a high-energy color scheme.
Pink and green are complementary or near-complementary colors, so when you juxtapose them, you can create high-energy spaces. In particular, coral’s cheery, orange-tinted glow really jumps out from the calm, dusty green of sage. It’s easy to overdo coral in a space, so make sure you start with small touches (accent pillows, patterned rugs or wall hangings with hints of coral, etc.).
5. Copper and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#B87333, #A4B98D, #53403C
If you’re designing an interior, you shouldn’t forget about the importance of metallics. Most rooms include at least some metal anyway, so you might as well make sure it ties in with the rest of your decor!
If you’re using sage in a room, you can lean into its vintage appeal by pairing it with copper. Copper is a metallic whose warmth doesn’t go with every single color. However, because sage is a cool shade, it creates a balanced look when used alongside copper.
This color combination is ideal for a kitchen. Combining sage cabinets with copper hardware (and even a copper fume hood) creates a charming ambiance you don’t see every day.
6. Light Wood Tones and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#D7BA89, #ACB690, #917A6E
As a color inspired by nature, sage of course looks great with wood tones. And because this soft green often has a light, airy look, pale wood tones only amplify that energy. You can use very light shades of sage along with light wood tones (and other pale neutrals) to create a modern, nearly monochromatic color scheme.
For instance, if you’re designing a child’s bedroom, you might start with light wooden bunk beds and cream-colored walls. From there, you could add sage quilts and a rug patterned in sage and cream. If you want to create more depth, you can layer in various shades of white, cream, sand, etc.
7. Ivory and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#FFFFF0, #ABB57D, #A07E90
Ivory is a dignified shade of warm white with beige (and sometimes slightly yellowish) undertones. It goes with just about anything, but as you may have already discovered, it does particularly well when used alongside cool colors. Both ivory and sage have a classic appeal, so these two make a remarkable combination.
You can shape the mood of your space by adjusting the amount of each color you use. A dining room with saturated sage walls, ivory trim, and an ivory door will have an upscale, almost formal look. If you want something that seems more open and airy, you might consider including ivory walls, ceilings, and furniture with sage accent pillows.
8. Terra Cotta and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#E2725B, #BBC397, #8F8F8F
You might be familiar with the warm, earthy color of terra cotta — it’s often used to make tiled floors and flower pots. It’s a warm, orangish neutral, so it of course goes with sage, a cool color that sometimes appears like a neutral.
The best way to use these two colors is to incorporate actual terra cotta — like in the form of tiles or pots — into a room with some sage green. For example, you can create a beautifully unique kitchen if you combine a terra cotta floor with sage green cabinets, walls, or both.
9. Ash Blue and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#A7C2CC, #B7C497, #5B663F
Much like the actual herb they’re named after, many shades of sage have a lovely, silvery overtone. Ash blue is a similar color — it’s a kind of dusty blue that looks a bit like powder blue with some gray mixed in.
If you’re hoping to create an interior that’s calming and muted, try these two together. If you’re worried about the mixture of the two becoming overwhelming, you can always dilute one to the point that it looks like a pale neutral. For instance, if you have a living room with sage green furniture, you could paint the walls a very light shade of ash blue.
10. Olive Green and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#556B2F, #BCCCA3, #909688
Olive and sage are both shades of green, but the two of them are extraordinarily different. Sage has cool undertones and (often) a dusty cast. Olive is warmer and has what can best be described as golden undertones.
Despite those differences, the two shades actually work nicely together, and it can be fun to experiment with layering them throughout a room. However, depending on the exact shades of each you use, this combination can start to seem a little overpowering. If that’s the case, lighten things up with some cream or warm white.
11. Cool White and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#F4FDFF, #ABB181, #A8938A
Thus far, we’ve made a few mentions of warm whites. These shades offer a welcome counterbalance to sage’s cool cast. But that’s not to say that cool, crisp white doesn’t go with sage. Cooler whites are perfect for creating modern, minimalist spaces.
For example, if you want to design a soothing bedroom, try pairing a plain, cool white bedspread with pale sage walls. To add some visual interest, you might want to include more hints of sage like rugs or accent pillows.
12. Slate and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#5B7C99, #AFBE8F, #F9DEDC
You’re probably familiar with the colors slate gray and slate blue. Real slate — the actual stone — has a color that sits somewhere between blue and gray. It’s a deep, cool neutral, and like most blue and gray shades, it looks nice alongside sage.
If any part of the space you’re designing has natural slate tile, you have an opportunity to combine it with sage to create a dramatic aesthetic. For instance, if your bathroom has a walk-in shower with slate tiles, you might consider painting the walls, cabinets, or both a shade of sage. This nature-inspired combination is one that will transform your bathroom into an oasis!
13. Espresso Brown and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#363031, #B5BE89, #A386AC
Sage green looks great with shades of light cocoa brown and earthy tan. However, it’s also a great companion color for darker, richer neutrals like espresso brown. As a bonus, darker shades of brown are excellent for grounding a color scheme, particularly when it’s otherwise made up of pale and almost ethereal colors.
While it’s possible to find espresso brown fabric, this color is more commonly used for leather furniture (and sometimes as a stain for wooden furniture). The easiest way to combine it with sage is probably to use sage walls in a room with dark brown furniture.
14. Magenta and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#FF00FF, #C0C8A7, #A5B394
If you love high-contrast rooms, you might consider using a bright, saturated shade of magenta along with sage. Of course, you should be careful with this combination — magenta’s bright, hot-pink energy can be overwhelming.
One interesting way to use these shades together is to incorporate a magenta statement piece into a monochromatic sage room. For example, if you have a room with light sage walls and darker sage curtains, you could add a velour magenta chair as a statement piece.
Depending on your tastes, you might find that single, concentrated burst of magenta to be too much. If that’s the case, you might prefer interspersing several smaller touches of magenta instead. Try looking for pale green (or even ivory) wallpaper with tiny magenta flowers. That way, you still get the color, but it’s not all in one place.
15. Aubergine and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#472C4C, #BFCBA4, #C5A9C6
This ultra-chic color combination is a great way to make a statement! Aubergine’s dark gloss forms a stark contrast to the pale, almost dusty look of sage. An aubergine bedspread or couch in a mostly-sage room will really draw the eye. But if you want to go ultra-bold, throw some sage elements into a room with an aubergine accent wall. It’s not a combination that’s right for everyone, but in the right space, it’s truly remarkable.
16. Pewter and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#ADB4BF, #B2BF9C, #AC8689
Often, sage looks soft and silvery. Pewter’s brushed finish has a similar glow, so it’s no surprise that this metallic looks great with sage. In any room where sage features prominently, pewter is a great choice for cabinet hardware, picture frames, metal sculptures and accents, etc. Just about any room in your home includes some metal, so you can use this color combination anywhere.
17. Caramel and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#AF6F09, #A5AD85, #5F3030
In recent years, caramel-colored leather furniture has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. Its gentle warmth complements sage’s quiet coolness. Together, these two colors create a decidedly vintage charm.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to bring this combination into your own home. Sage pillows and accent throws look great on caramel-colored couches, and you can create a beautifully ensconced ambiance with soft, cool beige walls.
18. Beige and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#F5F5DC, #ADB380, #EFD5A9
Speaking of beige, this is another color that does well with sage. In particular, the beige/sage combination does especially well when both shades are pale and cool-leaning. These colors are perfect for creating memorable and nature-inspired spaces. For instance, you might try a living room with beige walls, sage-colored furniture, several potted green plants, and of course, lots of natural light!
19. Lavender and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#E6E6FA, #A7BF9B, #958599
Earlier, we mentioned that sage green and aubergine make a beautiful pairing. But aubergine is deep and intense enough that it doesn’t suit everyone’s aesthetic. If you like the combination of purple and green but need something a little calmer, you might find the dreamy mix of sage and lavender to be more to your liking.
Both shades are inspired by aromatic herbs, and both are refreshingly cool. If you want to lean into this color scheme’s pastoral vibe, try pairing it with warm shades of cream.
20. Cinder Gray and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#C2C2BD, #A6AF83, #F0EDE5
Broadly speaking, shades of gray and green tend to go very well together. However, because sage has such a softness to it, it can often be overwhelmed by darker grays like charcoal.
Pale shades of cinder-like gray work perfectly with the grayish-green hue of sage. The combination is a calming one, too — you might try designing a sanctuary-like bedroom with sage walls and a cinder gray bedspread. Try experimenting with warm-leaning and cool-leaning grays to see which type best suits your aesthetic.
21. Forest Green and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#014421, #A3B493, #766153
Olive green isn’t the only other green shade that does well with sage. Forest green’s deep, cool presence offers a grounding influence when used with the much paler sage. And because both colors were inspired by plants, any room that uses both will have a refreshingly verdant vibe.
This is an interesting pairing of colors. Although any room whose color scheme is primarily based on both will technically be built around a monochromatic palette, there’s still a dramatic contrast between sage green and forest green. One dynamic way to use them is to place a piece of sage furniture (like a couch) in front of a forest green accent wall.
22. Cerulean and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#2A52BE, #BBCCA4, #FEF7EC
If you’ve ever seen the Crayola crayon called “Cerulean,” you know how wonderfully deep and vivid this blue can be. Cerulean certainly pops when used against cool, crisp shades of white, but thanks to its green undertones, it also makes a stunning backdrop for sage-colored accents.
If you want your space’s color scheme to be bold and modern, try cerulean walls (or even just a cerulean accent wall) in a room that features sage at least somewhat prominently. That said, cerulean also works in smaller doses. You can always start with a couple of cerulean accents and add more of the color if you think it’s needed.
23. Gold and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#D4AF37, #A5B394, #4F4840
Often, designers and homeowners alike lean toward silver or pewter hardware with sage-colored rooms. If they do choose warmer metallics, they usually pick bronze or brass. But if you want to add both warmth and unexpected sparkle, try adding gold to a room with a good bit of sage.
You don’t have to go all out with the gold, either — even something as simple as gold picture frames on a sage green wall can make a difference. If you’re trying to keep the room more casual than glitzy, you might prefer a brushed gold finish. Brushed finishes have a softer luster, and they glow more than they glitter.
24. Warm White and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#FDF4DC, #BBC19A, #6A604D
Because sage so often works like a neutral, it looks great alongside various shades of gray, white, and brown. Generally, designers who pair sage with other neutrals take one of two paths: they either select cooler neutrals that match sage’s energy, or they go with warm neutrals that offer a counterbalance.
Often, but not always, combining warmer shades of white with sage results in a vintage, traditional-style aesthetic. Cooler shades of white are best for creating a more modern look.
25. Cocoa Brown and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#734C3F, #B0BA93, #BFBEC5
As a plant-inspired shade, sage green goes nicely with virtually any brown. Dark, bold browns are great if you want to create something with a lot of contrast. But if you want the overall mood of your space to be quiet and earthy, pale and powdery shades of cocoa can work beautifully.
One easy way to bring these two shades together is to combine cocoa brown furniture with sage green walls. If you want to do something a little different, you might try flipping the color scheme and using cocoa brown walls and sage green furniture instead. And if you like patterned decor, sage and cocoa brown can create truly eye-catching designs!
26. Teal and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#008080, #AFC19A, #FFF7EB
When used in interiors, sage green offers an understated kind of peace. Teal is a peaceful shade as well, but it has depth, brightness, and saturation that you don’t see in most shades of sage. Most shades of sage are earth tones, and most shades of teal are jewel tones.
The two colors might seem dissimilar, but if you want to do something especially creative with your decor, you might consider combining them. For instance, if you have a living room with built-in bookshelves, try painting the shelves teal and the walls sage. If the room has dark flooring, furniture, or both, you can create a moody, enveloping aesthetic perfect for cozy evenings in.
27. Dusty Rose and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#B48E92, #B8C9A6, #7B6965
Shades of pink and green tend to naturally go well together. Maybe that’s because they remind us of pink flowers and green foliage. Most pink shades work with sage, but dusty rose is especially well-suited to it. Sage has a natural dustiness, so together, these two colors might remind you of a vintage rose. If you choose to use them together in an interior, try interspersing some soft neutrals like shades of beige, light brown, and pale gray.
28. Black and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#000000, #B5C19A, #FAD3B3
Black goes with almost everything. But given the generally soft look of sage, you might think that a combination of these colors would look too harsh. A room might start to seem disjointed and overwhelming if it includes large stretches of black along with large stretches of sage.
However, hints of black can add some contrast while keeping things grounded. For instance, you might add a black coffee table to a mostly sage living room. Or in a room with sage furniture, you could try adding a black and white tiled floor (or a rug that’s patterned in black and white).
29. Cream and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#FFFDD0, #9EAA88, #5C5552
Many people confuse ivory and cream (or just assume both names describe the same color). Both are warmish shades of white, but cream has a much more pronounced buttery, yellowish undertone. Ivory’s undertones are closer to beige.
Sage and cream interiors often have a welcoming, almost quaint character, and because both can function like neutrals, you could choose one as a main color or use approximately equal amounts of each. This combination tends to do well with all types of wood tones — light, medium, or dark.
30. Dark Wood Tones and Sage Green
Hex Codes:#4F301F, #BEC397, #EFF1ED
We mentioned earlier that when sage green is combined with light wood tones, it’s perfect for creating modern interiors. But if you want to go for something with classic appeal, dark wood tones are a great option. For example, if you’re trying to create a warm and enveloping study, you might consider combining dark, vintage wooden floors with sage walls. Dark wooden trim and dark wooden furniture are great finishing touches, too.
Designing With Sage Green
Although sage green is a color with vintage appeal, it’s also a great choice for crafting modern palettes. If you’re looking for a supremely versatile color with enduring popularity, it’s worth incorporating this herb-inspired shade into your next design project.
