Portsmouth Olive

Technical Profile

What color is Portsmouth Olive? It's a medium cool yellow with the hex code #6B6A43. Colors similar to Portsmouth Olive include Hirshfield's Old School, MPC Lime Peel, Vista Paint Old School. Comparing swatches side by side is the best way to spot the subtle differences that distinguish these close color relatives. Portsmouth Olive has a cool (green) undertone, which affects how it pairs with trim, flooring, and adjacent wall colors. Understanding a color's undertone is key to avoiding combinations that clash — it often matters more than the surface color itself. Portsmouth Olive (#6B6A43) by Behr is a medium yellow paint color with a gentle, subdued character. It delivers a versatile mid-tone depth that anchors a room without overwhelming it. On the temperature spectrum this shade carries a cool cast, lending calm and collected elegance. In its RGB breakdown, red is the dominant channel, which gives it a subtle rosy warmth even under different lighting conditions. A Light Reflectance Value of 41 gives it moderate light reflection, striking a balance between brightness and depth. This golden mid-tone works well as an accent in kitchens, mudrooms, and cottage-style interiors. A satin or eggshell finish brings out the richness at this depth, and the slight sheen makes walls easier to maintain. For color coordination, Portsmouth Olive pairs beautifully with blue tones for bold complementary contrast, or with neighboring green and orange hues for a harmonious, flowing palette. Its cool (green) undertone means trim and ceiling whites should lean neutral to avoid a jarring clash. If Behr is unavailable in your area, close cross-brand alternatives exist from Hirshfield's, MPC, Vista Paint and others. In terms of mood and atmosphere, Portsmouth Olive delivers a composed, professional calm often favored in contemporary and Scandinavian-inspired interiors. Designers often reach for shades like this when the goal is to shape how a room feels, not just how it looks. This shade is a natural fit for cottage-core, transitional, and Scandinavian-inspired interiors. As part of the Behr palette, Portsmouth Olive benefits from a curated selection of coordinating colors that the brand recommends for trim, accent, and ceiling pairings. As with any paint color, Portsmouth Olive can shift noticeably between natural daylight, warm incandescent, and cool LED lighting — testing a sample swatch on your wall under different conditions is always recommended. Mid-tone shades like this look best when balanced with a mix of textures — think leather seating, brushed brass hardware, woven wool, and raw-edge wood. You can order Portsmouth Olive (HDC-CL-20) directly from Behr or through major paint retailers, and we recommend purchasing a peel-and-stick sample to preview it on your wall before buying gallons.