Sage green is a muted, soft green color that has undertones of grey and blue. It sits between the boldness of forest green and the coolness of mint green. With its natural, subtle earthiness, sage green is often described as an earth tone. But what exactly makes a color an “earthy” tone? And does sage green fit that definition?
In this article, we’ll examine what earth tones are, look at the specific qualities of sage green, and determine whether it can be classified as an earthy color. Understanding earth tones and sage green’s relationship to them can help guide your color choices for interior design, fashion, graphic design, and more.
Defining Earth Tones
Earth tones are colors that are muted and soft like the natural colors found in soil, moss, trees and rocks. They are usually neutral or dull rather than bright, and provide a sense of calmness and stability. Typical earth tones include variations of brown, tan, cream, grey, olive green, rust red, mustard yellow, and sage green.
The characteristic that unites earth tones is their association with the ground beneath our feet. They remind us of the outdoors and nature. Earth tones are created by combining black, white and any hue, and then desaturating that color to make it less intense. Less color saturation brings the hue closer to a neutral brown or grey.
Some specific qualities that identify earth tones:
- Muted, soft and subtle
- Low color saturation
- Neutralized rather than bright
- Dullness rather than vividness
- Associated with nature like dirt, rocks, bark, etc.
- Calming and supportive rather than demanding
Let’s explore how sage green aligns with these earth tone characteristics.
The Qualities of Sage Green
Sage green sits between the primary colors green and blue on the color wheel. It is created by mixing a small amount of blue into a base green color. Adding blue has a desaturating effect, muting the brightness of the green into a cooler, greyer tone.
The amount of blue blended in determines how soft or saturated the sage green becomes. More blue creates a pale muted green, while less blue allows more vibrant green to show through.
Here are some key qualities of sage green:
- Lighter value than forest greens
- Green with subtle blue-grey undertones
- Neutral and soft rather than bright
- Relaxing cooler green in the yellow-green to blue-green range
- Duller and desaturated compared to grass greens
- Associated with the soft colors of nature
- Provides a calming, settled effect
The muted greyness takes sage green away from the vividness of primary greens. Its lighter value and hint of cool blue create a more neutral relaxed color. This aligns well with typical earth tone qualities.
Sage Green as an Earth Tone
Now that we understand the characteristics of earth tones, we can determine how closely sage green matches and fits into the earth tone family.
Like other earth tones, sage green is:
- A dull, desaturated green rather than a bright primary green
- Soft, light and subtle rather than intense
- Muted and neutralized with blue-grey undertones
- Associated with natural soft greens in the outdoors
- Calming rather than demanding on the eyes
Sage green fits nicely into the earth tone palette alongside other colors like beige, taupe, ivory, moss, olive, and clay.
| Earth Tone Qualities | Sage Green Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Muted, subtle | Soft, muted green |
| Low saturation | Desaturated with blue-grey |
| Neutral, not bright | Neutralized and dull |
| Dullness | Dull, not vivid |
| Natural, associated with soil, nature | Resembles natural soft greens |
| Calming effect | Relaxing, tranquil |
Using Sage Green as an Earth Tone
The muted, soft quality of sage green allows it to be used similarly to other earth tones in design and decorating. Its earthy qualities make sage green a wonderful choice:
- In interior design – Sage green paint, pillows, rugs and decor create a relaxing earthy feel. The soft cool green is soothing and complements wood tones.
- In fashion – Sage green clothing, handbags and accessories provide an earthy, grounded look year-round. Pair sage green with other earth tones and white.
- In graphic design – Sage green has enough contrast to use as a background or text color. Its subtle earthy tone lets other colors in the palette shine.
- In landscaping – Sage plants and greenery fit nicely in any natural landscape and garden.
Sage green is earthy and adaptable as both a main neutral color or as an accent. It works in any room of the house, from living rooms to bedrooms to kitchens. The lighter sage greens are especially versatile in creating an earthy feel.
Variations of Sage Green
There are many variations of sage green ranging from light spring greens to deeper muted olives. The lighter the sage green, the more neutral earthy effect it provides. Some examples include:
| Sage Green Variations |
|---|
| Pale Sage |
| Dusty Sage |
| Silver Sage |
| Spruce Green |
| Artichoke Green |
| Celadon Green |
| Soft Olive |
Whether pale or soft olive, all the different sage greens carry the earthy qualities we expect from earth tones. The greener olives retain vibrancy while the pale sages are muted. This range lets you select a sage tone that fits your specific design needs.
Conclusion
With its cool muted green appearance reminiscent of nature, sage green fits right in with the definition of an earth tone. It possesses the expected qualities in terms of mutedness, neutrality, dullness and association with the natural world around us. Sage green follows earth tone guidelines for use in interior design, fashion and other applications to create a relaxing grounded feel. Sage offers plenty of green options from pale to olive to find your perfect earthy match.
So to answer our opening question – yes, sage green’s soft earthiness clearly earns it classification as an earth tone.
