Are Beiges Back in Style?

I must confess that I am guilty of being a beige-basher. It was everywhere back in the 1990s, when I first became interested in interior design, and I think I grew tired of its ubiquitousness. I don’t tend to specify beige too often with my current design clients because I figure they are paying me good money to get them out of a beige rut. So while shades of grey remain my go-to neutral, I’m definitely seeing a renewed interest in warmer neutrals, such as taupes, tans and, yes, even beige. Here’s how to make it work in today’s interiors.
For purposes of this piece, I’m defining beige as a highly diluted warm neutral. If you take brown and dial it all the way down to its lightest incarnation, that’s beige. But, similar to light shades of grey, beige hues have undertones that can make them veer pink, orange, yellow or even grey.
The wall colour here appears to be a cooler beige, with grey undertones. This is one way to give beige a modern boost. It’s a nice background colour here, where a cooler hue – such as true grey or a stark white – might appear too cold
Here’s an example of a warmer beige. This wall colour appears to have orange, almost pink undertones. It therefore pairs nicely with the bolder shots of colour in the room — the orange and red hues in the artwork, and the magenta upholstered dining chairs.
Oftentimes homeowners pick a single beige paint colour and then go to town slapping it on every single wall in the house. A better way to go is to pay attention to the undertones of your chosen neutral wall colour to make sure it complements the other colours in the space.
How do you figure out what undertones a paint colour has? I have found that the easiest way to do this is to gather up swatches of various shades of your chosen hue. You will immediately notice differences among them. In the case of beige, one will look more yellow than another, or one will almost turn pink against a cooler shade. Those are the undertones at play.
This wall colour appears a bit cooler than the last example, which could be partly due to all the other warm hues in the space.
One of my favourite ways to use a very light neutral hue, such as beige, is as a visual break in an otherwise white or mostly white space. It’s very difficult to pull off all-white decor without it appearing cold and stark. If you want to keep your room super light-filled and airy, think about adding beige tones to the white elements for warmth and variety.
Beige can be called upon to bridge different materials, and their varying hues, in a space. Bathrooms, especially, tend to have many different surface materials, including flooring, backsplash, tub deck and shower walls. When different materials are used for each element, the room can start to look busy. A neutral beige wall color can help unify the look.
It’s also a solid choice when different wood tones are combined in a room. This kitchen features light wood floors and cabinetry, along with many clean, crisp white elements. The beige wall forms a nice link between the wood and the white.
But beige needn’t be limited to wall colour. This kitchen oozes charm, and I think the beige-painted cabinets are a big part of why it’s so successful. There are quite a few wood finishes here, so the cabinets really beg to be a different finish. I think white cabinets would appear too modern; this light kiss of beige is the perfect choice.
There are many different soft neutral shades in play here – some warm and some cool – and I like how they interact with one another. The cooler shades give a modern edge, but the beige wall colour keeps the room from looking too cold.

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