The Subtle Rainbow of Neutral Paint Colours

Our homes are usually full of neutral colours, from tile to carpet to backsplash and countertop. Neutrals colours often have so little chroma (colourfulness) that they seem to lack colour altogether. However, they nearly all have underlying colours which most designers and colour experts refer to as “undertones” .

Undertones come in all different colours but tend to appear in analogous groups within different neutral categories. After years of design school, colour training, and shuffling through fan decks, here’s how I’ve come to see the neutral rainbow:

BEIGE undertones range from pink (aka red) around to green.

GREY undertones range from green around to purple.

TAUPE undertones slide from purple-pink down towards green.

GREIGE undertones slide from green up towards purple-pink.

Confused? DON’T WORRY! My handy little Neutral Colour Map below illustrates the above relationships:

Design by Caitie | Neutral Colour Map

The colours on the map have prominent undertones so they can be easily distinguished and understood, but there are lots of beautiful, subtle options within each category. Read on for a primer of all the neutrals, along with some example paint colours for you to check out!

Neutrals & Undertones 101

Pink Beige

Pinker beiges had their heyday in the 90s, but still go well with many natural materials like linen and travertine. Lighter pink- to orange-beiges can be useful for updating Tuscan brown-trend homes, but note that pink beiges don’t pair well with other neutrals . Many factory beiges out there are in the pink (or close to) category, so beware of this when you’re buying textiles like drapery and carpeting. That said, if you love the warmth of pink beige, it can be beautiful when pulled together intentionally.

EXAMPLE PINK-BEIGES

• BM Carlisle Cream

• BM Bar Harbor Beige

• SW Natural Linen

• Behr Spanish Sand

Orange, Yellow, and Gold Beige

Orange and yellow beiges can be less distinguishable, so I usually lump them together. They’re more balanced than their warmer/pinker and cooler/greener counterparts, and go well with many natural woven materials like rattan, hyacinth, burlap, cane and sisal.

Deep gold beiges were popular through the 2000s (where they should remain buried!) and only feature on the Map for general reference.

EXAMPLE ORANGE-YELLOW BEIGES

• BM Shaker Beige

• BM Muslin

• BM Crisp Khaki / Hemp Seed

• BM Cream Fleece

• BM Delaware Putty

• BM Dulce de Leche

• BM Hush

• SW Kilim Beige

• SW Softer Tan

• SW Natural Tan

• SW Maison Blanche

• Behr Stucco Tan

• Behr Natural Almond

Green & Muted Beige

The coolest of the bunch, green beige has been called the most versatile neutral. It works with many natural stones like the stacked fireplace below, and goes well with natural woven materials like jute and greyer sisals/burlaps.

I also categorize muted beiges with the greens, because even though popular colours like BM Manchester Tan or BM Clay beige don’t technically have green undertones, their lower chroma and greyer appearance can lend the occasional wink of green.

Natural stone fireplace coordinating with light green-beige walls. Reclaimed mantle & beams by Ward Harwood Flooring.

EXAMPLE GREEN BEIGES

• BM Tapestry Beige

• BM Grant Beige

• BM Jute (could also be a greige)

• BM Make Believe

• SW Wool Skein

• SW Grecian Ivory

• Behr Alpaca Blanket

EXAMPLE MUTED BEIGES

• BM Manchester Tan

• BM Clay Beige

• BM Lace Hankercheif

• SW Accessible Beige

Greige

Definitions of greige are a bit inconsistent, but in my view (and that of the word itself, I think!), greige simply falls somewhere between grey and beige. Greige bridges the gap between warm-green-grey and green-beige, but it can also sneak up towards taupe. This is why greige paint colours are so inconsistently categorized between colour experts, such as BM Edgecomb Grey, which has been called “green-grey”, “greige”, AND “taupe” by different experts! To my eye, it’s just a lovely balanced colour righttt on the cusp of greige and taupe, which is why I plunked it smack in the middle of the colour map above.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @imahomebird

EXAMPLE GREIGES

• BM Jute (could also be a green-beige)

• BM Edgecomb Grey (could also be called taupe)

• BM Natural Cream / Nature’s Essentials

• BM Inner Balance

• BM Senora Gray

• SW Useful Gray

• Behr Aged Beige

• Behr Sandstorm

• Behr Sandstone Cliff

• Behr Sculptor Clay

Warm Greys

Warms greys, which can look a little brown on the chip, favour green or purple undertones. There are no “warm” blue-greys.

Warm green-greys (pictured below) coordinate well with many natural stones and are often referred to as the “putty” or “mushroom” colours people are swooning over these days. As green-greys get warmer, they start sliding into the greige category.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by C H È R H O U S E (@cherhousedesign)

EXAMPLE WARM GREEN-GREYS

• BM Revere Pewter

• BM Seattle Mist

• BM Northern Cliffs

• BM Winterwood

• BM Fieldstone

• SW Skyline Steel

• SW Sedate Gray

• Behr Pumice

• Behr Grey Mist

Warm purple-greys function similarly to warm green-greys. They too can save the day if you have earthier finishes but want a cooler colour on the walls. They also go well with many natural stones like river stone. As purple-greys get warmer, they start sliding into the taupe category.

EXAMPLE WARM PURPLE-GREYS

• BM Balboa Mist

• BM Cumulus Cloud

• BM Collingwood

• BM Abalone

• BM Silver Fox

• SW Popular Gray

• SW Alpaca

• SW Requisite Gray

• Behr Burnished Clay

• Behr Cotton Grey

• Behr Nightingale Gray

Cool Greys

Cooler and cleaner in appearance, cool greys lean from green to purple. Those with blue/purple undertones pair well with many marbles (pictured below). Because they lean into their grey base, all cooler greys can end up looking blue on the walls, especially in rooms with cooler exposures (north, east), or in climates with RELENTLESS blue-grey overcast skies (lookin’ at YOU Pacific North West!)

EXAMPLE COOL GREYS

(Green)

• BM Gray Cashmere

• BM Gray Owl

• BM Moonshine

• BM Gray Horse

• SW Conservative Gray

• SW Aloof Gray

• SW Lattice

• Behr Soft Secret

• Behr Foggy London

• Behr Eon

• Behr Light Year

(Blue)

• BM Winter Solstice

• BM Silver Lake

• BM Sterling

• SW Gray Screen

• SW Passive

• SW Tinsmith

• SW Zircon

• Behr Halation

• Behr Planetary Silver

• Behr Loft Space

(Purple)

• BM Cement Gray / Metro Gray

• BM Stormy Monday / Silver Dollar

• SW Grayish

• SW Essential Gray

• Behr Rock Crystal

• Behr Cathedral Gray

Taupe

While greige is a mix of grey and beige, taupe is a mix of grey and brown, but it also occupies that handy “cooler than beige, yet warmer than grey” space. With distinctive pinky-purple undertones, taupe bridges the gap between warm purple-grey and pink-beige, but can also sneak down towards greige. It pairs well with some travertines and natural stones, and lighter taupes can be useful for updating 2000s era homes.

EXAMPLE TAUPES

• BM Mocha Cream

• BM Ashen Tan

• BM Cedar Key

• BM Pale Oak

• BM Smokey Taupe / Inukshuk

• BM Stone Hearth

• BM Edgecomb Gray (could also be called greige)

• SW Egret White

• SW Gossamer Veil

• SW Modern Gray

• Behr Creamy Mushroom

• Behr Smokestack

---

Related Articles

---