Beige is the New Gray

Everyone has had that moment of uncertainty, standing in a store in front of a rainbow of paint swatches looking to choose a color. With so many options, how are you supposed to know if you are selecting the right color and shade for your room?

You try and picture the end result, but it is hard to do. Questions haunt every potential selection you lean towards.

• What if you hate it once it’s on the wall?
• What if it makes the room look much smaller?
• What if it doesn’t go well with your furniture or décor?
• What if it looks totally different in natural light?

So much pressure is on this decision, and it increases exponentially if you are preparing to sell your home. Relax. There is a surprising new trend that will help you choose a safe and beautiful color paint, and most home buyers will approve of it.

Beige is the New Gray

Everyone will tell you that neutral colors are the way to go for the broadest appeal, but now neutral is actually the tone that many designers are choosing.

According to the Paint Quality Institute, in recent years the trend in paint colors leaned towards the color gray. Holding on to the number one spot for a several years in a row, gray interiors were a popular choice that offered neutrality.

But beige may actually be taking over that position. Why? It seems it has merged a bit with that popular gray everyone was choosing. In fact, the nature of popular beige paint colors have changed over the last few years as it has become lighter and slightly grayer in tone.

Why Beige?

Inspired by the elements of nature, neutral paint colors are restful, uncomplicated, and versatile. And although gray, white, tan and beige paint colors are often thought of as “safe” and “boring,”  when done with style and an eye for detail, they’re anything but.

Beige is also considered calming, sophisticated and easy on the eyes, so it is welcoming and has a warm feeling associated with it for most people. Also, it can very easily go with just about any other color. So, beige paired with dark taupe, soft blue, gray or black can provide a tranquil color scheme for any room.

There are many shades and tones of beige too – from gray to warm, yellow-based varieties. And all are trending as popular choices when it comes to the first impression of potential homebuyers.

Which Tone Suits Your Home

When trying to find just the right shade for any room of your home there are a few things you should do.

1. Take a couple of small mixed samples of the paint home with you from the paint store and apply it to a small area of your wall. Do this with each shade of the color because paint colors look different when actually up on your wall and in different lighting.
2. Consider the underlying tone of your décor. If your couch is blue, a gray based beige maybe compliment it more than a golden beige. If your couch is green or yellow, a golden tone may work better than gray.
3. If you are going to be covering over a darker color paint, ask a professional if a coat of primer is needed first in order to achieve the true paint color you are looking for.

If you are looking for a popular, sophisticated look, beige is a hot, yet safe trend to follow with your next painting project. Painting the interior of your home is a great way to refresh a room and make it feel warm and welcoming to your family and to potential buyers.