The 10 Best Colors to Pair with Beige, According to Designers

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The 10 Best Colors to Pair with Beige, According to Designers

When you hear the word “beige,” what things come to mind? A sandy beach? A classic trench coat? A cup of coffee with cream? While these are all certainly pleasant associations with the color beige, many people view the neutral hue as ho-hum, noncommittal, or even boring. But beige deserves a second look, especially when it comes to interiors. In actuality, beige is a flexible, warm neutral that can live in a wide variety of spaces.

“Beige is the perfect blank slate onto which to build your interior design story,” says interior designer Phillip Thomas. “It offers the utmost in flexibility to designers and design enthusiasts to build upon. I see beige as a universal backdrop for all seasons of the year from winter to summer because you can find a level of saturation that works with almost every color in the rainbow.”

Thomas also calls out the fact that beige is a consistent neutral, saying, “While other neutrals can often shift when they are paired with other colors, beige remains true to its tonality and does not change dramatically against other colors. For example, gray can often turn green, blue, or brown when paired with other colors, making it very challenging to work with.”

Interior designer and VERANDA Contributing Editor Joy Moyler points out that beige acts as an anchor with other colors, and provides relief when needed, “creating balance between more saturated colors when they are used close together.”

So, what colors go with beige in design? Read on to find out, down to the specific paint colors you can consider using.

Dark Blue

Dark blues in all kinds of shades play nicely with beige (after all, the moody ocean and creamy sand pair perfectly together in nature!). Interior designer Stephanie Sabbe is partial to Philipsburg Blue by Benjamin Moore, a warm, historic blue that she enjoys pairing with a neutral beige. A slightly darker variation of this blue is Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball, a “true, deep blue” as Moyler calls it, “with a hint of gray.”

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Amy Neunsinger

Light Blue

Think about pairing a light blue that whispers gray with your beige palette. Solitude by Benjamin Moore is an excellent example of this hue, which Sabbe says will create a calming effect in a room without losing the impact of using color. Thomas leans toward Harbor Haze by Benjamin Moore, and echoes Sabbe saying that this will also create a soothing palette when coupled with beige.

Dark Green

When paired with beige, a deep, rich, heavily saturated dark green will make the beige appear more crisp, “like a deep walk into the forest,” Moyler adds, citing Absolute Green by Benjamin Moore as representative of this color.

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Eric Piasecki

Light Green

When it comes to choosing a light green to accompany beige, Sabbe likes Rosemary Sprig by Benjamin Moore. It embodies the specific shade of light green that goes best with beige, “a fun, playful shade of green, but when paired with beige becomes sophisticated enough to use in more mature spaces,” as Sabbe puts it.

Gray

As you seek out for the perfect gray to go with beige, embrace shades of gray that are dark and moody, and almost black, as Moyler says. Her pick is Hopper Head by Farrow & Ball, which she says is lovely for a modern space, playing on “ying and yang when coupled with a bright beige.”

Greige

Griege also works well with beige. Thomas says that he often likes to mix beige with another neutral such as greige. “Mixing beige with warm gray tones shows just the level of flexibility that beige can have,” he says. “Mixing beige and greige together can help to elevate and give beige a more sophisticated feel.” His favorite color for this scenario? Baby Fawn by Benjamin Moore.

Yellow

Thomas says that deep yellows can make beige tones look more reflective, adding, “A deep yellow can also cast a warm glow that envelopes individuals living within an interior.” To create this effect, he recommends using York Harbor Yellow by Benjamin Moore.

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Simon Upton

Orange-Red

Moyler believes that an orange red hue plays well off of beige, “casting a bit of a soft shadow onto beige, which is really pretty as the sun sets.” She suggests using Mars Red by Benjamin Moore as a partner with beige, calling it “an intense burnt orange-red combination.”

Lime

Want to spice up your beige? Then look no further than shades of lime. Thomas says that the strongly saturated Douglas Fir by Benjamin Moore proves that beige is the perfect blank canvas to combine with any color.

Pink

Soft, delicate shades of pink pair well with beige. “I am a huge fan of pink,” Thomas says. “Much like beige, pink reflects a soft, warm light that makes everyone look their best in an interior that includes that color.” He particularly likes Sunlit Coral by Benjamin Moore with shades of beige.

For a different take on a pink to mix with beige, consider Moyler’s recommendation of Smoked Trout by Farrow & Ball. “I refer to it as a ‘masculine pink,’ as it has a softness to it without being ‘pinky.’ It is a tremendously soothing color.”

Headshot of Shelby Deering

Shelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer who frequently covers home design and decor for national publications. She has worked as a full-time freelance writer for over a decade, and has worked in the industry for nearly 20 years, writing home tours, interviewing top designers, and beautifying her own home. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and when she’s not writing, you can find her at thrift stores and flea markets, running, or exploring local trails in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and corgi, Dolly.

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