Whether it’s for your interior decor or your fall or winter outfit ideas, you may have come across the shades taupe and beige almost excessively.
More often than not, these two shades of brown are used interchangeably and can cause quite a confusion. And it may be because of this confusion that you are searching for this question.
Taupe and beige are slightly different in color. Taupe is a darker, grayer version of brown, almost like a gray espresso. Beige, on the other hand, is generally a lighter, sandier brown.
The only similar thing about them is that they both fall under the “neutral” color palette, hence where the confusion arises.
However, fret not, as in this article we will break down all your queries to make this colorful question a little less perplexing.
So without further ado, let us get started.
Are Taupe And Beige The Same?
It is quite common for people to refer to taupe and beige as the same color, however both of them have their distinct identities.
Taupe officially is referred to as a dark grayish brown color and was originally used by the French as the color of a French mole.
Taupe is much cooler than beige with pink and violet undertones.
Beige on the other hand is a warm, light sandy brown color or a grayish tan. It has red, yellow, and green undertones and was also named by the French after the color of natural wool.
Is Taupe Lighter Than Beige?
The answer isn’t as straightforward as it might seem, but generally taupe may appear darker due to it being warmer than blue and grayer than beige.
However, there are many shades within a particular color and any color with a brown-gray mixture might be considered taupe.
So an off-white with grayish brown shades would be considered taupe by some which obviously is lighter than the general beige.
Therefore, for any color to be identified as dark or light we use its light reflectance value, that is the amount of light reflected by a particular color.
Do Taupe And Beige Go Together?
Taupe and beige both belong to the same brown color family and are both neutral colors. Their configuration might be a hit or miss.
For outfits, they would generally work well for winter or fall.
For interior design, their combination would not uplift or complement each other.
As mentioned above taupe and beige are two neutral colors and work well with other tones of colors such as pink, yellow or olive green.
These colors complement and help make an identity for both taupe and beige.
What Colors Look Good With Taupe?
Taupe is a neutral, subtle yet sophisticated color that shows modesty, calmness and comfort when paired with the right colors but easily gets very bland or boring if paired with the wrong ones.
Taupe could be paired with warm soft colors or even some bright dark colors for outfits. It is a basic color that could be paired well depending on the image you are trying to portray.
Taupe pairs well with white, dark red, dark blue, yellow, black, fuchsia and orange. It is usually worn in winter and fall seasons due to its neutral and earthy tone.
For interior design, taupe goes well almost everywhere whether it be your living room bedroom or bathroom. It gives off a clean, modern and characteristic look.
That is why you might have seen it in most rental apartments. Taupe combines well with white which gives off a classic Scandinavian look. For a glamorized look, you could pair it with pink or other pastel colors.
You could also go with black, emerald, red or even yellow and orange to give a much bolder look.
Taupe, generally being a warm color, has pink and purple undertones that pair well with other warm and soft colors such as soft pink, light yellow, olive green, fuchsia and orange.
On the other hand, taupe with an undertone of gray or white has a cooler tone and could be paired with blues and grays.
However, these could also be combined with brighter colors such as lavender, light green and turquoise.
What Colors Look Good With Beige?
Beige is a vast and extremely versatile color to work with. It is a color that could be used to warm up a cold or white space or even neutralize bold colors.
Beige takes the perfect role of a neutralizer when dealing with dark colors such as emerald, sapphire, burgundy, and navy blue.
Instead of pairing them with white the warm nature of beige enhances the richness of these colors.
If you want to go for a warm, subtle or cozy look then beige would work well with almond, caramel, brown or maize yellow.
As these are warm color pairs their combination is a no-brainer. These pairs make up a monochromatic palette and are extremely dynamic. For a minimalist look, beige works well with white and gray as well.
Beige is a color that works really well with olive green and sage.
Olive green has the same warm undertone and is a pair that surprisingly brings the best out of both of them whereas sage has the same visual weight so it also blends very well.
Beige paired with black, mauve and mahogany gives off a luxurious and cozy feel. These colors might feel a bit bold but their combination makes it quiet and subtle.
Final Words on Taupe vs. Beige
All in all, while it may seem confusing at first, when we look at their undertones and overall visual appearance, they are very different colors.
Taupe simply is a greyer version of brown and beige is the yellower, lighter and warmer version of brown but both work as excellent neutral background colors.
They both come in various shades and can be great and not so great when it comes to pairing them together.
In the end, it all waters down to one’s visual preference as colors are mostly a subjective matter.
