THE MOST POPULAR Beige Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige
If you’d said the word beige to me a few years ago, I would’ve started twitchin’ and drinkin’ in the corner just thinking about all the ‘builder beiges’ from the early 2000s. But beige has come a LOOOONG way baby and Accessible Beige is one of my FAVE’s.
Why? Let’s take a closer look…
What type of paint color is Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige?
Accessible Beige is a beige paint color, making it a WARM paint color. With its unique blend of undertones and LRV, it’s ALSO one of the more VERSATILE beige paint colors on the market!
Before, this beautiful foyer was heavy-looking and dated…
After, Accessible Beige offers a more modern approach to a traditional style…
What’s the LRV of Accessible Beige (Light Reflectance Value)?
Accessible Beige has an LRV of 58. Not quite at my magic number of 62, but getting there. Not sure what LRV is? You get three slaps with a wet noodle and should probably read this blog post – it might just save your paint lovin’ life!
In this next photo (before), my client’s walls flashed a murky goldy-green. This wasn’t doing ANYthing glorious for the home or its wood finishes and furnishings.
After (below), the LRV of Accessible Beige brightens the space considerably, while still keeping things soft and subtle. Everything came to life – not just the furniture, but the wood cabinets, flooring, and window trims.
With an LRV of 58, you’ll find that Accessible Beige is, generally speaking, a ‘light’ color although it’s not on the HIGH end of the scale. In the above photo, you’ll see that on walls with an average amount of light, the color holds itself QUITE well. However, where it gets direct hits of light, it washes out, which is natural for any color with an LRV above 55 or so (and the sun WILL move its way along…or the earth will – whatever).
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Colors with LRV
What are the undertones of Accessible Beige?
When you look at Accessible Beige what you’re really looking at is a beige with a grayish undertone. A lot of the more old-school beige paint colors can flash quite yellow or orange – not this one. Accessible Beige is more soft, subtle, and neutral as it leans a bit to the gray side. That being said, it’s not SO gray that it becomes a greige like its kissin’ cousin Agreeable Gray.
In the ODD light, Accessible Beige can pick up a weeee willy wink o’ green, most often with southern exposure. It’s subtle, but if you have an aversion, sample it carefully to see how it settles for you.
What paint colors look good with Accessible Beige?
Tim can only WISH I was as flexible as Accessible Beige. Oh honey, if you only knew me 20 years ago – toes to nose baby! Being a neutral with minimal undertones, Accessible Beige is pretty darn accommodating, so let’s look at the type of colors it loves the best:
- some warm grays that are darker than AB
- some cooler grays that are again, darker than AB
- it can also look awesome with cream paint colors as long as they aren’t overly yellow/orange
- earth-toned colors (colors with a decent degree of gray or brown in them)
I’m also a big fan of Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige, which is like the light-medium version of Accessible Beige…
Click on the above image for available packages…
What colors DON’T look good with Accessible Beige?
Accessible Beige doesn’t look AS good with gray and greige paint colors with LRVs the same as, or higher than itself (so 59+). It also doesn’t like colors that don’t have gray/brown in them. How do I know? It told me so whenever I tried different pairings. Because Accessible Beige is SUCH an earth-tone, it really prefers to stay in this family.
Accessible Beige in a south-facing room
In a south-facing room, you can expect AB to hold itself as a soft, neutral beige with just that wink of gray in it and more rarely, a nod towards green. It won’t become suffocatingly warm as it’s not going to pick up much yellow/orange from the sun coming in the windows. (BTW, I know suffocatingly isn’t really a word, I made it up).
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
Let’s take a quick break to talk about paint samples…
Undoubtedly, you’ll be heading out in the near future to grab paint samples – stop right there! I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a FEW reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…
- samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1-3 business days, depending on location
- they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling
- if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room
Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE
Accessible Beige in a north-facing room
Because of its wink o’ gray, you can expect AB to look slightly more grayed-out in a north-facing room.
When I have E-Design clients who like warm gray/greige paint colors, this one comes up quite often – even though it’s a beige. Why? Well, if a client has a north-facing room, they sometimes find Accessible Beige grays itself out just enough in this cooler light to hit their comfort zone – without falling cold and flat.
Color Review: A Farmhouse Dining Room in Agreeable Gray
Before, that slightly creepy golden warmth was flashing through…
After (below), in this slightly more shaded entryway, see how Accessible Beige picks up a subtle gray cast, without becoming totally greige or flattening out. It also looks beautiful with the wood trim.
In a room with NO (or little) natural light
While I don’t have the perfect example of Accessible Beige in a low-light room, I have a sample photo to give you the general idea.
This time, my client was looking for a soft neutral for her bathroom (which had no windows), and among her options were Accessible Beige and Natural Tan.
BTW -you should never lean samples, they should always be totally vertical
Natural Tan is on the left, Accessible Beige is on the right. See how Accessible Beige gains some depth in this low-light space and has an ALMOST greige look to it – no yellow/orange to be found here!
HOWEVER, generally speaking, Accessible Beige can fall a bit flat or drab in a darker room.
If your walls are Accessible Beige, which white paint color is best for trim or cabinets?
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
Which paint colors are SIMILAR to Accessible Beige, for the comparison’s sake?
- Sherwin Williams Natural Tan
- Sherwin Williams Natural Linen
- Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige
Accessible Beige left / Natural Tan right
Not sure if Accessible Beige is right for you? I have a few more to check out!
READ MORE
The 8 Best Beige Paint Color for The MODERN HOME
Is Beige BACK? Is Beige…Dare I Say – TRENDY?
Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore Grant Beige
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Natural Tan
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray
Want 3 colors CUSTOM-PICKED for your room?
Check out my E-Design and Online Color Consulting packages!
Chat soon,
Originally written in October 2017, updated December 2021
Hi Kylie,
I love your blog and your obsession with paint colors! I share that obsession too—it keeps me up at night! I was wondering if you think AB would work with natural white oak cabinets? Our kitchen is south-facing and gets direct sunlight, and the popular white paint I am currently seeing is way too bright and blinding in our house. Or any other suggestions? Thank you!
Author
My only concern is if the cabinets end up looking a touch pink in comparison to Accessible Beige? Natural white oak can sometimes lean this way 🙂
Hi Kylie! I find your posts very helpful. I am planning to repaint the walls of our house (open concept). I am planning to leave the baseboards and trims, paint is BM Navajo white. Will Accessible Beige be a good wall paint? I’m also considering Natural Tan and BM Edgecomb Gray (might not work because I have dark brown kitchen cabinets). Not much light in the house (townhouse). I have 1 small south-facing window, then a sliding door and a big window both north-facing. Thank you!
Author
Hi Janis, if the TRIM paint is Navajo White, I HIIIIIGHLY suggest reading this blog post :). https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-16-best-wall-colours-for-cream-cabinets-trim/
If you meant that the current WALL colour is Navajo White and you want to change it to Accessible, yes, AB can be a great choice as long as it suits the interior finishes!
Hello! First, let me start by saying that I love your videos and blogs on paint colors! They have been super helpful for me when choosing a whole house color palette 🙂 In your most recent video on Accessible Beige, you came up with a color palette on the fly that I absolutely loved! After getting some peel and stick samples of several of the colors you mentioned, I think we are going to go with them and I’m so excited to see the finished product!
I just have one question for you if you can make a suggestion or give me your thoughts…I am looking for a shade in between Accessible Beige and Aesthetic White that will stay true to both with the undertones. I had the paint store lighten AB by 25% and 50%, but when painted both on some white boards, they seem to have strayed a little from the true color unless this is just me or I guess it could be the board I’m using…who knows. I feel like I lost a little of the gray in them.
Instead, I’m leaning towards using Natural Tan in the mix along with AB and AW to fill this need. Can you give me your thoughts please? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
Author
Hi Jackie! If you’ve already played around with Aesthetic White, then you’ve really done all you can do to get as CLOSE to what you’re wanting. I mean, you can also try lightening Accessible Beige because it IS a different colour profile, although VERY SIMILAR to Aesthetic White. Sometimes we assume that 50% lighter Aesthetic White might get us 1/2 way between it and Accessible, but that’s rarely teh case!
Hi Kylie! Thanks for your quick response! I’m sorry for the confusion…I was trying to say that I already had the paint store lighten Accessible Beige by 25% and 50%. To me, both seemed to turn out a little more beige in addition to being lighter than the original when I painted them on some white boards??? Instead of this, what are your thoughts on using Accessible Beige in some areas and Natural Tan in others in the same house? When I compare them, Natural Tan looks the closest to a lightened up shade of Accessible Beige to me. I plan to use Aesthetic White as well, but since it is so much lighter than Accessible Beige, I was really hoping to find something that would fit between them. I’m just worried about conflicting undertones in Natural Tan and Accessible Beige. Hope this makes sense 🙂
Thanks again!
Jackie
Author
Hey Jackie! Yup, I think you can shift between AB and NT and AW. With the way natural light changes, some people might still think it’s the same colour! Mind you, at night, that’s when you’ll see those differences in depth :).
Perfect! Thanks for your expert opinion and again for your speedy response! I really appreciate it 🙂
Have a great day!
I am thinking about doing the same thing. I painted most of my house Accessible Beige but my hallway is too dark. So I am thinking about repainting the hallway Natural Tan. How did that work out for you?
All I can say is THANK YOU !!!! We moved and sold all our furniture (old 2000ish stuff I loved) and decided to modernize a bit. This I realized was way out of my comfort zone. Have had the new furniture for a year now and after 110 visits to your website (probably not an exaggeration) and 20 samples of tan, beige, greige paint, I kept having Kylie M (and a glass of wine) in the back of my mind screaming – go Accessible Beige and you can cut the formula. (We face north with lots of windows, plus a loft, and paint was doing all sorts of funky stuff.) I finally added Accessible Beige at 25%, 50% and 100% to my stack of samples and wish I had listened to you sooner 🙂 – we ended up painting 100% in main room, 25% and 50% in the dark hallways – and it looks beautiful! Wish I had listened to you from the start. And thank you to Jill, my new Marketplace friend, who bought all my samples and is doing a really cool pour painting with them. Something tells me I need to buy that – it would make for a great story.
Author
Ahhhh, what a great comment to get,thank you, Stephanie!! And wine ALWAYS helps with the decision making process, if you ask em 🙂
I’m painting my mom’s house next week and she wants a beige with a white trim and a red door. You have recommended Accessible Beige and Pure White in some interior combos. I’m assuming it would be great exterior as well? Also wondering what red to use for her front door assuming this color combo works in exterior.
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Hi!! I love your website and it’s been so helpful!
What wall color would you recommend with AB trim? I’m looking for a creamy white that isn’t too bright/stark. All the living spaces in our house have west facing windows.
Our designer recommended Panda White or Ivory Lace (feels too yellow for me). We will also be taking AB onto our kitchen cabinets.
Thank you!
Author
Oooof, I wouldn’t do either of those – I’m glad you asked! With AB trim, try BM White Dove or maaaybe SW Pure White, as long as it’s warm enough for your exposure/everyday living. The challenge is that creamy whites are yellow based and Accessible Beige ISN’T, so you can’t really stretch it very far.
Thank you so much for responding and saving me from an expensive mistake!!
Hi Kylie, do you think Accessible Beige would work in a kitchen that has lots of natural light, but with dark brown cherry cabinets, Santa Cecilia granite, and swirly tan floor tile and backsplash? (I can’t afford to update all that dark hideous stuff right now — paint is all I can do).
Author
Oooo, Accessible Beige is tough as sometimes it doesn’t have enough orange for a particular room’s lighting/beige tile/etc…
Thanks Kylie – you were right. It looked “muddy” and too gray. I am going w Manchester Tan instead, which looks soft and creamy. I do think Manchester Tan is too light for my adjacent two story family room, which has a solid wall of windows and gets tons of light. Any color suggestions that would look ok next to Manchester Tan and not wash out? Do you think accessible beige would be ok? I’d like something with green undertones.
Hi Kylie,
I love your blogs and have learned so much from you! I wish I could show you a picture but will try to describe here the best I can. I have Accessible Beige in my great room and I am looking to decide on a paint color for a custom mantle shelf that has yet to be built. My fireplace is ledgestone with many shades of gray, tan, and even a tad bit of stone that looks a little burgandy. The stone is very earthy looking in terms of tones. My fireplace only goes up to the mantle shelf. I have a lot of natural light with big windows on north/south walls (length 23 1/2 feet) with the fireplace on the east wall (which is 15 1/2 feet width) . My trim in the great room is painted white. I have a dark chestnut stained credenza on the same wall as the fireplace and originally was going to have the custom mantle stained that color but feel like would be too dark and heavy. My floor is a is a taupe color white oak and my hearth is a light gray limestone. I am now thinking that I may have the mantle painted a light gray to coordinate with the limestone. I have been toying with Aethstetic White. What do you think? If not that color, do you have another suggestion of a light grey/griege color to try? Thank you so much!!
Hi Kylie,
I know this is an older post so hopefully you see this. Currently in the process of building a new home. We will have Fruitwood stained lower cabinets and I really want a creamy white upper cabinet that is sherwin williams per our cabinet maker. I am really leaning toward Dover White for the uppers will it look good with AB walls or should I stick to Natural Tan or Natural Linen? I’m having such a hard time trying to visualize all of this since we don’t even have drywall yet.
Author
Oooof, Dover White is pretty darn yellow! If you want a warm white like this, Alabaster would be better, but really, Accessible Beige prefers SW Pure White more :).
Hi Kylie,
I love your videos and value your opinion. Our main living spaces paint color is Accessible Beige with a semi open floor plan and tall ceilings white trim. Currently our kitchen is Fashion Gray by Behr. I still like the color, but we are updating our kitchen and adding Taj Mahal Quartzite and beige tile floors with a creamy white subway tile backsplash. Our cabinets and island are a rich dark wood stain. Are there other colors I should consider painting to update our kitchen walls while we are making these changes? I do love a gray or griege. Our kitchen is situated at the North East corner of our home with a good amount of natural of light on sunny days. Thank you so much for any suggestions you may have!