NEUTRAL PAINT COLOR TRENDS FOR 2024
Guess who’s back…back again. Well, it AIN’T Slim Shady (dating myself as a 90s child/Eminem lover). In fact, ‘SHADY’ is gone, with shades of gray being quickly replaced by paint colors with more warmth in the average interior.
That’s right – beige is BACK, baby! But don’t put on your beige granny panties and nude nylons quite yet; it has a ways to go before it’s the trendy thing to do (if you consider 12-18 months a ‘ways to go’). And while we don’t have any beige Colors of the Year yet, (and probably won’t, as brands don’t tend to play it safe), beige is still coming in hot.
But I will say, regardless of trends, you need to live in colors that both you AND your home are comfortable in. And if that happens to be gray, beige, cream, or smokin’ hot red, then I say you should fill yer lil boots with the color you love (while keeping resale in mind).
Sherwin Williams Wool Skein
WHAT ARE THE NEUTRAL PAINT COLOR TRENDS FOR 2024?
How do I know the trends are shifting away from gray and into the warmer end of things? Heck, I’m no trendsetter unless you’re into Mom-bum jeans and boxed wine, but in keeping track of my thousands of Online Paint Color consultations, I’ve seen a big shift in the last few years. In fact, if I were to break my E-Design requests down, they would be as follows (approximately)…
- 10% of my clients ask for gray and ONLY gray (two years ago, this was closer to 75%)
- 10% ask for ONLY white or off-white
- 60% request greige or taupe (often dabbling in gray or beige as well)
- 20% request cream or beige/tan, sometimes greige or taupe, but they DON’T want gray
- few clients want ONLY ‘color’ – no neutrals, usually only for single rooms
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Natural Wicker
DOES THIS MEAN BEIGE & TAN ARE TRENDY FOR 2024?
Beige is definitely trending upward. It’s not at the top, where it’s THE go-to trend, but it’s getting there. I bet we’ll be fully immersed within 12-18 months (muted cream paint colors are coming back in a small way as well), but that’s a WHOLE new blog post.
Are you nervous that the golden beiges and builder beiges of the early 2000s are coming BACK? Don’t be.
Just like not EVERY gray was popular in the previous five years, not EVERY type of beige will be popular.
The coming beige and tan-inspired trends will be about choosing MODERN versions that suit your home’s finishes and UPdate them, rather than BACKdate them (which is the fear of every Tuscan-style homeowner).
Paint Color Ideas to Update Your 2000s Home
In the above photo, while you can see the paint color well-coordinated with the beige tile floor, notice how the homeowner’s personal tastes lean toward a more moderate, slightly more muted, cream, and tan vibe. This type of beige isn’t in style right now, nor will it be anytime soon.
But if beige isn’t the GO-TO trend yet…
WHICH COLORS ARE TRENDY FOR 2024
It’s not that beige isn’t a good choice for 2024, it is (if it’s modern), but as far as top color trends go, the average homeowner isn’t jumping in head first (it’s a cautious toe-dip in a string bikini). Regarding TODAY’S trends, while we still have those lovin’ on gray and the diehards who’ve always loved the warmer end of things, we’ve got three colors in the running…
- GREIGE
- TAUPE
- WARM OFF-WHITES
That’s right, warm off-whites are trending – and not just for 2024, they were coming in hot last year too.
Why?
Benjamin Moore White Dove
Again, not everyone is ready to leave the cool world of gray, but they’re also not jumping feet first into the beige trend, still suffering from beige-inspired nightmares from the early 2000s. We’re also going to have one HECK OF A TIME transitioning all of those ‘all gray homes’ into the warmer end things, as when someone loves gray, they tend to commit on a LARGE SCALE (walls, countertops, flooring – EVERYTHING).
Get the best expert color advice…
WHY IS WARM OFF-WHITE ONE A TRENDY COLOR FOR 2024?
In terms of transitioning a home out of a particular trend, i.e., the gray or beige trends of previous years, the right off-white is a GREAT way to flex a home into a new style without replacing expensive hard finishes. Off-white often has the flexibility needed to blend styles. Piggybacking on the previous farmhouse trends, white has stuck it through and is helping us shift into the warmer end of things.
The 14 Most Modern Beige & Tan Paint Colors
WHY ARE GREIGE & TAUPE PAINT COLORS TRENDY IN 2024?
More so than gray or beige, greige and taupe have the flexibility to hover between BOTH worlds. And here’s the COOLEST thing about them (not literally, but figuratively)…
- there are still people trying to update their beige-on-beige homes from the early 2000s
And on the OPPOSITE end of the color wheel…
- some are trying to WARM UP their gray-on-gray homes from 2015, knowing that trends are now going the other way
And what sits in between these two opposite home styles yet can humor BOTH?
Greige & taupe – the great mediators between the gray and beige worlds.
Does this mean that EVERY greige or taupe will work with a gray or beige home? HECK NO, there’s no magical paint hue that works everywhere, but you have a way better chance of transitioning your home into its next phase.
Greige & Taupe Paint Colors: What’s the Big Difference?
Look at those greige walls, mediating the HECK out of that beige and brown fireplace!
Of course, there are those of you who don’t care about trends – I see you, you glorious little gem, and you can just do whatever the heck you want to do…as LONG as you consider resale.
But I digress; we were talking about BEIGE and how it’s coming back in style, and it’s coming FAST.
Is Gray Still a Trendy Color for Walls, Cabinets & Exteriors?
Why You SHOULD or Shouldn’t Follow Today’s Trends in Paint & Design
DOES THIS MEAN MY TUSCAN-STYLE/BEIGE HOME IS BACK IN STYLE?
Ermmmm, no.
All of you Tuscan homeowners who are desperately trying to get your homes OUT of the early 2000s, keep trying (check out this 5-PART UPDATE SERIES).
Why?
Remember, just because it isn’t TRENDY, doesn’t mean you can’t personally LOVE IT! There are MANY parts of the above room that I love!
The type of beige and tan paint colors found in 2000s homes aren’t popular. I’m talking about the rich, golden warmth of Sherwin Williams Kilim Beige, Benjamin Moore Lenox Tan, and the likes – these aren’t the up-and-coming ‘modern beige and tan paint colors‘. The NEW color trends are more moderate in their approach. This being said…
You’ll find it much easier to transition your 2000s, beige-inspired home into these MODERN beiges (or greige or taupe) compared to trying to squeeze it into gray.
People are seeing how pretty beige can be when it’s done the right way. And what IS the right way? Well, that’s subjective, but if you ask me (which is a good idea), today’s beige is more versatile and flexible than its more golden counterparts of yesteryear.
Shown above – Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White
Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige & Benjamin Moore White Dove
So, let’s take a look at some of the beige and tan paint colors that are bound to be in style in the coming years. If you want a FULL DEPTH report, check out this blog post…
POPULAR BEIGE & TAN PAINT COLORS FOR 2024
- Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige
- Sherwin Williams Moderate White
- Sherwin Williams Natural Tan
- Sherwin Williams Canvas Tan
- Sherwin Williams Natural Linen
- Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White
- Benjamin Moore Natural Wicker
- Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan
- Benjamin Moore Muslin
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Chat soon,
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN PREVIOUSLY & COMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED IN 2023
Curious your thoughts about BM Feather Down.. I rarely see it mentioned in any blogs or pictures!
After watching many of your videos I have chosen Natural Linen for all my walls. And I am taking your advice ( thank you), on choosing a lighter, brighter color for cabinets and trim…either Sw Whitetale or Westhighland white.
Am I on the right track?
Sorry it’s SW Natural Linen…thanks, JGiven
Kylie you have been crucial and instrumental in helping me understand paint better! I have a whole house I need to repaint and the light from windows in all directions is making it tricky, but I like the feel in the photo above in this blog post of the kitchen with the more yellow-ish floor tiles and granite, and the darker cabinets. I cannot for the life of me find what color of wall paint/ ceiling paint/white trim paint is in that photo. Specifically , the photo with the little weenie dog serving piece sitting on the island, just below where you say a few clients want only colors, no neutrals. It isn’t Wool Skein I don’t think because I don’t see that green in it… ( I love green I just really want to know what color that wall paint is in that photo, especially, but I do also want to know the other accent colors in this one.). Help!
Is BM Grant Beige one of the outdated beiges or is it one of the trendier ones we’ll be seeing more of?
My house is 2007. I understand “Tuscan” all too well. We are trim work and painting done end of April ‘24. We chose BM Clay Beige. Trim done in BM Chantilly Lace, and some accents in SW Sea Serpent. Can’t wait for the transformation. I definitely did not want gray.