Paint Color Undertones Explained: Beige, White, Greige, & Beyond

Are you looking for your room’s best paint colors but nervous about undertones? You should be. Along with natural lighting (exposure), interior lighting, and surrounding finishes, a color’s undertones can mess up the best color intentions. 

A beige that looks pink? Gray that looks blue? White that looks pink? It could be a range of things causing that, and likely is, but understanding each color’s potential is a great place to start. 

The Kylie M Color System focuses mostly on undertones. So, let’s do a quick breakdown of what ‘undertones’ are.

UNDERTONES DESCRIBE THE WAY A COLOR MIGHT LEAN OR DOES LEAN UPON PAINTING. For example…

• I might say ‘This paint color often appears with purple undertones’. 
• Then once you paint it, you see that yes, it does lean purple – it does have a purple undertone – the crazy lil’  Ginger was right. 

No matter how you cut it, whether you say ‘lean’ or ‘undertone’, you aren’t wrong. Do what works best for you (I fondly say ‘same shart, different pile’. And yes, I am that kinda classy. 

While this blog post focuses mostly on paint colors & undertones, the same concepts apply to the ‘color’ of your countertops, fabrics, tiles, & more – almost everything has undertones, you just have to find ’em! 

Now, the big difference is between a color’s undertones/lean and a color’s inherent bias. 

Huh?

Yeah, it’s like that- you gotta love science (insert wine HERE). A color’s inherent bias is based on how it’s made – it’s the science of the color or the pigments that make it. Now, just because a color has an inherent bias doesn’t mean it will LOOK that way on your walls. 

What does this even mean?

Well, some argue that because Benjamin Moore Gray Owl (above) lives in the YG (yellow-green) color family – it’s a warm gray, not a cold one. They’re right. But that doesn’t mean it’ll look that way…at all.

Sure, it’s from the yellow-green color family, but due to exposure, lighting, surrounding finishes, perception, and much more, it rarely looks like a ‘gray with yellow-green undertone’.

Why?

Because the science of it doesn’t match the REAL HOME’s use and appearance. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and yes, Gray Owl can most definitely appear with blue undertones. 

In fact, once the amount of ‘color’ or pigment in a color gets low enough, our eyes have a harder time reading it. So a color with low levels of yellow and green actually appears gray-blue to many people. Our eyes and brains do all that without us even knowing. 

This is why I prefer the term ‘undertone’ rather than relying 100% on a ‘color’s roots’ or ‘inherent bias’. When choosing the best paint colors for your home, it’s most important to understand how a paint color is more likely than not to appear on your walls. 

SUMMARY OF TERMS

To cover our bases before moving along…

INHERENT BIAS

The inherent bias is about the pigments that make a particular color. It has nothing to do with lighting, exposure, finishes, etc., it’s simply ‘what the color is made of’. However, many colors appear FAR different from what their inherent bias suggests, which is why I use them sparingly. 

NATURAL BIAS

A color’s natural bias or UNDERTONE or LEAN is what you might expect to see in the average home. Of course, this is completely subject to changing based on your room’s lighting, exposure, finishes, size, etc, but it’s the best place to start when learning about a paint color. 

Evergreen Fog has a very clear natural bias (or lean) toward green…

UNDERTONE

Is another term for a paint color’s natural bias or the way you might expect it to lean. Some undertones are obvious; others are so subtle they’re hard to see. 

One of the best ways to see which way a color leans is to compare it to other, similar shades. This won’t tell you everything, but it’s a great place to start…

If I asked you which leans the most blue, you’d point at Sherwin Williams Silvermist. For the warmest and softest (most yellow-green) you’d look at Benjamin Moore October Mist, or the similar, but darker look of Raintree Green. However, on their own, these TENDENCIES can be harder to see. 

We didn’t need to learn these colors’ inherent biases to decide what we SEE in our homes with our lighting and surroundings. 

 

REVIEWS: SW Creamy | BM Ballet White | BM Simply White | SW Neutral Ground

Comparing colors directly next to each other gives simultaneous contrast, so one color ‘SEEMS’ a way compared to the other. This is why sampling them together and separately is an important part of the process. 

WHAT UNDERTONES MIGHT GRAY PAINT COLORS HAVE?

I’m talking about undertone, which you might expect to see on your walls – not inherent bias, the science of a color. Gray will have blue, green, or purple undertones, or a blend of these. While there might be some elusive ‘neutral grays’ out there, the more neutral they are, the more likely they are to pick up influences from their environment/lighting/etc.

The blue undertones in Sherwin Williams Network Gray pick up the gray-blue veins in the tile floor.

• Many grays can lean into any of the three undertones. And these can shift depending on the room’s exposure and interior conditions/finishes.
• The more married a gray is to a particular undertone, the less likely it is to grab the others. So, if you don’t like a gray with, say, purple undertones, grab one that fully commits to green or blue.
• If your chosen gray is leaning into a particular undertone and it shouldn’t (based on what you learn about it), it could be due to your exposure, the Kelvins of your light bulbs, or because it’s a more flexible shade of gray (that isn’t as committed to an undertone).
• Undertones can be subtle or strong, depending on the color you choose and how it reacts to its surroundings.
• If you choose an undertone that’s opposite your interior finish, they could enhance each other or clash if you choose the wrong one.

The next image shows a range of subtle undertones or natural biases you might not see without directly comparing similar colors…

L: Blue undertones | M: purple | R: muddy & non-committal (can go slightly green)

The Best Gray Paint Colors with the LEAST Undertones

To briefly touch on gray interior finishes, most gray finishes, whether hard surfaces like countertops or tile or soft materials like carpet or fabric, have a purple undertone. A green hue shows up here and there, but blue is the least common.

Which of these paint color samples has the same undertones as the gray in this marble countertop?

NONE! From left to right, we have gray-blue, cool gray-green, and a muddy, flexible gray. All of these show the countertop’s cool purple undertone.

And we wouldn’t necessarily SEE the above undertones if we hadn’t compared these 3 colors to each other and the countertop! 

The 9 Best Benjamin Moore Gray Paint Colors

WHAT UNDERTONES DO GREIGE-TAUPE PAINT COLORS HAVE?

On my blog, I define greige and taupe by their undertones, with greiges leaning toward green and taupes toward purple. 

REVIEWS: SW Popular Gray | Alpaca | Heron Plume

However, many refer to them all as taupe OR greige, and define them by which way the lean – green or purple. You do you, so long as you get the undertone that best suits your home’ms finishes, lighting, etc, you’re good to go. 

Rather than MATCHING the brick’s undertones, the green undertones CONTRAST with its warm tones.

• Greige-taupes sit between gray and beige – not as cool as gray or as warm as beige.
• The more committed a greige or taupe is to its undertone, the less likely it is to grab another.
• WARMER greiges and taupes lean closer to beige than gray. COOLER greiges and taupes lean closer to gray than beige. However, both are considered to be ‘warm paint colors.’

By the way, the large samples you see in my images are Samplize Peel & Stick – the BEST way to find your perfect paint color. CLICK HERE to get a sample of my favorite white off-white paint color, Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White…

Sherwin Williams Felted Wool is a gorgeous greige on these painted kitchen cabinets, with one of my favorite quartzite countertops…

The Best Dark Greige Paint Colors

The Best Medium-Depth Stone Colors: Greige, Taupe, Beige

YOU CAN’T AVOID UNDERTONES/NATURAL BIASES – figure out which ones best suit the finishes in your home! If things aren’t working, listen to your home – it will tell you what it wants.

WHAT UNDERTONES DO BEIGE PAINT COLORS HAVE?

ORANGE is the main undertone/bias – you can’t make beige without it!

REVIEWS: SW Aesthetic White | BM Maritime White | BM Muslin | SW Kestrel White | BM Pale Oak (which is a taupe)

• Beige’s orange can lean toward orange-pink (common in today’s finishes) or toward orange-yellow. The occasional flash of green appears here and there.
• These undertones can be subtle or strong, depending on the color you choose and how it interacts with your room and its surroundings.
• Some of the popular beiges tend to be lighter and have more muted undertones than those from the early 2000s.

Beige is a popular choice for updating homes from the early 2000s as it complements a wide range of wood stains and interior finishes, like travertine and some older granite countertops.

These beige walls look great with the beige tile floor in this bathroom. Why? Because their undertones are the same.

In this next photo, the orange in Sherwin Williams Natural Linen leans into the orange in the wood trim and oak flooring. It also softly complements the red-orange of the cherry cabinets…

Get a PEEL & STICK COLOR BUNDLE of my favorite shades of beige! 

WHAT UNDERTONES DO TAN PAINT COLORS HAVE?

You’re dealing with a YELLOW undertone when it comes to tan paint colors.

• Tans can lean either yellow-green or yellow-orange.
• The most popular shades of tan are a bit more grayed-out and less obvious with their undertones.
• Tan isn’t as commonly found in today’s hard finishes (countertops/tiles). The average home is more likely to suit shades of beige (orange undertone).

Sherwin Williams Canvas Tan leans into a subtle yellow with a VERY vague green hue. 

The 11 Best Warm Paint Colors That AREN’T BEIGE! 

Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan is one of Benjamin Moore’s long-lasting, popular tan paint colors. However, it sits RIGHT on the border between beige (more orange) and tan (more yellow). 

In this next image, how do we know the difference between the cream paint colors (vertical row on the left) and the tan paint colors (vertical row on the right)?

REVIEWS: SW Antique White | BM Gentle Cream | SW Chopsticks 

The tan paint colors – SW Rice Grain and Wool Skein share a yellow undertone with the creams, but have a more muted, neutral base – the yellow is the UNDERTONE, not the feature color (it’s a yellow-green undertone).

WHAT UNDERTONES DO CREAM PAINT COLORS HAVE?

Cream paint colors lean yellow. You can’t even MAKE cream without cows without yellow.

In the next image, undertones weren’t considered when the cabinet color was chosen (I was hired to help fix this space). The creamy-yellow hue of the cabinets clashes with the gray-green backsplash tile and taupe (purple-pink) and beige (orange) tile floor. The only surface it’s ‘okay’ with is the granite countertop…

With the bones of this kitchen not super well coordinated (tile floor, countertop, and backsplash tile), there isn’t a paint color they all 100% agree on. Their best bet is likely a color from my off-white taupe bundle. And because it’s hard enough to find one good paint color for this room, let alone two coordinating ones, the cabinets and walls should be painted the same color.

Not every room has the right foundation for paint color coordination! 

• Cream’s yellow undertone can also pick up orange, red (pink), or green. However, as long as YELLOW is the dominant hue, you’ve got cream!
• Cream’s undertones can be extremely subtle or strong, depending on the color you choose and how it interacts with your room and its surroundings.
• If you love cream paint colors but DON’T love yellow (ermmm, awkward), you likely lean toward the more muted end of the cream world.

Benjamin Moore Navajo White is a yellow-orange shade of cream

While you might have color ‘wants’, your home has color ‘needs’.

The Most Popular Cream Paint Colors

The Best Creamy White Paint Colors

WHAT UNDERTONES DO WHITE PAINT COLORS HAVE?

White paint colors can pick up undertones from their environment, but usually lean toward yellow, blue, pink, or purple.

• The most common/popular white paint colors have no undertone or a subtle yellow/cream undertone.
• Whites with cool undertones can be more challenging and less flexible than true or warm whites.
• There are 5 types of white paint colors.
• With the highest LRVs, white paint colors pick up the most colors from their environment, including those reflected onto them and those from exposures.

Sherwin Williams Pure White is the most MUTED warm white on the market, but it can look a touch yellow!

My next client hired me to fix her mix-and-match white undertones…

As you can see, the cabinets have a warm yellow undertone, and the walls flash some serious pink. While the degree of pink on the far right could reflect something opposite, the pink walls are still obvious on the left side.

Why Does Your Paint Color Look Wrong? Undertones & Lighting Explained

In this next example, look at the bottom row of whites…

On its own, you might think BM White OC-151 is pretty darn white. However, once you compare it to the ‘whiteness’ of Chantilly Lace and the warmth (yellow undertone) of White Dove, it’s easier to see a wink of gray!

Benjamin Moore’s 8 Best White Paint Colors

Sherwin Williams 3 Best White Paint Colors

WHAT UNDERTONES DOES BLACK HAVE?

Just like white, not all shades of black are created equal. You’ll find a wide range of undertones, including blue, purple, green, and even brown!

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore Color Review

• While perception varies, black paint colors have LRVs below 6.
• Some darker, more colorful shades have LRVs below 6, but this is due to their color saturation (degree of color/chroma)—not because they’re black.
• Warm black paint colors often feature a brown or occasionally a warm purple or green undertone. Sherwin Williams Greenblack is just what you’d think it is—a green black!
• Cool black paint colors can have a blue, green, or purple biases/undertones. Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron is a soft black with a blue undertone. Benjamin Moore Black Jack has a violet/purple undertone.

Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black is a pretty standard, simple shade of black.

The Best Black Paint Colors

And as mentioned earlier, undertones aren’t limited to neutrals. Hues such as blue, green, and violet have undertones, too, so let’s take a boo…

WHAT UNDERTONES DO BLUE PAINT COLORS HAVE?

While some shades of blue can appear true, they often lean either blue-green or blue-purple.

Until you compare it with other shades of blue, you might not realize that BM Britannia Blue has a hint of green in it. 

• The most popular shades of blue are either navy blue or blues with a good dose of gray and green.
• Blue-greens are more popular than blue-violets in the average home.
• Blue-greens can seem warmer compared to blue-purple paint colors (but this is open to perception).
• Blues with green undertones are usually better choices for cool, north-facing rooms.
• Both blue-green and blue-violet can balance the warm light of a south or west-facing room.

Benjamin Moore Van Courtland Blue 

The Best Blue & Green Bedroom Paint Colors

How to Choose The Best Blue Paint Colors

WHAT UNDERTONES DO GREEN PAINT COLORS HAVE?

Green paint colors can lean green-yellow (warm) or green-blue (cool). Of course, you’ll find some greens that seem to sit smack-dab in the middle, but they’re few and far between!

• Green-blues in the lighter ranges are often seen as being ‘minty’.
• Green-yellow is closely related to greige (as greige has a green-yellow undertone).
• Dark green-blues (teals) are popular for front doors.
• Dark green-yellows are popular on some kitchen islands, especially those that dip into the greige range.

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog, one of the most popular green paint colors, matches the green in the wallpaper and contrasts with the pink in the rug.

The 10 Best Light Green Paint Colors

The Best Medium to Dark Green Paint Colors

WHAT UNDERTONES DO PURPLE COLORS HAVE?

Some of the most popular shades of purple lean warmer, or purple-pink (especially as it relates to undertones). However, you’ll also find cool purples that lean into blue.

• As it relates to cool paint ‘colors’, purple is the least popular. However, in the undertone world, purple is the MOST common/popular. Purple (purple-pink) is also the most common undertone in interior hard finishes.
• While Barney gave purple a bad rap, it’s seen as a classic color, especially in its purple-blue form.

See the BEST purple paint colors HERE

WHAT UNDERTONES DO YELLOW PAINT COLORS HAVE?

Yellow is the base color of cream, so, like cream paint colors, it can lean toward yellow-green or yellow-orange.

• Yellow-orange is more commonly found in interiors.
• Yellow with a green undertone isn’t as common a color in today’s homes.
• While yellow can look pretty in a room, it’s not found often in hard finishes such as countertops and tile (you might find cream, but rarely ‘yellow’).
• For the exterior of a home, yellow-orange is more popular and flexible than yellow-green.

Benjamin Moore Suntan Yellow is a yellow-orange

WHAT UNDERTONES DO ORANGE PAINT COLORS HAVE?

Orange is closely related to beige, as it’s the leading undertone in beige. Just like beige, orange can be orange-yellow or orange-pink with the odd flash of green.

The orange in this glorious 1960s stone fireplace is a pinkish orange.

• Orange-pink is often called CORAL or PEACH once it has enough color (chroma)
• Orange-yellow and orange-pink can appear equally as warm.

However, very few of my Online Paint Color Consulting clients ask for orange. Luckily, I have a stunning orange front door to share with you…

Sherwin Williams Knockout Orange is a REAL knockout! 

The wood door and trim in this next room have an orange undertone. We used Benjamin Moore Mount Saint Anne to CONTRAST with it…

The Best Blue-Gray Paint Colors

WHAT UNDERTONES DO RED & PINK COLORS HAVE?

Pink and red share the same undertones, being lighter and darker versions of each other. Red-purple is considered a cooler red hue, whereas red-orange is a warmer shade of red.

• Medium-depth or darker red oranges can be more organic or earth-toned (often referred to as ‘rust’).
• Red-purple can be seen as a bit more traditional. It’s also called burgundy, especially when a good amount of purple is mixed in.
• Pink can be a shade of pink-orange, which has a more coral-like appearance, or pink-purple, a cooler hue.

Benjamin Moore California Redwood is a shade of red with a good dose of orange in it! 

Some of the most popular shades of red are considered oxblood paint colors, whereas the burgundy range can be a bit more traditional.

PEOPLE ALSO ASK…

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A PAINT COLOR HAS WARM OR COOL UNDERTONES?

Comparison is often a great way to see which color is warmer or cooler. Here’s the difference between warm and cool paint colors…

WARM COLORS: You can expect warm colors to lean toward yellow, orange, or red/pink. However, you can also find purple undertones (in warm gray or taupe), pink (in taupe or beige), and green (in warm gray, greige, and tan).

COOL COLORS: Cool colors tend to have blue, green, or purple biases. These undertones are found in gray paint colors. 

While all paint colors start with an inherent bias that is what it is. However, it’s very subjective to change based on a room’s exposure, lighting, size, ceiling height, surrounding finishes, etc. 

SHOULD YOU MATCH YOUR PAINT COLORS’ UNDERTONES?

While this can be an effective way to create ONE palette type (monochromatic/tone-on-tone), it’s not always the best approach. Some of the most beautiful paint color palettes are created by pairing colors with contrasting or complementary undertones.

ARE THERE TRUE NEUTRAL PAINT COLORS?

Suuuuure, someone could make a gray that sits at 0 on the red-green axis and 0 on the yellow-blue axis, but it isn’t really a thing. 

Look at how the natural light affects the lower cabinets vs. the uppers

Even colors with a very minor wink towards one undertone or another will be easily affected by a room’s exposure, lighting, and other factors. This means that even a well-intentioned ‘super neutral’ won’t look neutral. 

HOW DO I CHOOSE MY UNDERTONE?

Quite often, it’s not your personal tastes that choose the undertones; it’s your interior finishes. Bring paint samples home and place them with your bossiest finishes. See which ones blend or connect a bit more and which ones contrast.

The 10 Best DARK Gray Benjamin Moore Paint Colors

For example, if your countertop leans toward purple, you could consider a gray with a purple undertone. On the other hand, you can create a dynamic pattern by pairing it with a color that has a more noticeable blue-green undertone—it just depends on the look you’re going for.

SUMMARY OF NEUTRAL UNDERTONES

• Gray paint colors can lean blue, green, or purple – gray can be warm or cool
• Greige and taupe can lean green or purple – both are warm paint colors
• White paint colors can have any number of undertones, but the most popular shades lean yellow – whites can be warm, cold, or true.
• Beige paint colors lean toward orange but can also take on yellow, pink, and green.
• Tan paint colors lean into yellow, but can also pick up orange or green. 
• Cream paint colors have a yellow bias. This yellow can pick up green or orange. Creams are always warm. 

PARTNER POSTS…

Learn More About the Kylie M Color System

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Colors Using LRV

How to Choose Your Kitchen’s Best Paint Colors

Get the best paint color advice with Kylie M’s ONLINE PAINT COLOR CONSULTING!