Sherwin Williams Taupe of the Morning 9590: Paint Color Review

TAUPE OF THE MORNING: the new neutral on the block

Sherwin William’s newest collection of colors, the Emerald Designer Edition, is CHOCK-A-BLOCK full of fabulous neutrals, including Taupe of the Morning. And seeing as several of my readers have requested more info on it, I figured it was time for its FIRST REVIEW!

BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED…

In order to show you RELATEABLE & REAL homes, I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. And because the Designer Edition colors are NEW, I don’t have any photos of my clients using them. HOWEVER, I DEFINITELY have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!

What type of paint color is Taupe of the Morning? Is it warm or cool?

Taupe of the Morning is a warm paint color and HUGELY VERSATILE one at that. For example…

SOUTH-FACING LIGHT OR AFTERNOON WESTERN SUNSHINE

Rooms with southern or afternoon western sun can look AWFULLY roasty toasty; especially when painted an overly warm paint color. If your room has one of these exposures and you DON’T want to overwhelm it with warmth, but ALSO aren’t a huge fan of gray, Taupe of the Morning can be a great happy medium.

NORTH-FACING LIGHT

On the other hand, if you have a north-facing room and don’t want it to look even colder, Taupe of the Morning is a way to avoid beige and cream (if you aren’t a fan) while adding a passive warmth to your space.

As for eastern exposure, it depends on HOW BRIGHT the room is. Eastern light can look quite flat in the afternoon, and if there isn’t ENOUGH light, Taupe of the Morning could look a touch flat (same with west-facing morning light).

North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?

What’s the LRV of Taupe of the Morning?

Taupe of the Morning has an LRV of 65, which is ANOTHER reason why it’s so versatile. My magic LRV number is 62, but really, any LRV in between 62-65 makes this lil Ginger pretty darn happy.

WHY?

At this depth, Taupe of the Morning has enough meat on its bones to offer a contrast with white trim, without being so dark that it weighs a room down. And while this LRV can wash out in a super bright room, so will any color in this range (you need a lower LRV for a color to not wash out). If you have a DARK room, you have to be cautious as a neutral like this can look a bit drab, meaning you need to do some thoughtful supplementing with interior lighting.

Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

How to Make a Dark Room Look Brighter – and it ain’t with paint! 

The Best LIGHT Paint Colors for a DARK room

What undertones does Taupe of the Morning have?

Another thing that’s SO FREAKIN’ FANTASTIC about Taupe of the Morning is that compared to many of its peers, it has VERY little noticeable undertone.

But very little doesn’t mean NONE, as Taupe of the Morning has a very soft, very subtle violet-pink undertone tucked deep inside of its lovely little bones. HOWEVER, keep in mind that the less a color commits to one undertone, the easier it is for it to respond to its surroundings and pick up another. In this case, Taupe of the Morning can pick up the very odd bit of green.

What’s the best way to sample Taupe of the Morning?

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 DAY, 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

What’s the best white trim color with Taupe of the Morning?

Taupe of the Morning will be a bit finicky about its white paint partners and won’t want an OVERLY WARM white. The warmest I would humour is Sherwin Williams Greek Villa or Benjamin Moore White Dove. However, if starting from scratch, I prefer Sherwin Williams Pure White or Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.

The ULTIMATE GUIDE to White Paint Colors

Emerald Designer Edition 9 Best White Paint Colors

Is Taupe of the Morning a good exterior paint color?

Having an LRV of 65, Taupe of the Morning will wash out quite a bit if the front of your home gets a good hit of sunlight. However, if you have clean white trim and filtered or muted light, it can be a soft and pretty choice. Its particular blend is also a great partner to many exterior stone facades.

5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color

Does Your Exposure REALLY MATTER When Choosing EXTERIOR Paint Colors?

Is Taupe of the Morning a good paint color for kitchen cabinets?

Taupe of the Morning could be GORGEOUS on kitchen cabinets, as long as its taupe undertones suit your countertop and surrounding finishes. Also, keep in mind that painting your cabinets a color this depth will really limit your wall color choices as you’ll want approx. 20+ LRV points between cabinets and walls for a modest contrast.

How to Choose the Best White Paint Color for Your Kitchen Cabinets

Taupe of the Morning vs other popular paint colors

Comparison is the KEY to choosing the best paint color for your home. Don’t be afraid to explore other colors to see how undertones, temperatures and LRVs shift…

TAUPE OF THE MORNING vs SHERWIN WILLIAMS AGREEABLE GRAY

If you find Agreeable Gray just a TOUCH too heavy for your space, Taupe of the Morning offers a slightly warmer, brighter approach with a lesser chance of flashing any green undertone.

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

TAUPE OF THE MORNING vs BENJAMIN MOORE EDGECOMB GRAY

Edgecomb Gray is definitely one of my FAVE warm, flexible neutral paint colors. The main difference is in temperature as Taupe of the Morning has more gray than Edgecomb Gray and a slightly more noticeable undertone.

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

TAUPE OF THE MORNING vs MODERN GRAY

Taupe of the Morning and Modern Gray are pretty comparable and will likely be competing for the same spot on today’s walls. Modern Gray is a bit darker than Taupe of the Morning with an LRV of 62. It also is a bit warmer, picking up a slightly more traditional taupe hue ‘in comparison‘ to Modern Gray.

Remember how in the ‘undertones’ section I mentioned that the odd time, Taupe of the Morning can grab a touch of green? Compare it to Modern Gray and maybe YOU’LL see how it could shift this way!

Sherwin Williams Modern Gray Paint Color Review

Which paint colors go with Taupe of the Morning?

When it comes to creating a color palette, there are many colors you could sample…

• muted gray-blues
• muted blue-green blends
• subtle warm white paint colors
• darker green-gray blends as well as dark blue-grays

READ MORE

Taupe vs Greige – What’s the Big Difference?

The 11 Best Warm Neutrals That AREN’T BEIGE! 

The 12 Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colors

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Repose Gray

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Egret White

Emerald Designer Edition 9 Best White Paint Colors

Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!

Chat soon,