The 12 Best Off-White, Light, & Medium Taupe Paint Colors (Sherwin Williams) -

The Most Dope Taupes for Walls, Cabinets, & Exteriors

Taupe, greige, beige, there’s no shortage of warm, neutral paint colors. So how do you know which is best for you and your home? Well, a lot of it comes down to undertones and temperature.

TAUPE: Caters to a purple-pink undertone. Taupe is in between warm gray with a purple undertone and beige.
GREIGE: Caters to a green undertone. Greige is between warm gray with a green undertone and tan.
BEIGE & TAN: Are always warmer than taupe and greige but can share some undertones.

Wait a minute, did I go too far? Story of my life. However, for those who like to know a ‘little more’ vs. a ‘little less,’ tidbits like that can be handy! For the rest of you, you might just be here for my wit, sexual innuendos, and pretty photos of paint colors – I got you, boo.

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A FEW TAUPE-INSPIRED FACTS

While many get nervous when they read ‘purple and pink undertones,’ they shouldn’t be.

1. Many of today’s (and yesterday’s) most popular interior finishes, including carpets, countertops, and tiles, favor neutrals with these undertones.

2. Some of today’s most popular paint colors have these undertones – they’re often so subtle you don’t even know they’re there!

3. Taupe is far more popular than greige in the lighter range (greige kicks taupe’s butt in the darker end of things).

WHAT TYPE OF TAUPES ARE WE EXPLORING?

While I have blog posts about darker shades of taupe. This blog post is about the off-white to medium shades, colors you’ll likely find…

on all of the walls in a room (usually in the off-white to light-medium depths)
in a kitchen on all of the cabinets (most commonly in the light to light-medium depths)
On exterior siding or stucco (usually in the off-white to medium range)
As an accent wall (usually in the medium range)
Some of these taupes wink at the warm gray world and can easily slide into it, given the right exposure/lighting conditions.

These taupes have LRVs ranging from approximately 35 to 75.

Not sure what LRV is? READ THIS; it’s amazeballs.

One thing you might notice is that these colors are all Sherwin Williams. For some reason, Sherwin Williams slays in the taupe department, at least compared to Benjamin Moore. While Benny has a few winners, Sherwin has more options with varying depths.

1. SHERWIN WILIAMS HERON PLUME 6070

Heron Plume offers a subtle, feather-light approach to taupe. Does it look more like a warm gray than taupe sometimes? Yup, it’s open to perception on that front, especially if your room has northern exposure.

Sherwin Williams calls it a ‘balmy bright white’…it ain’t white, folks. Heron Plume has an LRV of 75, so it’s tucked nicely in the off-white range. If you use it without a brighter white (e.g., paint your walls and trim the same color), it can act like a soft white, but it’s far from bright…

Partner it with a bright white trim, and you’ll see it come to life.

My FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Heron Plume

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS EGRET WHITE 7570

I’m obsessed with Egret White.

Why?

Many taupes come in hot with their undertones—not this bad boy. Egret White is one of the most muted taupes. While some interior and exterior finishes need more commitment to a taupe undertone, Egret White often catches the edge of these while appeasing those nervous about undertones.

Look at how beautiful and subtle Egret White is with this wood trim and travertine tile floor…

Egret White has an LRV of 70, so it’s nearing the wild world of off-white while offering more contrast with trim. Here it is looking wicked pretty in a bedroom…

My FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Egret White

3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS AGREEABLE GRAY 7029

Swinging around to the other side, let’s check out Agreeable Gray. This color is a chameleon, as while it can favor taupe, it has such little undertone that sometimes it seems a wink more greige.

If you have finishes that get twitchy around too much purple-pink undertone, but you need some passive warmth, Agreeable Gray could be the fix without dipping into the real greige world.

Agreeable Gray cabinets | Island Sherwin Williams Iron Ore

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Agreeable Gray has an LRV of 60, making it a great depth for an entire home. However, it’s also hugely popular on kitchen cabinets.

My FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

4. SHERWIN WILLIAMS VERSATILE GRAY 6072

Versatile Gray is about as flexible as me at 20 (this girl had it goin’ on). This versatile shade of taupe is well-known for humoring interior and exterior finishes with passive warmth. It would be hard to mistake Versatile Gray for a warm gray, as it has a more noticeable warmth, but that can always be open to perception.

Look at how stunning Versatile Gray looks with red-stained woods…

Versatile Gray has an LRV of 48, meaning it’s a light-medium-depth paint color. Some people might paint their entire homes this depth, but most people lean toward the 60-70 range (give or take).

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Versatile Gray

5. SHERWIN WILLIAMS TEMPERATE TAUPE 6037

Do the above taupes seem a little tame? Check out Temperate Taupe. This color ain’t foolin’ around. It commits to its purple-pink base, leaving you with a bit more color on your walls vs. neutral.

Temperate Taupe is more ‘color-forward’ compared to the other shades on this page.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Temperate Taupe…

If Temperature Taupe has the COLOR you like but is too dark, check out Sherwin Williams Angora. On the other hand, if the taupe you crave has a more noticeable depth, Sherwin Williams Truly Taupe is a stunner.

6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CITY LOFT 7631

City Loft is a popular shade, but is it warm gray or taupe? That’s open to interpretation and can shift depending on the room. Compared to Egret White, City Loft has a more noticeable purple-pink undercurrent. I wouldn’t say it’s remotely overwhelming; in fact, it can be just what a room needs.

Here’s a dining room painted with City Loft (likely north-facing light)…

As for depth, City Loft has an LRV of 70, the same as Egret White. Here it is in a kitchen (below) with Benjamin Moore Oxford White cabinets. Compared to the previous photo, it’s easier to see its undertones.

My FULL Review of Sherwin Williams City Loft

Other times, those undertones fall somewhere in the middle…

7. SHERWIN WILLIAMS POPULAR GRAY 6071

Popular Gray comes by its name honestly as it’s one of Sherwin Williams’ most popular shades of taupe. While it has the typical purple-pink undertones we expect to see, they aren’t overwhelming. Combined with its LRV of 61, these undertones make it a contender for an entire room or home.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Popular Gray – yay!

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Popular Gray

8. SHERWIN WILLIAMS MODERN GRAY 7632

Modern Gray is an up-and-comer. While it doesn’t get as much attention, likely because of its placement in the fan deck, this beautiful shade of taupe is showing up all over the place…

With its LRV of 62, Modern Gray is a fabulous depth for the average home’s average room.

Egret White | White Heron | Edgecomb Gray | Modern Gray

Do I trust Modern Gray as much as some of the more committed shades of taupe? Heck no. While I don’t expect to see green, a color like this can be unpredictable, so compare it to your finishes and exposure to make sure it settles just how you like it.

Here’s Modern Gray looking amazeballs with these (peach-pink, almost pickled) wood cabinets…

My FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Modern Gray

I only use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients, thankful readers, & friends, so I don’t always have ‘just’ the image I need. Thank you for sending your photos in!

9. SHERWIN WILLIAMS PERFECT GREIGE 6073

Do you want a taupe with a bit more meat on its bones and a little more girth? Perfect Greige has it all.

First, don’t be fooled by its name—it’s far from greige (green undertone) as it harbors a beautiful purple-pink undertone. Second, its LRV of 42 puts it on the edge of the medium depths while having a bit more softness than the average medium-depth shade.

Before (below), this exterior’s siding and trim color clashed with the stone and the roof…

Look at how much happier the stone and roof are with Perfect Greige. Once the front door is painted, it’ll be perfect!

Because of its depth, Perfect Greige isn’t the color you’d paint in an entire home (all the rooms). However, it’s great for a single room, cabinets, exteriors, or an accent wall with a lighter shade of taupe.

If you’re looking for a shade with a bit more depth, check out Sherwin Williams Chatura Gray.

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My FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige

10. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANEW GRAY 7030

Anew Gray is in the same category as Agreeable Gray, as its lack of commitment to undertones has it winking at taupe and greige.

As for depth, Anew Gray has an LRV of 47, putting it in the middle of the light-medium range. Most people wouldn’t paint their whole home this color, but it’s fabulous for a room or two, cabinets, and exteriors.

My FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Anew Gray

11. SHERWIN WILLIAMS INCREDIBLE WHITE

If you love purple-pink undertones and want a super light paint color, Incredible White could hit the spot. While its degree of color scares the pants off most people (I can’t wait for Ryan Reynolds to look at it), some fall for its more purposeful approach to taupe!

Incredible White has an LRV of 74, so it’s on the low end of the off-white range. It offers a tiny touch more depth than Heron Plume and more noticeable undertones. As shown above, this color works well for gray wash or whitewashed woods, as they often have a purple-pink overlay.

My FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Incredible White

12. SHERWIN WILLIAMS MEGA GREIGE

Mega Greige hits those soft, medium depths again. With its LRV of 37, Mega Greige has a bit more depth than Perfect Greige. It’s also less taupe, leaving it a bit more flexible, but if your finishes NEED a commitment to purple-pink undertones, you might need to look elsewhere.

Versatile Gray | Mega Greige | Edgecomb Gray | Revere Pewter

To hit a more solid medium depth, check out Sherwin Williams Keystone Gray, a popular choice on exteriors, cabinets, and accent walls.

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WHAT COLORS GO WITH TAUPE?

That’s a big question with many answers, as it depends on your taupe’s depth, temperature (how close to gray or beige it is), and degree of undertone. Generally speaking, if you’re creating a color palette including taupe, I would explore…

Medium to dark shades of green and green-gray can be beyond stunning with taupe, either as home decor, accent walls, or feature doors or cabinets.
Navy blue can look beautiful with taupe.
Subtle off-whites that aren’t any cooler than your taupe can be pretty in an adjoining room.
Some light to medium taupes can be pretty with light, subtle, beige, and tan paint colors.
Warm shades of white without too much yellow.