The 8 Best Beige & Tan Paint Colours for Today’s MODERN Home

The NEW Era of Beige & Tan Paint Colours

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen beige, tan and MODERN in the same sentence – about 15 years to be exact. But it’s coming back, and before you know it, we’ll be fully immersed in the warm neutral world again, revelling in the GLORY of travertine, beige walls and Saint Cecilia granite countertop.

Just joking.

NONE of this is coming back anytime soon, but this doesn’t mean YOU can’t love it for your home!

While some of the above is true, there are SOME finishes that won’t be coming back any time soon. However, with the coming trends, it will be MUCH easier to update the look of them with PURPOSEFULLY chosen warm neutral paint colours.

Personally, I LOVE travertine tile and always will whether it’s trendy or not!

WHERE DO SOME OF THESE MODERN BEIGE PAINT COLOURS WORK BEST?

• a modern beige can be a great partner to some travertine tiles and early 2000s style homes

• they can be great transitional colours for homes with a warmer Tuscan style when the owner doesn’t want a traditional RICH, golden beige

• they’re a great update to some of the more outdated granite countertops

• a modern beige or tan is a way of staying in the ‘warm’ family without overheating a south or west-facing room (which can look darn warm on the best of days)

• it’s also a great way to add some softness to a NORTH-facing room without embracing the more golden end of things

And those are just a FEW of the ways you can use modern beige in your home. Just imagine what I can come up with once I’ve had my glass of wine…uno momento…NOW WE’RE PLAYIN’ WITH FIRE!

• a modern beige can be a great transitional colour between spouses/partners who each prefer the warmer/cooler end of things

• you can also use a modern beige to take the warm edge off of some stronger warm-toned woods

• a modern beige can be great for resale – warmer than gray, which is falling off the trend charts, without being obnoxiously warm and reminiscent of the early 2000s

• it’s also a great bra colour when you want to wear a white t-shirt

Sherwin Williams Canvas Tan

Now, you’re probably wondering just what ARE these so-called modern beige and tan paint colours?

Let’s take a lil boo…

1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ACCESSIBLE BEIGE 7036

Accessible Beige is one of THE most popular beige paint colours and has been for several years – even during the gray trend. With an LRV of 58, Accessible Beige is a light beige, but rather than looking GOLDEN like the beiges of the early 2000s, it actually leans a wink into gray. And trust me, this wee willy wink makes a HUGE difference, particularly in a north-facing room!

 Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS MODERATE WHITE 6140

If you judge it by its Pinterest profile, Moderate White is one BUTT-ugly beige. However, in real life, it’s one of my faves. I will say that Moderate White has a bit more orange undertone than most people are looking for, but it sure suits a HECK of a lot of interior finishes without looking heavy or outdated.

In comparison to the fabric on this sofa, Moderate White almost looks CREAMY in comparison, which just shows how flexible it can be…

And while I’ll admit this next ‘in progress’ photo is no screamin’ glory, it sure shows Moderate White at its VERY best…

Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Moderate White

3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS NATURAL LINEN 9109

As beige gets more and more popular, I see Natural Linen being a BIG PART of the coming paint colour trends. Personally? I LOVE IT!

In an effort to show you REAL HOMES & REAL BUDGETS, I only use photos from my E-Design clients as my examples. THANK you for sharing your homes with me, you make my colourful little world go round! 

For those that are used to the muted approach of gray, greige and taupe, Natural Linen will seem AWFULLY beige. However, compare it to the traditional beiges of yesteryear and you’ll see how MASSIVELY subtle and freakin’ GORGEOUS it is.

Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Natural Linen

4. SHERWIN WILLIAMS AESTHETIC WHITE 7035

When it comes to the best off-white warm beige paint colours, Aesthetic White and the previously mentioned Moderate White are near the top of my list.

Aesthetic White is on the CABINETS, not the walls

All samples are sitting on Sherwin Williams Shell White

The difference between Moderate White and Aesthetic White is that Aesthetic is more MUTED; it has a bit more gray to it, making it a great happy medium for those wanting a more PASSIVE nod towards warmth.

Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White

5. SHERWIN WILLIAMS BALANCED BEIGE 7037

Balanced Beige is a great warm neutral if you’re looking for a BIT more depth, without hitting anything too rich or golden. While I think the lighter beige and tan paint colours will be more popular, Balanced Beige will definitely hold its own.

With an LRV of 46, Balanced Beige has a bit more meat on its bones compared to the lighter SIMILAR version, Accessible Beige…

 How to Choose YOUR Best Paint Colour Using LRV

Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige

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

• at $6.99, 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

6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CANVAS TAN 7531

Canvas Tan looks a bit different from the others. Why? It’s a tan. What’s the MAIN difference between beige and tan? Generally speaking, REGARDLESS of whether the colour name has ‘beige or tan’ in it, beige caters to an orange undertone, tan caters to a yellow undertone.

Tans are OFTEN a bit more grounded looking, and while I wouldn’t say they’re grayed-out, many are more muted and ‘neutral’ looking compared to their popular beige counterparts (which can be open to perception, of course).

Canvas Tan has an LRV of 64, so it sits in the light range with that lovely balanced neutral base to it.

Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Canvas Tan

7. SHERWIN WILLIAMS WOOL SKEIN 6148

Wool Skein might SEEM pretty tan with an almost greige backdrop to it, but surprise surprise, it can lean a weee willly wink into green!

Wool Skein is on the lighter end of things, without looking washed-out. With an LRV of 63, it ALMOST hits my happy button! Which Tim has been trying to do for years…

Paint Colour Review of Wool Skein

What’s The Difference Between Beige & Tan?

8. SHERWIN WILLIAMS NATURAL TAN 7567

Do you like the approach of Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige, but wish it were lighter? Take a look at Natural Tan. Natural Tan is similar to Accessible Beige, but with its LRV of 65, it’s a nice shift lighter and softer looking.

Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Natural Tan

And you MIGHT have noticed that these are all Sherwin Williams paint colours. Sure, I have a few Benjamin Moore options I could add to the list, colours like Muslin and Manchester Tan, but that’s for another day…and another blog post.

READ MORE

Are Beige & Tan The Same Thing?

Paint Colour Review: Sherwin Williams Loggia & Shittake

Benjamin Moore’s Best Beige & Tan Paint Colours

The 8 Best WHOLE HOME Warm Neutral Paint Colours

The 12 Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colours

Is Beige Back? Is Beige Trendy?

Not sure which beige is best for you?

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Chat soon,