What's So Wrong With Beige Anyway?

Holiday time is right around the corner. Maybe you've considered enlivening your home for entertaining. And maybe you're not sure how to work around all that beige you've been living with. The color beige gets a bad rap. It is perceived to be too safe or overused, like a pop song on the radio that plays constantly and gets stuck in your head without your permission. It's drab, uninspired, predictable, and well, boring.

But it's also easy going, soft, masculine or feminine, multifaceted, and can be a workhorse for any room. The color beige has inherent style by being able to coordinate with any color you desire. Beige can be a great choice for apartment living or homes with a colorful art collection. I'm guessing that designer Jonathan Adler could come up with a nice long list about what is so very wrong with beige. I adore his designs and aesthetic and applaud his jovial use of color.

But I do find that there can be comfort in being surrounded by neutral tones, especially classic beige, as long as some basic design principles are addressed.

Just like white, there are infinite tones of beige out there. Looking at beige paint chips can cause neutral overload, as you mull over a stack of tan color sheets searching for inspiration.

Recently I was working with a client and they were concerned with going too beige and not enough of whatever else. We were looking for just the right neutral tone for the kitchen walls. The new, off white kitchen cabinets were installed. The wood floors were refinished in a dark stain. A neutral tone was desired to offset the accent color in the space which was to be in the neighborhood of chartreuse, or apple green, a striking, stand-alone kind of hue. Thus, beige was a good call in this case. And sometimes design calls for a bit of restraint.

In order to get a handle on how to use beige and determine how much is too much or too little, just look at the natural world. Study a rock or a seashell. What do you see? Beige and more beige. Maybe some gray, white of course, probably black. Then look at the rock or seashell in relationship to its environment. Is it on a grassy hillside (green), along a body of water (blue), or in a field of daisies (yellow)?

Beige is restful. It is a perfect backdrop for that decisive pop of color that makes a space sing. The trick to incorporating beige into any environment is to include texture, contrast and light. Designer Barbara Barry is a genius in her use of neutrals in her interiors. Just remember, along with the safety of beige, your options are wide open to bring in the strength of red, or the clarity of turquoise. Let beige be the larger surfaces such as floors, walls and yes even a large piece of furniture, and use color on the moveable ones, such as smaller furniture, art, pillows, or window coverings. The color you decide to use will be enhanced by being surrounded by soft, friendly, beige. And when you're ready to switch out those colorful curtains or pillows, many options will remain available.

Beige has longevity. Beige is polite. Spice it up with the color of your choice, and it does not have to be boring at all.

I say, there is nothing wrong with beige, unless you use the word "beige" too many times in an article about beige.

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