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Top Taupes

Courtney Foster Shearer

Taupe is the Pharrell Williams of paint colors. It's hot on the charts right now and oh, so happy! 

When I think of taupe, I think of the color that is formed when coffee is mixed with milk. 

Photo from Google.
Taupe is a whisper of a color - soft and warm and very much chameleon like in nature. It offers color without being too heavy or dark and offers sleekness without being too cold and sterile. It's a happy color that brings a touch of softness and elegance to a space. Of course like all things, there are many versions of taupe. Like grays, taupes can be tricky and the road to the perfect taupe can be a painful one. The undertones play a big part in how pink/yellow/brown the taupe you choose comes out.  I've dabbled a lot in the taupe world as of late so I thought I would share my favorites with you.




Photo by Barbara Brown Architectural Photography. 
Indian River was the cabinetry color in my Homes of Distinction Tour Kitchen. This color is everything taupe was meant to be and more. It possesses the perfect amount of gray in the undertones which keeps the color light and airy but enough brown to darken it up just enough to add a touch of warmth. I love how this taupe contrasts beautifully with the white backsplash as well as the brown hardwoods. So, so good.


Photo by Barbara Brown Architectural Photography. 
We used York Gray for the perimeter cabinetry in the 2013 Holiday House Kitchen. While the word gray is in the name of this color, I'm still filing this color under taupe. A very light taupe, but taupe nonetheless. This color is about as close as you can get to having a white kitchen without in fact having a white kitchen. There is just enough color - created with very light yellow/brown undertones.


Photo by Jen Wunderlich Photography.
Out of all the taupe's I've played around with, this one is probably my favorite. Smokey Taupe is just a really good color. I've used it numerous times including the wet bar pictured above, which was part of my #Northcliff Kitchen, and I've never been disappointed.  I call this color a whisper, because it's just so elegant and soft.

Photo by Jen Wunderlich Photography.
Here it is again at one of my more recent kitchen remodel's - Bridgett Court. I love how this color instantly becomes so much more present when used next to white. It just pops. There are slightly red undertones in Smokey Taupe so depending on the light it can have a very light pink hue which you can see a little bit if you compare the base cabinets in the photo above with the wet bar shot. However, it's never overpowering thanks to the also present light brown undertones.

Colors are always fun to explore and I've really been digging the way our taupe selections have turned out. There are some others I've come across that I haven't tried yet like Sherwin William's Balanced Beige which looks like it might be nice. What about you guys, any favorite taupes to pass along? I'd love to add to my list!

Unless otherwise noted all photos are my own.