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violetcooks

I need paint help! Give me your best beige!

4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

I'm looking for a Sherwinn Williams beige that isn't greige. We will be painting the entire living room (inc. cabinets), including a dark foyer and a brighter living room. The color has to work with the lighting in both areas of the house (living room faces west, foyer faces the east), because we have a pretty open concept.

I just want a nice, light neutral that will work with my floors, baseboards, and my rug (we are getting rid of the sofa!). So far I have thought about going white (aged white), but all of our cabinetry will be painted white too- so I don't know if that would be overkill. I have tried softer tan (hate it), accessible beige (too gray), canvas tan (maybe? Might clash with floors), neutral ground (kind of gray again). Do you have a beige that you love? I would like something modernish. I'm heading towards age 50 and I'm not into this farmhouse thing. Ha!

Thanks!





Comments (67)

  • 4 years ago

    We used to have Kilim Beige in our bedroom with cherry furniture and it worked very well. Recently we painted the living/dining/kitchen Behr “Beach Grass” and I LOVE it. It‘s a warm, soft beige with no gray at all in it. It occasionally goes very slightly peachy in full sun. SW Irish Cream is the closest RGB match.

  • 4 years ago

    You might want to look at SW natural linen. I had it mixed 50% and very much like the lighter version as a light beige.

  • 4 years ago

    jlrogers - I have a painted sample board of SW Natural Linen that I am thinking of using in my family room and a main portion of the house. I cannot imagine that there would be any color left if it was cut to 50%! Would love to see a photo.


    Jean - So glad that there was mention of Accessible Beige being reduced. I also have a painted sample of that color and was surprised at how gray and dull looking it is. Could you share photos?


    Someone mentioned the rug. That's one of the problems that I am running into. We need to match/blend our paint choices with furniture, paintings, AND our rugs!

  • 4 years ago

    Right now our walls are a weird gray that also tends towards blue. It clashes with everything we own. The rug has no fringe, so it has all of these warm colors. I'll get some sample pots of paint this week. I'll let you know what I come up with!

  • 4 years ago

    Your rug is gorgeous, and if you choose a light enough wall color it will pull out the light cream in your rug, and show off the vibrant colors in your furnishings.

  • 4 years ago

    The color of the fireplace grout?

  • 4 years ago


    Fireplace grout

  • 4 years ago

    NHB22 SW Natural Linen LRV is 66 which is rather dark for me. I have some rooms with a lot of natural light and some that are in the shade at some times during the day. My camera does not capture the color in an excellent manner, but will give you an idea. Two photos show the Natural Linen full strength and the 50% version. In different lights the 50% version can show some light grey and sometimes light beige. I have a morning sunny room with a sloped ceiling. I have a photo of the 50% version on that sloped ceiling with is in the shade in the AM even though the room is bright. In the evening the 50% looks darker than in the daytime and is enough depth of color for my rooms. I think it depends on the light in your room and your hard surfaces which is best. Good Luck!


  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Thank you. Yes, cameras, as well as background colors, do have a way of strewing colors!

    In my below photos, the SW Natural Linen color appears more in line with your middle photo. Was that the full strength?

    Hopefully, this will help the OP, and others with their neutral choices.

    1st is SW Natural Linen on a white board.


    2nd is SW Natural Linen on a white board against a medium greige wall paint in my rental home.


    3rd is SW Natural linen on a white board, against SW Accessible Beige background, up against the medium greige wall paint in my rental home. Both the SW Accessible Beige and the greige wall paint are too gray and flat for my taste.


    I was considering SW Ball & Twine (has a 56 LRV) because I am afraid that SW Natural Linen will be too light for my needs. I have a large naturally well lighted area. However, I think that the SW Natural Linen will be perfect for what I need. Just enough warmth!

    I found this homeowner photo of SW Ball & Twine on the Lowe's website. As you can see, the color doesn't look much different from SW Natural Linen, but it is darker in person.


    Another color that the OP may be interested in is SW Natural Choice with a LRV of 73. It's a lighter creamier color than SW Natural Linen, but very little yellow. We are using this in our foyer and up the stairs into the upstairs hallway. Not as much natural light in those areas...especially in the upstairs hallway.

    Found this photo on Sherwin Williams website!


    Finally, here is a comparison of a few colors we have suggested on this thread. SW Wool Skein, SW White Duck, and SW Natural Choice. All against that greige wall color.


    violetcooks thanked nhb22
  • 4 years ago

    I like to pick paint colors by their numbers.


    Light / Chroma / Hue.


    Here is a chart that shows hues at 10 degree increments from 0 to 365 at a steady light/luminance value of 83 at a variety of chroma levels (gray vs colorful).


    LCH and Lighting · More Info

    If I wanted a yellow beige I would target a hue near 90 with enough chroma to not feel gray (over 7 ish) and a light value of over 80.


    Here are the Sherwin Williams colors near this target, including 3 colors you didn't like and one that is getting closer to what you want.




    I eliminated the colors with a hue under 83 since you liked 85 better.

    I also eliminated the colors with a chroma under 10, since you felt 8.79 was too gray and liked 10.31 better.


    This left us with these 10 colors;




    I would test two that are closer to 90, one lighter and one near the same lightness as Canvas tan and another color close to the 85 hue but lighter.


    Wool Skein, Radiant Dawn and Navajo White would be the 3 colors I would test against Canvas Tan to figure out if I liked more yellow or lighter or both or if Canvas Tan is still my favorite.



  • 4 years ago

    We have Navajo White in the bedroom of our rental home. This photo was taken at 8:00 PM, just after sunset. An overhead light is on. All during the day, the color leans a very light tangerine to yellow.




  • 4 years ago

    Thanks for all the photos! My second photo has SW Natural Linen full strength on the top and 50% painted below it. The third photo shows SW Natural Linen on the left and 50% version on the right. I am not sure what color you are referring to as SW Neutral.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Yikes! Those were all suppose to say SW Natural Linen. Not sure what happened there, but I have corrected the post.

    PS - I could not see much of a difference in your photos until you describe each one in the above post. I had to enlarge them to see that there is actually more than one color on the wall. 😁

  • 4 years ago

    Following, great topic

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Color palettes from your rug and fireplace below have some other beige inputs and bungalow beige comes up a couple of times. Looks like there is also a countertop and some cabinets in the adjoining room. Do you have a picture of those? I also included some other beiges for your review.

  • 4 years ago

    Believed to be Navajo White walls and White Dove trim.

    Horse Country Home · More Info


  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Why beige at all? IMO most beiges mentioned are a bit pink in natural light very often.Since the rug and the FP really do not work together why not just ise the taupe from the cabinets in a lighter shade for the walls if you don’t want color. Please get the TV off the FP there is aperfect wall for it on the right .Make sure all the lighting in the space is LED 4000K then choose wall color maybe just color match the light color in the rug.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    decoenthusiaste - That would be BM Navaho White. The Navaho White mentioned in my post, and in the post by Jennifer Hogan is SW. 😉

    Patricia Colwell Consulting - While I agree that a Taupe would go well with the cabinet color, it would not with the rug and couch. And the OP says that they are repainting the cabinetry, as well.

    violetcooks thanked nhb22
  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I got the SW Navajo white paint sample! Waiting to see how I feel about it. The suspense! I also picked up Malabar, which might go on the cabinets if I use Natural Linen.... Excuse the mess, but the first (top) top color is Aged white, the second one is Canvas tan, and the bottom color (where the painters tape is) is Navajo White.


    PS If I moved the TV from above the fireplace, my husband would probably leave me. Ha! We argued a lot about that when we moved here. He won.



  • 4 years ago

    The top color is too white, the middle one is too gray, and the bottom one with some warmth is the only sample that works imo.

    violetcooks thanked calidesign
  • 4 years ago

    I love BM Bleeker Beige

  • 4 years ago

    You took the picture with the colors painted next to a cabinet that I believe you are painting as well.


    Colors should be viewed in context with the colors you are keeping.


    Paint your samples on watercolor paper (my preference) or poster board. Look at them next to the fireplace stone, look at them next to the carpet and flooring, look at them next to the furniture that is staying. Take pictures from far enough away that we see the colors in context with the colors that you are keeping.




  • 4 years ago

    I think I would like the Navajo White walls and a blue green on the cabinets to give some contrast to the warmth



  • 4 years ago

    Since the rug looks so fabulous, I would take the light tan in it for the walls and paint the wood shelves the deep navy.

  • 4 years ago

    For those of you who used Natural Linen, does it look at all fleshy? One other color I'm considering is Natural Tan. I painted a sample of Natural Linen on a poster board but it isn't photographing well! I do like it, but I'm feeling afraid of doing the wrong thing. I haven't gotten a sample of natural tan yet.

  • 4 years ago

    Natural linen seems to have more gold, while Natural tan has a bit more gray. They are both the same light value. Have you looked at a lighter version of natural tan, which would be Divine White?

    violetcooks thanked calidesign
  • 4 years ago

    Manchester tan from BM.

  • 4 years ago

    I have BM Clay Beige in my house & I love it. I get a TON of natural light, so it reads lighter. I also like BM Muslin.

  • 4 years ago

    Love it!

  • 3 years ago

    @violetcooks - Could you provide an update - Are you happy with Natural Linen?

  • 3 years ago

    @Jennifer Hogan - I'm not happy with it. It looks good in rooms with natural light, but it looks peachy/pink in darker rooms. I don't know what color I should have chosen, but it wasn't this. Sadly, I have an open floor plan, so it will be hard/expensive to re do everything.

  • 3 years ago

    @violetcooks I'm sorry after all your research the color didn't work. :/ Just wondering if you are living with it or if you found a color that worked?

  • 3 years ago

    I kept the Natural Linen in part of my house where it wasn't as offensive. I repainted my kitchen and main living room with PPG's Crushed Silk by myself (not fun). It looks VERY similar to Natural Linen. I don't love it, but like it better that Natural Linen- it still has a peach tone in one part of our kitchen at certain hours but isn't pink at least. The Crushed Silk also blends well enough with my two story foyer around the corner that is painted with Natural Linen so I didn't have to repaint that part of the house. I got a bid and it would have been $4000 to re-paint everything. I've surrendered to the fact that I won't be happy with my initial choice. That's life. I'm SO very grateful nowadays for this home.

  • 3 years ago

    That is a healthy perspective! :) I'm sorry that the color isn't quite right, I know how frustrating that can be. I'm looking for a warm, creamy tan (how I found this post) and everything looks flat white or purpleish in my bright, north-facing room that has lots of dark orange paneling. Someone tell me Tuscan Gold isn't the only color that won't fall flat or turn purple. ha ha

  • 3 years ago

    I'm casting another vote for Kilim Beige SW 6106; not too light, not too dark.

  • 3 years ago

    Have you looked at SW Accessible Beige? It's a popular light beige. I used Navajo White with Dover White trim in an older house with red oak floors, warm wood antiques, warm earth tone colors with east west exposure and I loved it! It's so disappointing when things don't turn out like you hoped, disappointing and expensive!

  • 3 years ago

    Accessible beige turns an ugly gray in my house. I wish it worked here, because I have it in some upstairs rooms and it's really nice there. our lighting in the main living area is making things very difficult. I think Navajo white wouldn't go well with our alabaster trim,, sadly. I've tried a lot of colors. Ha!


    @jqueen3 Kilim beige might turn pink too? It has a lot of orange to it. Now sure it would go with our urbane bronze accents, but I know it is a very popular color!


    @Jennifer Feldman Have you tried Canvas Tan? That is one I'm thinking about next, but it can have green undertones against any cherry wood. If you don't have any cherry wood, I've heard it's great! I might try it myself at some point, but I'm too tired now! :)

  • 3 years ago

    Hi. I Samplesized (those big painted peel and stick smaples) Canvas Tan and it was a dead flat lavender tan. Not pretty. The same thing happened to Agreeable Gray and Accessible Beige, just a darker version of corpse purple tan. (sorry, but just so awful) I'm thinking both violetcook and I have similar lighting/exposure. I don't want to hijack her post, but both of our struggles with color seem to parallel and maybe my fails can help.


    Warm whites I also tried: Greek Villa, Dover White, and White Dove. All 3 looked like white primer. No warmth or depth at all.


    I watched a video on YouTube from The Land of Color that helped me understand that I am attracted to orange tones and with all the warm wood in my room this *somehow* makes the colors I like look purple or lavender in my very bright NW room. I don't get the science at all, but the results don't lie. Seems we need to try more yellow or yellow/green tones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6aEKv3B50U


  • 3 years ago

    @Jennifer Feldman, in my previous house with warm wood tones I used BM Grant Beige.


    @violetcooks, don't feel bad about repainting. It has happened to most of us who care about and notice these slight shifts in color. I am painting my public rooms for the 3rd time! It is a new build and I had the builder paint the main living areas twice. I still didn't love the color, which looked great in my mother's house! So after being in the house for 6 months I am repainting. Not easy with 12 ft ceilings and I'm not as young as I was when I last painted 10 years ago!! Got the foyer, breakfast area and family room done over the weekend. Working on the dining room today and still have 3 hallways to do!

  • 3 years ago

    Here is another example of sw kilim beige

  • 3 years ago

    That is pretty, G! I have an old house with plaster ceilings and no overhead lighting and I'm starting to think that I need to add more lamps and light and then I will be able to find my color. I have a huge 10 x 12 window with lots of bright NW light, but it just isn't enough. I'm sorry if this has already been addressed, @violetcooks, but maybe getting more ambient lights from lamps and trying different bulbs (warmer/cooler/full spectrum) will help your color look the way you want?

  • 3 years ago

    I am far from the expert, but have a look at Moderate White. I used it in my kitchen, and it is pretty white, but very warm. The room faces east for what it's worth. I just looked at the SW site and compared these 2 links-

    Greek Villa and Moderate White. See what you think?


    Here's Greek Villa for example

    and this is Moderate White

  • 3 years ago

    @Jennifer Feldman The only way to make it look less peach is by adding so much light that it looks like an operating room. Ha! We did try changing our bulbs. It's in the kitchen, so we can't add lamps. Thank you though! And you are totally welcome to hijack this thread. I like hearing everyone's thoughts about your project too!


    @chispa Thank you. I do feel bad. It's annoying, but you seem to feel my pain. We have a two story foyer, so I will have to hire out for that if I decide to change the color in that part of the house! I can't fly. Ha! I think that you nailed it- I am just very sensitive to color. Maybe it wouldn't bother someone else as much. I'll deal with it someday.

  • 2 years ago

    Just wanted to give an update. After all of this time, I ended up repainting (I did it myself!)! I went with Canvas Tan, which I thought looked really green in my sample, but once I painted a whole wall, it killed the pink that the Natural Linen had brought out. I am FINALLY happy!!! I know Natural Linen works great in some spaces, but it was awful here. I can't believe how long it took me to find the right color. We ended up leaving our foyer Natural Linen- our foyer looks fine and its kind of dark so no one can even tell it is a different color since they are so similar!

  • 2 years ago

    @violetcooks I am so glad you found a color that makes you happy and works with the lighting and other colors in your home.


    I asked a few months ago how you felt about Natural Linen because I was in a situation where I had to pick a color for someone else's home and I couldn't go into the space to test colors. (They were moving into an assisted living apartment.) All I had was flooring, cabinet and countertop samples and knew the trim color.


    In this case the Flooring was a weathered wood LVP that had some browns and some grays and the grays had that touch of purple. I struggled between Canvas Tan and Natural Linen, but next to the flooring the Canvas Tan pulled green. We went with Natural Linen and it worked out perfectly. The owner is thrilled and tells everyone what a perfect neutral I picked. I was holding my breath the entire time they were waiting to see the finished apartment and move in.


    Thank you for sharing your insights and keeping us up to date over the past 2 years.

  • 2 years ago

    Thanks for the update!

  • 2 years ago

    .Could you show pictures of your canvas tan walls? I am in the same dilemma. . Just painted Neutral ground and not loving it.

  • PRO
    3 months ago

    SW Accessible Beige has lower LRV then natural linen and if to east and west facing it is great with the correct light trim like white dove SW , white trim SW and BM Chantilly lace lace looks gorgeous with it along with marbles neutral floors browns etc ..... have you considered it? If north facing the Natural linen is a higher LRV maybe better choice? But for kitchen cabinets I chose accessible beige being built and painted now in satin with Riftsawn natural oak. some cabinets across kitchen by a 83.5 tall fridge counter depth and 83.5 high freezer counter depth room the cabinets around them and built in stainless stoves will be in cheating heart BM and urbane bronze SW do you think the accessible beige ( kitchen faces west and it will be with chantilly lace BM on the walls and calacutta marble back splash?

  • PRO
    3 months ago

    SW Greek Villa would be a nice warm white colour for your room. Since you seem to be replacing the sofa, to coordinate with your nice rug you'd be able to go with navy (as shown below) or beige.



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