Trend Watch: Is Beige the New Grey?

Grey shades have dominated interiors for the last decade. A soft neutral that went with every other colour, we embraced the look in our homes as a favourite of Scandinavian design infiltrated every room in our homes. However, an old classic is looking to take over grey as the ‘neutral of the moment’ and that colour, you may be surprised to hear, is beige… or taupe if you feel better about that moniker.

While we all banded together to banish the beige in our homes that were the hallmark of the 1990s and early 2000s, it seems to be back in full force. Thankfully, like every other cyclical trend, this one comes reborn, making it an easy choice to live with and thankfully, it seems to have shaken off its ‘boring’ reputation.

Why is Beige on Trend in Interiors?

The thing is, many of us over the years have realised that too much grey can be a little hard to live with. In fact, some may say it’s downright depressing. Grey comes in a myriad of different hues and undertones and so finding the perfect shade can be difficult. Greys with a blue undertone tend to feel cold and in the wrong light, can give off an unpleasant glow in a space. More often than not, our skies here in the UK are generally grey too, casting a blue hue over everything and making grey walls, floors and furniture feel a little less warm and inviting.

With catwalks being heavily influenced by the 70s – a decade awash in browns, greens, oranges and mustard yellow – the fashion we put on our bodies inevitably trickle down to what we put in our homes. That decade’s boho influence is one of the main reasons that we are seeing more beige and brown tones in interiors. By incorporating warm earthy shades in our home, the resulting look is warm and inviting.

How Can You Use Beige in Your Home?

If you’re curious about using beige in your home, one of the most important things to consider is layering the tones and colours you use. The reason we cringe when we look back to the 90s when we were covering every wall with magnolia paint and shoving dark brown leather sofas and dark brown furniture into a room, is because the rooms we created then were a little flat and well, boring.

Today’s beige tones work better when they are more layered and bring in natural elements. In that same room, you may want to steer clear of beige paint colours with too much of a yellow undertone (like magnolia) and look for tones with softer, warmer red undertones like mushroom, grey undertones like taupe or soft whites with just a hint of warmth like ecru or ivory. Organic materials like stone, ceramics and wood, as well as woven fabrics like linen, undyed cotton, jute, bamboo or rattan, create interest with texture.

Of course, if you still love grey, these beige tones work equally as well. Combine beige, brown and wood tones to warm up grey and create a more balanced space.

Our Favourite Beige Tiles

If you are ready to embrace the look of warmer colours in your home, then we have a host of options available to create this warm, easy-going look in your home.

The natural stone look is a classic style that won’t quickly date. The soft riven texture and variation of tones in our Bengal Beige Tiles creates depth in your bathroom design and combines well with natural wood for a spa-like feel.

Bring rustic charm into your kitchen with our Hampton Beige wall tiles that mix and match effortlessly with other shades in the same collection. Perfect for a country kitchen or period property, the imperfect glossy texture will add an element of casual elegance to your home.

Is there any better way to bring brown tones into your home than with wood flooring? Possibly not. But while wood can be difficult to maintain, our wood-effect tiles give you all the natural good looks of wood without the upkeep. Perfect for just about every room in your home, they also allow for underfloor heating and are easy to clean.

Our glossy Cappuccino wall tiles might just be the perfect antidote to our busy lives, giving your bathroom a quiet minimalist feel to refresh and rejuvenate our spirits.  We love it combined with brass hardware and wood finishes for a contemporary bathroom style that still feels warm and inviting.

Ready to add a touch of warmth to your home? Be sure to check out our full range of tiles to find the perfect shade of beige for your home and try before you buy with our free cut sample service.

You may also enjoy these posts on the Tile Mountain blog…

Trend Watch: The Return of Red

Trend Watch: Wood Finishes in the Bathroom

Red Hot Interiors: How Colour Choices Affect Our Moods