Home Design & Decorating Decorating Color

What Is Greige? How to Use This Versatile Neutral Color

griege-painted living room

The Spruce / Krystal Slagle 

For most people, "beige" is a catch-all color that is the answer to not knowing what color to choose. At its best, beige is relaxing and uncomplicated, which is why it is universally popular. But choosing the right shade of beige can be a challenge. What seems to be a simple choice of a "neutral color" becomes a fight with undertones and color temperature. 

This is when greige comes into play. Somewhere in between gray and beige, this color combination is popular for its versatility and timelessness. It may be warm or cool depending on the shade and tone, and it looks beautiful in nearly every space in the home.

The Truth About Gray

Gray is another neutral with a reputation for being difficult to work with. Gray paint and decor can be gorgeous and stylish, but it may also be cold or tepid. Once again, the undertones that are used to create some gray colors make it surprisingly difficult to match in a color scheme. Gray is more than just black and white added together—it can have a strong blue or even green cast to it. When you do get the gray right, the results are quite sophisticated. And the lighter shades of gray can be luminous. But it is not easy to find the gray that is perfect.

Greige: The Best of Both Worlds

What if you could take the best of beige and gray and create a neutral that avoids the worst qualities of each? Greige has been wildly popular for several years because it does exactly that—brings the best of both beige and gray to life as a truly useful and versatile neutral color.

What Is Greige?

Greige is simply beige plus gray. The addition of gray to beige creates a richer color, one that will work in both cool and warm color schemes.

The ratio of beige to gray in your greige determines whether it is a cool or warm neutral. Though it sounds confusing, it's very simple. A greige with a stronger gray influence is considered a cool neutral. When you have a greige with more emphasis on beige, it is used as a warm neutral. 

How to Use Greige In Your Home

Because of greige's versatility, it suits almost any room in the home. Whether it's featured on walls, a sofa, or even kitchen cabinets, there's likely somewhere you can use greige in your own space.

Go Greige in the Kitchen

Greige cabinetry is a great alternative to stark white in the kitchen. It may appear warm, welcoming, and inviting, which is exactly the mood most people want to evoke in the heart of the home. It also looks gorgeous with sage green or blue accents.

Create a Monochromatic Greige Bedroom

Serene, monochromatic spaces are perfect for a bedroom where you want to create the most calming space possible. Layer sumptuous fabrics in various shades of greige for a relaxing retreat.

Use Greige as a Neutral in the Bathroom

If you don't want to choose white, beige, or gray as the dominant neutral in your bathroom, try greige. Particularly in low light rooms, greige makes a space feel more interesting than a single color neutral. Try it with white subway tile for a contrast.

Design a Sophisticated Greige Dining Room

Imagine an effortlessly elegant dining room with a crisp white chair rail and white molding, with greige paint in between. The contrast between the white and the greige keeps the room interesting but also lets the furniture take center stage.

Build a Greige-on-Greige Cozy Living Room

Layers of greige throw blankets and accent pillows on a cozy greige sofa make for the most comfortable place to sit back and relax. Vary the tones, ranging from dark to light, to make the space feel alive and vibrant despite its monochromatic color palette.

Mistakes to Avoid

Despite greige's versatility, it's also possible for the color to fall flat. Without enough depth or variation in a greige room, it can appear boring, or it even come across as the wrong tone altogether. Here are a few mistakes that may happen and how to avoid them.

Choosing the Wrong Tone of Greige

Just like its beige and gray counterparts, greige reads as warm or cool. Choosing the wrong tone throws off a room completely. Typically, in lower light spaces, you'll look for a warmer greige to help make the room feel more inviting. Meanwhile, in space with abundant natural light, a cooler greige keeps the space feeling bright and airy.

Forgetting to Layer Greige

You want your greige space to feel sophisticated rather than sad, so lean into those layers! Choose a boucle greige chair, a dark greige accent pillow, and a light greige chunky knit throw. Vary the tones and textures to keep the eye moving and create a space that invites you to sit and stay a while.

Opting Only for White or Silver Accents

Often people think of gray and they immediately go to white or silver accents, and that continues into decorating with greige. But there is so much more possibility with greige! A warm greige looks fabulous with a rich wood dresser or a brass chandelier. It can be used as a rich neutral that's dressed up with mixed metals and varied furniture finishes.

Avoiding Accent Colors

While layered, monochromatic greige spaces are gorgeous, so are greige rooms with accent colors. Try a deep peacock blue, mysterious, cottage-inspired sage, or a deep cobalt. Don't be afraid of using color when decorating with greige. Even mustard or bright orange will work with the right tone of greige.

When Greige Is Better Than Beige or Gray

Greige can run circles around beige when it comes to versatility. A traditional beige shows a strong yellow undertone, which makes it hard to coordinate with cooler colors. The addition of gray to beige creates a neutral that has the ability to work with cooler colors, thereby solving the dreaded undertone issues. This makes it much easier to create a neutral color scheme.

If you love the idea of gray but worry about the coldness of most gray colors, greige could be the answer. Greige is gray that has been warmed with beige's warm undertones. You get the elegance of gray, without the cold blue undertones. 

Top Greige Paints

Greige can be used in lieu of beige or gray in most spaces. The level of warmth or coolness in a particular greige will determine which shade is right for the room. Greige that leans toward gray is gorgeous with blue, white, and cool colors. A warmer greige (leaning toward beige) may be used anywhere you would use beige. Naturally, you'll want to sample any greige you're considering to get the right balance.

Some great greige paint colors to consider:

Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray

Agreeable Gray is Sherwin-Williams' best-selling paint — and for good reason. It's just as agreeable as its name would suggest. It's a versatile, easygoing neutral that's beloved for its ability to work with almost any other color and in any space.

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

The Spruce

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter is a neutral greige from their Historic Collection. It's somewhere in between cool and warm, and it works beautifully in almost any room and level of natural light.

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

Benjamin Moore

Behr Granite Boulder

If you're looking for a warmer greige with a subtle green undertone, then try out Behr Granite Boulder. This color is stunning in spaces that call for a darker, more dramatic greige.

Granite Boulder 790D-4 paint swatch from Behr

The Spruce

FAQ
  • Is greige more gray or beige?

    Greige typically appears more gray than beige, however it has beige's warm yellow undertones.

  • Is greige the same as taupe?

    While greige leans more towards gray, taupe leans more towards brown. The two are similar, but not the same.

  • What is the most popular wall paint color?

    Gray, beige, and gray are the most popular wall paint colors.