EXPLORING COLOR: TAUPE

Taupe is often mistaken for other shades of brown.  A true taupe has no visible red undertone.  It is a cool brown - leaning a little to the blue or lavender side of brown without the traces of yellow or orange you will find in a warm brown or a chocolate.

It is usually grayed down a little - like a Weimaraner.  In fact as dogs go, Weims are true taupe - even  referred to at times as gray ghosts because of their taupe hues and light eyes

Taupe pairs nicely with lavenders, blues, most greens and grays

and most surprisingly - gold

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Comments from Readers:

Hi—

I found your site by searching Google for photos of rooms where the walls were gold and the furniture was taupe. Your pictures were SO helpful and reassuring. I’m about to buy taupe leather sofas for a Montana home.  Taupe is in the color of the window frames, as well as present in the ceiling (aspen wood) and flooring (dark circular sawn fir). My walls are a yellow that turned gold (Behr Paint “Amber Moon”)—not the buff color I expected.  Shocking and disappointing. At the moment, there’s no furniture in the house, so designers are assuring me that when furniture is in place, the drama of that yellow will quiet down. I hope so. LOL.

Seeing your photos of yellow rooms was very helpful.  Thank you so much! 

Laura Mullen  

I'm often found giving the same assurances to clients... at first a newly painted wall is all in your face - especially when nothing is in place.  It will calm down when the furniture and accessories take center stage.  Good luck with your decorating project!  So glad the blog helped reassure you!  Best wishes...