Why Greige is the Neutral You Need to Know

My two biggest passions in life are probably design and word play, so give me something that combines the two and I’m practically in heaven—like with greige, that aptly named neutral color that’s the perfect combination of gray and beige. But in all seriousness, greige really has become so popular in recent years that it’s now on the unofficial list of colors you need to know.

Of course, greige is not exactly new, in fact Business Insider found that fashion designer Giorgio Armani was dubbed “the king of greige” in the ’80s. But it first started making headlines in the home space in 2015 after gaining popularity on Pinterest (seriously, just search “greige” there and you’ll be greeted with a never-ending stream of pins), and has held steady ever since.

In the simplest of terms, greige is a combination of gray and beige—hence the portmanteau of a name—but there is a bit more nuance behind the hue. Typically, grays fall on the cooler side of the color spectrum, while beige is considered warm. Enter greige: a warm-toned gray, that can read similar to taupe in certain lights.

Gray has always been a popular choice when it comes to home design, but the added warmth you get with greige makes it a more inviting wall shade. Not totally sold on a warm-toned gray? Choosing a greige that has more gray than beige will still feel a bit cool, like a typical gray.

Absolutely. Both gray and beige are neutrals, which means the combination of the two colors is also considered neutral. And yes, just like with other colors, there are tons of different greiges on the market, but they’re all considered neutral, no matter how close to gray or beige they get.

If you’ve ever looked at home decor inspiration on Pinterest or Instagram, you already know the answer is yes. Countless examples of greige rooms populate the two social sites, and for good reason. Greige goes with just about any other color and can complement myriad design styles.

Neutrals are the most adaptable shades to decorate with (hence their popularity when it comes to wall colors and big ticket furniture items) so combining two is basically like creating a “super neutral.”

That all depends on your own tastes, but luckily any paint brand you check out is likely to have several options in the greige family. Some of the most popular include Perfect Greige from Sherwin Williams, Revere Pewter from Benjamin Moore, Silver Drop from Behr, and Agreeable Gray from Sherwin Williams.

A few greige shades have even had the distinction of being named a Color of the Year. In 2017, Sherwin Williams crowned Poised Taupe as their official COTY, and the following year, Dutch Boy chose Sandstone Taupe as their COTY.

And while no greiges have been crowned Color of the Year this year, it’s safe to say this neutral is not going anywhere.