Grey and beige are two of the most popular and versatile neutrals available. So why not combine them for something that’s equally beautiful and timeless? Cue the advent of greige paint, which has become a staple in interior design over the past decade – though its origins date back a little further.
In this post, we’ll help you get better acquainted with the best greige paint colours, and explore what colours go with greige.
Getting to know greige paint
As its name suggests, greige is a beautiful blend of grey and beige. But it’s not just a half-and-half mix of the two. Far from it. Greige comes in an array of ratios, putting it on various points along the grey-beige spectrum. That could be grey with just a touch of beige or beige with a subtle grey undertone.
It also varies in tone. You can find stunning greige shades that are strong and dark. Equally, some of the best greige paint colours are almost off-white. It’s this versatility and adaptability that makes it so popular.
Greige is renowned for its easy-going nature – and can even change depending on a room’s lighting. It’s typically a warm colour, owing to its beige roots, though it does become cooler the more it leans towards grey.
While it might seem like greige is a new phenomenon, the term has actually been around for several decades. It first took the limelight in the world of fashion during the 1980s. Giorgio Armani was labelled the “king of greige” because of the muted palette that characterised his fashion designs.
As with many trends, it wasn’t long before that made its way into our homes – despite being known as taupe for the latter years of the 20th century. Now used interchangeably, taupe and greige are hard to beat if you’re looking for a neutral shade that can be paired with almost any colour.
What colours go with greige?
It’s probably easier to say which colours don’t go with greige. The answer in that case would be practically nothing – but that wouldn’t be much use at all. To give you a little more inspiration, here are some of our favourite colours that go with greige paint.
Whites and off-whites
As a staple neutral, greige paint looks fabulous with whites or off-whites. Our gorgeous greige, Stone in Love creates a pared back look alongside bright Whitey White – ideal for a bedroom.
A similar effect is achieved using greige with off-white shades. In the bathroom below, the off-white walls, white porcelain and monochrome tiles are tied together perfectly using greige Cool Beans…
Neutral and natural shades
There’s nothing better than bringing the outdoors in with plenty of plants and flowers throughout the home. Natural wood complements this beautifully, whether it’s a sideboard, dining table or just a nest of tables.
Thankfully, all of the above works wonderfully alongside greige. From pine and oak furniture to splashes of green from plants and flowers, greige looks great paired with neutral shades and natural materials in any space.
An earthy greige shade like Salt of the Earth can be used to breathe fresh life into wooden furniture. Turn a preloved table or cabinet into a statement piece, accompanied by house plants to finish the look.
But it can also be used on smaller pieces for a subtle effect. Take a look at the DIY vanity unit below, in a bathroom that features stone surroundings and subtle green accents.
Soft colours
One of the best things about griege is that it can adapt to the colours around it. When it’s used with soft pinks and yellows, greige can create a warmer feel. But it also goes brilliantly with soft greens for a modern country look.
In this case, Salt of the Earth has been used on the tongue and groove panelling with a mix of Wise Old Sage and City Slicker for a muted grey-green on the cupboards.
In the same sense, greige can be used to achieve a cooler tone when paired with pale blues, aquas or lavender. While a white backdrop might be too stark for duck-egg blue Mother Duck, greige is the ideal way to soften the look.
Greys
When you’re asking what colours go with greige, don’t forget its old pal grey! The combination works best with matching tones. So, warmer greys work well with browner greiges, while cooler greys complement greiges that lean that way too.
That said, you’ll find that deep greys often look great with either tone. Charcoal grey Panther looks fantastic with a greige backdrop – in this case provided by bathroom wall tiles…
Stronger, brighter colours
To demonstrate the versatility of greige, let’s go from a neutral pairing to its polar opposite – stronger or brighter colours. Because greige paint colours offer less contrast than whites and off-whites, they actually allow you to tone things down and consider stronger colours than usual.
This means you can use greige to let stronger colours really shine without taking over. Think navy, dark teals, deep olive green, or even glowing jewel pinks. Not to mention the strongest colour of them all – black!
Greige is great for taking the edge off black, such as Blackjack doors with greige walls. It’s especially good for tying together monochrome schemes, softening the contrast between Blackjack and bright white Dazzle Me.
Find the best greige paint colours for your home
What colours go with greige? All of them!
And we have plenty to choose from at Frenchic. Start by picking your favourite grey-beige combination from our greige paint colour selection. Then browse our full collection of over 100 colours to find a match that works for you. Whether you’re going for contrasting, complementary, or somewhere in-between the two, you’ll enjoy hassle-free, low-odour application and a smooth, durable finish from our water-based chalk paints.
