Although beige has always had its place in arts, crafts, painting, and decorating, it does seem to be seeing a slight increase in its popularity in recent months. Although we have noticed a number of questions regarding using beige for arts, crafts, and decorating, more and more people have been asking for suggestions on beige alternatives.
Due to this spike in people reaching out, we have decided to publish this article going over six of the most commonly used beige alternatives. Although some are direct substitutes for beige in your artwork with them being a similar color, others have their own unique color but can work well in place of beige while still helping to bring your art together.
As we work our way through the various featured alternatives, we will share a color sample of the two colors so you are able to see how they compare to each other and then offer a short breakdown of the comparison. This should ensure that our readers understand how and when to use each color combination to maximum effect and ensure that you get the very best results possible.
Beige color code – #f5f5dc
Beige Vs Taupe
One of the more frequently requested comparisons that we see is between beige and taupe and we fine this a little surprising due to both options being very different colors. That said though, Beige and Taupe do tend to go together well due to their contrasts working and allowing you to cross the color spectrum for your arts, crafts or design while still making sure everything fits the same theme.
We often see the mis-conception that taupe is a similar share as beige or even the same color going by a different name but as you can see from the color sample above, they are totally different. You can think of taupe as beige with a little black thrown in the mix to darken it with some brands also adding a little red and/or green for undertones too. Due to this, taupe is not interchangeable with beige but the two can work very well togeather.
If you are looking to use beige for your artwork then a touch of taupe here and there is able to work work to help bring your painting together. If you are planning to decorate your home then beige walls with taupe ornaments does tend to be a popular option right now but the possibilities are endless and are only limited by your imagination.
Taupe Color Code – #483C32
Beige Vs Cream
Beige and cream are commonly used as alternatives to each other if required due to the two being so similar. As you can see in our color sample above, cream is a little darker and brighter than beige but if you are in a pinch and have no beige paint you can add some white paint to a cream to lighten it to get it close to beige.
If you are using your beige paint for artwork rather than home decorating then this is common practise due to it being much easier to mix smaller amounts of paint in the correct ratio. If you are looking to use beige for home decorating then we would highly recommend that you simply go and purchase some beige paint rather than trying to mix it in large quantities as it will workout to be much easier.
Both beige and cream are just about as versatile as each other when it comes to being mixed with other colors for arts and crafts while also commonly being used as stand alone options too. On the flipside of this, if you are an artist, you are usually able to easily mix your own beige and cream by adding a touch of yellow to some white paint and then adjusting it as required.
Cream Color Code – #FFFDD0
Beige Vs White
Although many people do presume that beige and white are interchangeable with each other for both arts and crafts and home decoration, the yellow in beige does make it stand out with the different being obvious. If you are an artist then there is no replacement for white in your paint collection though and as we touched on above, you are usually able to easily add a touch of yellow to the white paint in your palette to get beige anyway without actually having to own a tube of it.
If you are a home decorator then white and beige can be used together effectively in a number of different ways. Beige walls with white furniture or ornaments does tend to be a popular option though but again, there are a number of unique concepts that you are able to dream up and take advantage of.
White Color Code – #FFFFFF
Beige Vs Grey
Beige and grey are commonly used together and although personal preference does come into play, we are not fans of the combination and feel that taupe goes much better with beige due to its undertones. In addition to this, grey covers a wide range of hues too with some definitely going better with beige than others so you are able to play around and see if any of the combinations take your fancy or not.
To save time, you can usually get away with just trying a light grey, a regular grey, and a dark grey and then compare the results as trying to do more hues of grey will end up taking a considerable amount of time. Once you have played around with the three original greys, you can then experiment with hues close to it to try and save you time but this will depend on your circumstances as the time investment just keeps on increasing.
Grey Color Code – #808080
Beige Vs Magnolia
More and more people seem to be showing interest in beige and magnolia and although some people do mistake magnolia for white, they are actually different as magnolia has a very small amount of yellow in it essentially making it a warm white. Due to this, magnolia does tend to go better with beige than an actual white as the touch of yellow in it takes the harsher contrast off the two colors when used in the same piece of art.
If you are an artist then you are easily able to make your own magnolia by adding a tiny amount of yellow to a white paint in your palette while adding more yellow to the same paint mixture will take it closer to beige. This allows you to try out the two colors without actually having to buy a tube of each so you can keep your costs as low as possible.
When it comes to the home design side of things, magnolia is becoming more and more popular due to its calming effect with it often being used with some pale greens to help relax the home owner. Magnolia does tend to be a versatile color though and usually goes very well with a number of different other colors and can be used in your home in a number of different ways.
Magnolia Color Code – #f8f4ff
Beige Vs Ash Blonde
Ash blonde has seen a spike in its popularity over the last few years and thus, more and more people reaching out to ask how it performs with beige. Although ash blonde is more of a home decoration color than something you would find in an artist’s palette, the two do go well together and can be put to great use.
The main issue is that ash blonde is rarely used so it can be difficult to find anything that comes in the color to use in a home design based around beige and ash blonde. That said though, one thing that has proven to be popular is to just purchase ornaments that are other colors, paint them white to remove their original color from them and then paint them in ash blonde.
Ash Blonde Color Code – #d7bea7
Conclusion
That brings our article going over the six best beige alternatives to an end. We hope that you have found it helpful but the versatility of beige allows it to work in a huge range of different setups for both artwork and home design. Due to this, you can really get some great, unique effects out of your beige based paints if you put your mind to it and dream up some original concepts.
