As we’ve discussed on these blogs before, Colour can be a funny old thing. It is a subject of both personal taste, yet there does a fairly rigid theory to how it all works. This leads to both very varied and very interesting ideas of what colours evoke what feeling within certain settings, and what style certain colour should be paired with. In a slight change of pace, however, we’re not going to be talking overall colour theory today. Instead, we’re going to be talking about a specific colour called taupe.
A few of you have probably shaken your heads and said the name back to yourself in the form of a question. Indeed, Taupe isn’t one of the colours typically taught to us in primary school, and similarly to colours like Magenta, Burgundy, or Chartreuse, it can be a little difficult to definitively define. Broadly, it is defined as “grey with a tinge of brown”, although many people would likely refer to it as a dark Beige when looking at it. There exist variants that also contain slight tinges of Yellow, Green, or even subtle Purple hues in addition.
In either case, the end result is a very neutral colour. It’s therefor typically not used as a leading tone in room design, but rather as an accent colour offsetting lighter tones like cream or lighter beige options. It also works very well with earthier tones, including a variety of dark Browns. It isn’t entirely out of the ordinary to see it paired with much bolder brighter colours to create a stark contrast; it can sometimes be seen paired against Plum or Maroon shades, bright and bombastic Oranges or Yellows, and even Navy Blues in some instances.
The effect Taupe creates, typically when paired with lighter and subtler tones, is that of both warmth and cosiness, and a distinctly “modern” vibe. It is both welcoming and inviting, yet it doesn’t feel old fashioned or outdated. When paired with bolder tones, it helps ground the more vibrant aspects of the room in these very qualities. Therefore, it’s a colour that should be considered when crafting a modern kitchen setting; whichever tones or shades you choose to pair it with, it will reflect a homely quality that will help your kitchen stand out.