Why You Should Ditch Gray Walls in Favor of Taupe (2024)

Taupe is dope. We all know it. But have we ever considered why? While variations between bolder hues can be pretty confusing, neutrals are among the hardest to define. Taupe is a shade that falls right in that category, with properties of brown and gray and a spectrum of different undertones. “It’s one of those colors that exudes a cool sophistication,” says designer Crina Arghirescu Rogard. “I love to have a uniform treatment of the interior shell of a project, so I’ve used taupe on walls and ceilings that are treated alike, continuing into each other.”

It can feel warmer with hints of red or cooler with a touch of green, making it extremely versatile and timelessly popular. “Taupe is a beautifully complex color that can shift from warm to cool depending on the light and shadow,” says designer Celeste Robbins. “I often use taupe to differentiate a cabinet from a wall when you want a subtle shift, yet still remain neutral.”

Whether you’re looking for a backdrop to bolder decor or simply favor subdued shades, taupe works wonders for home interiors across all styles and tastes. To prove just how gorgeous this color can be, we’ve gathered 16 of our favorite taupe rooms.

Effortlessly chic is a term thrown around way too often. But in Suzie de Rohan Willner’s Georgian farmhouse in the Oxfordshire countryside, it’s on full display. The seemingly arbitrary assortment of art and objets above the mantel provide instant charm, but it’s the taupe color that brings it all together to make an enviously elegant living room.

For the upstairs john of a 1730s colonial house in Stamford, Connecticut, designed by Ryan Lawson, taupe was deployed as a foil for the charred mushroom wood ceiling. You’ll want to stay in this room forever, or at least until your legs fall asleep.

A shelf lined with empty bottles of booze is decidedly freshman-dorm retrograde. But when they’re auction-quality wines and bubblies set against the backdrop of moody natural light, mirrors, marble, and walls painted in taupe, you have yourself a chic and cozy little escape. It is proven in this subterranean wine bar of a home designed by Powell and Glenn in Melbourne, QED.

You can picture Danny Torrance riding his tricycle up and down this Hicksian-pattern wallpaper by Robert Kime. But there’s no need to write REDRUM in lipstick in this powder room by designer Lucy Doswell thanks to the calming taupe colorway.

It doesn’t always have to be a color that blends into the background. For her San Francisco Victorian, interior designer Eva Bradley chose the ubiquitous Camaleonda sofa by Mario Bellini upholstered in a taupe fabric. Bonus: The hue is picked up in the curtains.

According to Sally Bowles, life is a cabaret, old chum, but Veere Greeney posits in this bedroom in London’s Belgravia that life, specifically at home, can also be a circus. One without trapeze, bike-riding elephants, and soggy popcorn. No, this circus is subdued, thanks to the taupe striped tent.

A sanctuary-like bathroom works with natural materials and a neutral palette in the home of Eyeswoon founder Athena Calderone. From the manila rope ceiling to the velvety taupe walls, a tactile comfort and a connection to nature come to life.

In a midcentury modern living room, statement furniture and art are grounded with a warm and neutral palette, including a vintage Mies van der Rohe daybed from Lost City Arts upholstered in a taupe Brochier velvet.

Modern and mountain chic mingle on this Park City, Utah, deck, where a taupe exterior perfectly complements the wooden roof and pale lounge chairs.

The dining room in this serene country house includes light taupe trim, playing into a monochrome palette while still remaining warm against the rustic accents.

In an art-filled Upper East Side home, exquisite architecture guides the design. In a doorway leading to the living room, the doors and ceiling are painted a warm and earthy shade of taupe.

A handsome bedroom sitting area unites grays of varying undertones: Green-gray walls contrast with cool taupe curtains, and a light, textured gray rug balances it all.

A Gramercy Park pied-à-terre brings the outdoors in with an old-world, vintage approach. In the living room, 18th-century antiques mix it up with Gustavian, mid-20th-century, and contemporary pieces, backed by walls in a beautiful beige-ish taupe.

The sophisticated and youthful dining area of Colin Kaepernick’s California home includes statement mirrors and lighting, backed by shimmery taupe walls that play up the metallic accents.

In a light-filled powder room, glass and mother-of-pearl tile cover the walls and play off of the geometric flooring, while coastal sisal wallpaper warms up the space.

The bedroom of a Paris pied-à-terre blends antique accents with a modern sensibility, including a fun gallery wall and a statement custom bed.