Is there anything more satisfying than a smooth, rich, taupe color? I love it on my walls, accessories, clothes, and eyelids! Today we are going to look at 9 of the very best taupe paint colors for you to add to your inspo list as we move into 2025.

Honestly, I am such a taupe lover that nothing pained me more than having to narrow this list down in an objective way. I even had to leave out a few of my big time favorites such as Taupe of the Morning, and Shiitake.
What Color is Taupe?
Taupe is a color somewhere between gray and beige that typically has the slightest violet undertone.
There are some taupe colors that can have either a violet or green undertone. Colors with a lot of gray in them, do tend to be chameleons. In my opinion, any color that reads like a classic taupe will have a more purple undertone.

Anything with a green undertone that doesn’t ever have a purple undertone, I would probably classify as a muted sage.
(This really is a matter of opinion, but if that’s more what you are after, you might prefer my post Fabulous Sage Green Trim Colors where I do talk about a few different muted sage options.)
What is the Difference Between Taupe and Greige?
There is definitely a huge overlap between taupe and greige, since taupe colors are warm grays. I would say that all taupe paint colors are greige, but not all greiges are taupe.

There are plenty of greiges out there with strong sunny or green undertones that I wouldn’t consider taupe. I also think that greiges can be quite dark, but taupe stays mid-toned.
What is the Difference Between Taupe, Mushroom, and Putty?
Again there is a big overlap here! In my opinion, the terms “taupe,” “mushroom,” and “putty,” can all be used somewhat interchangeably.

Putty colors tend to be lighter, and some could be classified as beiges and not necessarily taupe. Mushroom colors do all tend to be taupe.
With all of that out of the way, let’s get into these colors!
Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe
I have already covered this color in my post: The 3 Faces of Smokey Taupe on Kitchen Cabinets (Plus Alternatives!), so check that out if you want a deeper dive on undertones etc!

Smokey Taupe makes the list of best taupe paint colors because it is light enough to use anywhere in your home. With an LRV of 54.53, it is in the perfect range for a whole-home wall color.
Here is a look at a very typical appearance for Smokey Taupe:

In terms of undertone, Smokey Taupe most often has the classic wink of purple. However, like many greiges, this color is a little bit of a chameleon. It can range in appearance from a silvery gray:

…To a more standard beige look:

As you may have guessed, Smokey Taupe is great on cabinets! It is a nice alternative to cream, but still reads light and bright.
Sherwin Williams Taupe Tone
Taupe Tone is one of the few taupe colors that has very little undertone. It typically looks like a perfect mix of gray and beige:

If it is going to have an undertone, it could be either a hint of a mushroomy-purple or a touch of green, but I find it difficult to catch.
Here is Taupe Tone in a laundry room with Classic Gray on the walls:

This combination is particularly nice! Classic Gray is more of an off white than an actual gray.
Here the color does look the tiniest bit sagey:

If you do like the more green look of Taupe Tone, you will probably like Benjamin Moore Fieldstone.
Taupe Tone has an LRV of 36, which makes it perfectly mid-toned.
Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
Repose Gray is definitely one of the more gray colors on this list, but I find that it often has that taupey purple undertone.
Here it is in a kitchen:

Repose Gray is another nice light taupe, which could be used on all of the walls in your home, with an LRV of 58.
I find Repose Gray to be a very sophisticated neutral! It has all of the flexibility of Accessible Beige or Agreeable Gray, but it’s a little more…interesting.

You should know that Repose Gray can look strictly gray. I have not ever seen it looking green, and it doesn’t ever look completely beige.

Repose Gray is a great choice if you aren’t sure if your goal is a gray, greige, or taupe paint color! (You can see a little more from this color in my post: Sherwin Williams Light French Gray VS Repose Gray)
Sherwin Williams Truly Taupe
Truly Taupe is one of the colors on this list with the strongest purple undertone. If you want quite a neutral taupe, this may not be the right choice, but the color is beautiful!

The LRV of Truly Taupe is 35, so it is a mid-toned color, but also the darkest shade on this list.

This color ranges in appearance from a medium nut brown to a taupe with almost a cherry undertone.

This color won’t be everyone’s favorite, but it is undeniably rich! I think it would look amazing in a color drench situation,
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray
Worldly Gray is another taupe chameleon!

This color can appear anywhere from pretty gray, to beige, to a taupe with a pink or purple undertone.

The hallway color here is Worldly Gray and the color in the living room is the sultry Benjamin Moore color Vintage Vogue.

In this kitchen it is on the upper cabinets with Porpoise on the lowers. (Porpoise happens to be on my list of Dark and Moody Exterior Colors From Sherwin Williams.)
This taupe color is one of the lightest on the list with an LRV of 57. Which makes it a great whole home wall color.

Benjamin Moore Pashmina
Pashmina was a big hit in years past, but enough years past that it’s actually cool again.

In this bathroom it is the perfect earthy complement to the SW Evergreen Fog walls.

Pashmina can actually have a slight green undertone in certain situations, but not in this bathroom since the walls are actually green.
Here you can see the green undertone a little bit on these exterior doors, where the body of the house is the stronger gray/taupe of Benjamin Moore Iron Gate:

It’s probably difficult to accept that these are even the same color! Unfortunately I have nothing in between to show you, so this is one to add to the list of test pots!
The LRV of Pashmina is 44, so it’s just a little darker than I would recommend for a whole home color, but it is on the lighter end of mid-toned.
Sherwin Williams Functional Gray
Functional Gray is another mid-toned mushroomy taupe, with an LRV of 37.

Here we see it on a shiplap feature wall against the popular white Sherwin Williams Alabaster:

Despite looking quite beige here, this is actually the grayest taupe color on the list, and also the coolest.

You should know that Functional Gray can look allll the way gray. If you want a color that is consistently a warmer beigey taupe, this isn’t the one. Because it is cooler, Functional Gray also has the potential to have a green undertone.
To keep this shade looking warmer and taupey, I recommend pairing it with blues and greens.
Behr Mesa Taupe
Mesa Taupe is the lonely Behr shade that made the list! This mid-toned taupe is a perfect balanced color that plays well with others.

Mesa Taupe tends to not have a strong undertone (purple or otherwise), but might appear more beige than other taupe colors.

This color isn’t nearly as popular as it should be! I find it to be one of the more predictable colors on the list. It generally looks pretty much like this:

The LRV of Mesa Taupe is 41.
Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth
Our final taupe shade is actually on the same color strip as our very first one! Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth is one shade darker than Smokey Taupe.

Stone Hearth is another chameleon! It can range in appearance from perfectly neutral, to warm beige, and it can have an undertone anywhere from purple to green.

In these photos it looks mostly neutral to warm. That is thanks to pairing it with cool blues and greens such as Behr Hematite in the dining room…

…and Benjamin Moore Hale Navy in this living room.

The LRV of Stone Hearth is 48, so it is right in the middle of the pack when it comes to lightness.
LRV’s of Taupe Paint Colors
Here are all of these taupe paint colors compared in terms of LRV.

Remember that a whole home color should have an LRV of around 50+. Feature colors should come from the lower range. For cabinets any LRV will do!
All of the 9 Best Taupe Paint Colors
Here’s another look at all of the colors we covered:

Thank you so much for reading until the end! That really helps my blog! I hope this gave you some great taupey ideas.
If not, here are some more colors that you might like: